The XCOM Files
by Xabiar
Summary: A collection of documents, dossiers, and analysis on the various units, factions, organizations, cultures, history, events and leaders spanning the Ethereal Collective, ADVENT and XCOM. A supplementary companion collection to XCOM: The Advent Directive.
1. Introduction

Introduction

* * *

This is a companion to XCOM: The Advent Directive containing supplementary material relating to the story, characters, events, organizations and aliens that I have established throughout the course of writing my XCOM trilogy

* * *

This collection may contain content some may find disturbing

* * *

This collection _will_ contain spoilers for XCOM: The Advent Directive, as well as my previous XCOM stories

* * *

 _Primary Beta Reader (Files 1 – 33):_ BloodsplatBOOM

 _Occasional Consultants (Files 1 – 33):_ Thuzan117 and Johnclaw Dragonhelm

 _Beta Readers (Files 34 – 70)_ _ **:**_ BloodsplatBOOM, Thuzan117 and Johnclaw Dragonhelm

 _ **Beta Readers (Files 71 – Present):**_ BloodsplatBOOM, Edumesh, Thuzan117 and Johnclaw Dragonhelm

* * *

This is somewhat of an experiment, and also an idea I've had for a while now. In preparing for writing the Advent Directive, I've written a lot of documentation about the various organizations, aliens and politics within them and while I plan to cover quite a bit in the actual story, there is much that will not be completely relevant and only be covered as it becomes important.

To that I've decided to create this, which will document and detail a lot of different aspects of the world I've created, and from multiple alien and human perspectives. This will be updated each time a chapter is released for the Advent Directive, usually expanding on some of the content in the chapter. That is why I strongly encourage you to be familiar with the latest chapter, otherwise you _will_ be spoiled on certain parts. I'll try not to make them too large, but I can't make definite promises.

In addition, I am also going to allow a limited amount of suggestions for this, specifically if there is a particular aspect, event or character you want to know more of, you can send me a PM/email (Email address is in my profile) and I will see about adding it, provided I haven't planned it beforehand I can come up with enough material to warrant a document. Those who make suggestions I implement will also be mentioned at the end of an appropriate document. I will also make it clear that any submitted through reviews will be immediately dismissed as that is not the purpose of the review function.

The formation of the chapters will be organized in a non-linear way. It will be sorted by category, not date of upload. Apologies for the inconvenience, but in this particular case I will be valuing organization over the straight uploading of a chapter.

Hope you enjoy it!

-Xabiar


	2. ADVENT- History: Annexation of Australia

ADVENT: History

The Annexation of Australia

* * *

" _I thought I was one of the lucky ones. The ones not to get taken by the aliens. I've hidden away now, moving, trying to get out of this damn continent. But I think it's too late for me._

 _The aliens are hunting us now, and they don't care about capturing us. They want to kill us."_

-Anonymous Sydney Resident

* * *

Intelligence Report 10A3

Subject: Australia Attack and Aftermath

Operative Hari May, XCOM Intelligence

Australia is lost. At the moment any sort of offensive against the continent would be suicide. There are too many aliens here, and ones powerful enough for me to consider me abandoning this task and returning to Asia. However, I was able to learn quite a bit of what happened, and was witness to it from afar.

Contrary to earlier reports, the aliens did _not_ hit Sydney first. Rather it was in concert with attacks on Perth and Brisbane as well. I have sufficient evidence to suggest that the attack on Sydney was the priority target, but before I describe why, it should be told in the correct order.

The first signs that something was off were the sudden reports of citizens attacking each other for almost no reason at all, shouting unhinged justifications that they'd been 'betrayed' or that everyone was 'fake'. The police arrested several of these people, but almost immediately after this string of attacks, the UFOs began arriving and began firing upon large swaths of the city.

The explanation for this is quite clearly psionic influence, more pervasive than anything we've ever seen before. It was to the degree that thousands were affected, and to make matters worse, that psionic influence held on and I personally observed dozens of humans walking in lines to the alien transport UFOs, shambling forward as if sleepwalking.

We can only assume the worst for those people, but the aliens on the ground seemed to know the difference between those that were under psionic influence and those that were not. No efforts were noted by me to capture civilians during the initial assault, though the aliens admittedly only killed those who fought them. Strangely enough, it seemed like no soldiers suffered these psionic breakdowns. I don't have enough information to know if this was a coincidence, or a deliberate action on the Ethereal responsible for this mass panic.

Strangely enough, the aliens seemed to limit their aerial arsenal after the initial volley, which I suspect just fired to get attention. But it was mostly used to maintain control of the skies, and then bomb specific targets such as the Opera House and known cultural icons. While that clearly isn't enough to say that the aliens have an interest in not damaging our infrastructure, it is one piece of good news to come out of this. We might be able to expect the aliens to similarly hold back in other fronts as well, though that clearly should not be relied upon.

The Australian defense went about as well as we could have expected. The Australian Defense Force (ADF) initially attempted to fight off the aliens in Sydney, but were easily overrun by the more advanced alien force. It wasn't long before a retreat was ordered and the remnants of the ADF were concentrated near Canberra and Geelong. Though from talking with ADF officers, those are just fronts while the military plans to transition to guerilla resistance located deep in the wilderness.

The alien forces that I personally witnessed were composed of Mutons, of the regular and Elite variety. Those comprised the majority of their forces, which were supplemented by what appeared to be Borelian, Vitakarian and Cobrarian operatives. I also spotted a squad of those suited aliens, though they were different from the green-helmeted ones that attacked the Citadel. Several had different tints to their helmets, and were sometimes slimmer and occasionally accompanied by some kind of floating drone. Unfortunately, I was unable to see these units in combat.

Returning to the point I made earlier about Sydney being the more important of the attacks, I believe it was because I personally saw the Ethereals leading the attack, and have yet to talk to the survivors of the other cities who has reported a similar alien. Based on descriptions from the alien Nartha, I can conclude that it was the Ethereal identified as the "Battlemaster" who led the physical attack on the city.

There is very little chance this is an error, as the Ethereal in question was covered in dull plate armor, a red cape and held a greatsword in his hands. Unfortunately, I must also corroborate that contrary to what we'd hoped, the Battlemaster is indeed as dangerous as Nartha insisted. I personally witnessed him slaughter dozens of soldiers single-handedly and undoubtedly killed many I did not see. I am aware that ADVENT and XCOM soldiers are better equipped, armed and trained, but I am skeptical about how much difference that will make.

More importantly, I got a glimpse of what I suspect to be an unidentified Ethereal. This one was much smaller and didn't physically participate in the attack, but hung around near one of the transports. All that it seemed to wear was an orange cloak with a hood covering its head. While I was unable to get close enough to confirm the species, we do know that unlike the rest of the aliens, Ethereals have very distinct styles that stand out from the uniformity of their forces, and based on the size, attire and apparent command of the Muton Elites around it, I think it is reasonable that it was an Ethereal, perhaps the one responsible for the psionic attacks from earlier.

In any event the city was taken quickly, and it appears to be the same for the other attacked cities as well. The aliens appear to be establishing a form of martial law in the city for the surviving citizens, and enforcing it by having chryssalids and sectoid handlers roam the streets outside of the curfew. It is currently too dangerous to fully enter and investigate, but I will continue to make inquiries.

At this moment the bulk of the alien forces are devoted to pacifying the neighboring cities, specifically Canberra and Newcastle, from Sydney and I presume similar actions are taking place near the other cities that were attacked. I cannot say if the Ethereals are still personally leading this attack, but the possibility is distinct.

I do believe that this attack has given us some valuable insight into how the aliens will conduct this campaign against us. Should their pattern hold, they are still committed to capturing, not killing the majority of us. That limits their options and we should expect a long ground campaign from multiple fronts. I assume you've come to the conclusion that the aliens will use Australia as a staging ground from which to launch attacks almost anywhere in the world.

Europe is really the only safe continent from alien attack, but China, Japan, the United States and Argentina are extremely vulnerable and the aliens are fully capable of launching simultaneous attacks on all sides. With the Ethereals now involved, I believe we can say that they have a personal interest in this war, and will likely not be the last to come.

I will continue to work with the ADF and act as a liaison between them and XCOM until ADVENT figures out what to do. But if they want to extradite what remains of the ADF, they need to do it now. The wilderness works to our advantage now, but you can't hide an army forever.

- _Sent to XCOM Intelligence Director Zhang_

* * *

Transcript between ADF Field Marshal Lincoln Harper and XCOM Intelligence Operative Hari May:

Hari May: "You can't stay here anymore. I know you don't-"

Lincoln Harper: "I know. But we're not going to leave yet. We can still help the people here. It's going to take the aliens a while to take over everything."

HM: "I get it; noble to the end. But we need the bulk of the ADF away from here. You can't hide the army forever."

LH: "You clearly haven't been here long."

HM: "And you clearly don't know what you're dealing with."

LH: "So what do you want? Us to just quit?"

LH: "Leave all the civilians to die or god knows what?"

HM: "You need to decide if your soldiers are more important than civilians. All you're doing with these evacuations is painting a bigger target on your back. Lines of refugees aren't exactly subtle."

LH: "Our job is to protect them."

HM: "And ours is to protect humanity. Sorry, but enough of your military is left for it to be put to better use than trying to evacuate civilians."

LH: "We're going in circles."

HM: "Like I said, it's noble, but impractical. As of now your military is one of the only ones to actually have faced alien forces in combat. We need them for where they attack next."

LH: "Who is 'we'?"

HM: "ADVENT."

LH: "Who?"

HM: "You haven't heard? The United Nations collapsed. ADVENT is for all intents and purposes, the replacement."

LH: "I…wha…I'd say that's impossible, but that word doesn't mean much now. They're leading the defense then?"

HM: "Correct. With XCOM assisting of course."

LH: "And what do they want to do with us?"

HM: "They've literally only been established within the last few days, sir. I've had limited contact as well, though I know they must be planning something. They might not know that a lot of your soldiers are still alive."

LH: "When you contact XCOM again, tell them to have ADVENT send some kind of representative. If there's a global resistance, we'll be a part of it. You're right. Our standing army is more of a liability here. But we need to maintain a presence and strike at the alien-controlled cities."

HM: "You need more special forces."

LH: "That would be ideal, but we're making do with what we have."

LH: "In any event, I'm going to be moving the bulk of my forces close to the Kakadu Park."

HM: "The navy is already gone, right?"

LH: "Yes, though I don't know how many made it. Our air force is pretty much non-existent after the attacks, and we can't exactly relocate our air bases."

HM: "You need to get in contact with ADVENT. They can have the US send carriers to transport your planes."

LH: "Agreed. Set me up as soon as possible."

HM: "Will do, tend to your people until then."

* * *

 _The following has been translated from Ethereal Script, found posted in Ethereal Collective War Camp Sydney-1_

 **Attention all Vitakara and Sectoid Forces.**

As we continue to lock down the human population and move forward to other defended human cities, you should be aware of the various hazards present in this land that the humans have named "Australia." This land is home to a higher population of venomous and dangerous wildlife than other parts of this world, and as there have already been several cases of extreme reactions to various insect and animal life, remember to be vigilant when operating beyond controlled cities.

Interrogations of various captive humans and the utilization of their public databases have identified specific lifeforms and areas to avoid until proper terraforming of the area can begin. (Note: Despite the fact that any human can access it, soldiers are not permitted to access the "internet" without prior authorization).

 _Insectoid Life:_ While most insect life is at most a nuisance, there are several particular insects that warrant warnings. To date there have been forty-five extreme reactions, and ten Sectoid deaths to the insect of the _spider_ species, specifically identified as the "Sydney funnel-web" which is currently identified as the most dangerous insect on the continent. As it can be difficult to identify specific breeds of spider (As there are many variants) the optimal solution is to simply kill them as quickly as possible whenever you see one. Research teams will collect specimens after the continent is secured, and there is no fear of killing them off as they reproduce quickly. Images are attached below.

The more dangerous insect that has been encountered is the "honeybee", which despite its apparent benevolent appearance, has a one-hundred percent fatality rate for Sectoids stung by the insect, whereas other species have yet to suffer significant effects. All Sectoid units are advised to watch for nests holding these insects and not disturb them, as they are not inherently aggressive unless provoked. Do not try and harvest the substance they produce without prior authorization. Images attached below.

Finally, all Collective personnel are advised to be careful where they step, as we have suffered six fatalities from personnel accidentally stepping onto apparently harmless piles of dirt which then housed small six-legged insects called _ants_ which swarmed the unfortunate individuals and stung them to death. While relatively harmless on their own, they are clearly dangerous in large numbers and discretion is advised when on wilderness patrol or recon.

 _Reptilian Life:_ Australia is also home to a species of reptile known as the _snake_ and has several extremely venomous variants of it. The venom within these snakes has been discovered to be strong enough to kill several Muton soldiers. These reptiles are rather quick and difficult to kill, but are fortunately non-aggressive for the most part unless startled. Images of the most common kinds are attached below.

 _Note:_ Comparisons between these reptiles and our Cobrarian soldiers, even in jest, is strictly prohibited and subject to disciplinary action.

 _Aquatic Life:_ All Collective personnel are strictly prohibited from entering any bodies of water without permission due to the dangerous aquatic life identified within. For units deployed into aquatic zones, be advised of the aggressive mammalian _shark_ which populate the waters. The larger danger to be aware of is the _jellyfish,_ a deceptively simple and slow-moving organism that nonetheless is potentially one of most venomous organisms on the planet. Termination of the units is advisable until an antidote is created.

 _Future Plans:_ Once the continent has been completely secured, Research teams will arrive and begin isolating the troublesome species and then introducing modified species or evolutionary strands to cull or remove the species in question. Due to the wide variety of organisms on the continent, complete wildlife culling will take at least twenty cycles.

In the short term, Andromedon Contamination Operatives will be sent to the more dangerous parts of the continent, and dangerous wildlife regions will be first discovered by Andromedon squads before Muton and Vitakara squads are permitted to establish positions.

Sectoid Leaders, please disseminate this information to your underlings immediately.

Sargon Sydney-01, disseminate this information with the local Muton legion immediately.

Continue with operations as normal.

Runi'areon'mattis, Elevated Commander, Division of the Battlemaster


	3. ADVENT - History: Council Assassination

ADVENT: History

The Assassination of the Council of Nations

* * *

" _The Council of Nations was supposedly made up of the most influential countries; the wealthiest donors; the smartest minds and the most powerful individuals. Their influence was said to be able to affect the world at their whim. Some even said that the United Nations itself was only meant to be a front to where the true power was held with the Council._

 _I find that hard to believe, personally. Because when this so-called Council of Nations died, no one cared, no one asked questions, no one mourned._

 _Hmph. For all their supposed influence, it clearly didn't protect them in the end."_

\- ADVENT Intelligence Operative Malik Gavin

* * *

ADVENT Field Report 001B

 _Location_ : Switzerland, Council of Nations Headquarters

 _Report Author:_ ADVENT Battlefield Forensics Operative Aiken Yates

To provide some context to what I am about to describe, surprisingly little is known about the enigmatic "Council of Nations." All evidence gathered from the various archives of the United Nations points to a highly secretive group which supposedly wielded a large degree of influence. We know that there were at least twelve nations involved at one time, presumably chosen based on standing in the world.

Two major points remain unclear to us: Whether this was an officially backed and recognized branch of the United Nations itself, and how much influence the Council of Nations exhibited on the world itself.

For the first point, all signs point to that while the United Nations _was_ aware of a branch called the "Council of Nations", correspondences between known councilors and United Nations correspondents indicate that the United Nations was unaware of the true nature of the branch. Unfortunately, all who are able to answer that question are almost certainly deceased.

As to the second point, while files from the Council headquarters are unable to be recovered, we can judge from the state of the world beforehand that it does not appear to have been influenced by such a body, at least to the extent suggested in internet rumors. At most the Council of Nations was probably used as a high-profile meeting away from the prying eyes of the world where nations of import could discuss matters between themselves without the fear of presumed "lesser" nations interfering.

One project that the Council _did_ appear to have a part in was the creation of XCOM. While documentation linking the Council to XCOM is non-existent, the Council being responsible at least in part for the funding of the paramilitary organization would explain how they rose to such prominence and were far more advanced than any other similar organization. It would also account for why the United Nations never claimed XCOM as its own, despite being possibly the only one to be able to establish the multinational organization XCOM is.

But unfortunately, with the collapse of the United Nations and the apparent assassination of the Council, I must reiterate that much of this is speculation. Concrete facts regarding the questions surrounding these organizations should be investigated separately.

Concerning what my team found, the apparent headquarters of the Council of Nations no longer stands in any meaningful way. The building has been completely blown apart and burned to the ground. We found traces that suggest that an accelerant may have been used in conjunction with the explosives that were strategically planted throughout the building, but we were unable to identify what it could be. There is a high likelihood that we never will, since a very probable theory is that it is alien in origin.

The bodies that we've found have been able to be identified to an extent, although this is unfortunately applicable to the bodies found outside the premises. The wounds on their bodies are consistent with alien weaponry, though also bear resemblance to wounds from gauss weaponry. As the aliens generally utilize plasma, the most probably rationalization is that this came from the mechanical unit XCOM has dubbed the "Cyberdisk" or possibly another alien unit not encountered yet.

We were unable to find complete bodies of any human or alien corpses within the premises of the building itself, which indicates that they were disintegrated or vaporized when the explosives detonated. This is confirmed by the extreme amount of human DNA painting the ruins, and we have also detected unidentifiable alien DNA as well, suggesting that security was at least able to dispatch several of the intruders.

What was also discovered was a black alien substance that appears to be a modified strain of the binding gel from the abduction pods that the aliens initially utilized during the abduction periods. Unfortunately, we have yet to determine how this substance differs from the known variant, and what we've attempted to recover has become too degraded and contaminated to be of any real scientific use. What has been recovered has been sent to ADVENT Research and Development for analysis.

In any event, one of the few certainties here is that there were no survivors, and unless the nations involved release the names of the personnel who were involved, we will not know the full list of casualties. You will also doubtless want to know the perpetrators of this terrorist activity, and from what I can tell, there are only two possibilities.

The first is that this was carried out by an independent human organization or country, in an attempt to weaken the United Nations and drive up public sentiment against the aliens. Following that, the organization in question would need to have access to explosive equipment, accelerants and soldiers, which clearly does not narrow down the list. But they would also need to have extensive knowledge of alien weaponry, tactics and the resources to effectively stage this as a credible alien attack.

At this moment, the only ones capable of such would be China, Israel and XCOM. While tensions between China and the Council of Nations were said to be strained, this would be an extremely strange move for the Chinese, especially since they were said to be a part of the Council. Israel lacks the motivation, and considering their current war in the Middle East, to suggest they also have the resources to stage a false flag event of this scale is, frankly, ludicrous.

Similar to China, I cannot see how XCOM performing this act would be beneficial, especially if the rumors about the organization being funded by the Council are true. Aside from that, XCOM has very distinct tactics and specializations, none of which appear to apply to what we've found. To sum this up, there is a sufficient lack of any sort of tangible motivation or hard evidence to suggest this was staged or faked in any way.

Which is why I can say that it is almost certain that this attack was carried out by alien operatives. We have evidence of alien tactics, DNA, motivation and artifacts that are linked directly to the site in question. Furthermore, this lines up with the alien attack against the United Nations, of which the Council was intrinsically linked to.

It is possible that when the aliens were planning their attack against the United Nations, the Council was just simply another target. They might have not even known its significance, but questions like that are unlikely to be answered. All that can be said for certain is that, like the United Nations, the Council of Nations is no more and was destroyed at the hands of alien invaders.

I feel further analysis is unnecessary, as the remaining theories devolve into conspiracy-level subject matter, and we do not devote our time and resources to such drivel. Nonetheless, should you desire a more in-depth report, I will compile a report to send to ADVENT Intelligence Director Falka.

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Online conspiracy theorist_

 _Video Title: The Sham of the Council of Nations_

"We've got a lot to talk about today, so let's get to it. And it's going to be the topic that isn't being covered by _anyone_. We all know that the mainstream media conveniently cuts out stuff to blind the general population, so it isn't a surprise. But I need to reiterate that _no one_ is talking about this. Not the newspapers, not the politicians in Washington and especially not the spooks in ADVENT."

 _Brief pause._ "Hold on-ADVENT? Oh yeah, lots of stuff to say about that. But not now, because this is truly disturbing."

 _Long sigh_. "Right, so long time viewers will remember we've talked about the "Council of Nations" extensively. I didn't think it was possible, but they somehow managed to piss off someone who had even more influence than they did. Apparently controlling the entire United Nations wasn't enough to protect them because I've learned that they're all _dead!"_

 _Dramatic pause._ "Yes, I've just learned that the globalist masters of the United Nations are no more. Everything is _wiped_ from the face of the Earth. And don't you think that would draw _some_ attention? From Russia? America? China? _No!_ They just expect us to be cowed into submission, pointing at Australia and New York, hoping that we don't realize that a coup was just launched right in front of our eyes!"

"How is _no one_ asking just where the hell ADVENT came from?! Why is no one demanding answers for what happened in Switzerland! It's because they're _in on it_! If this _proof_ isn't enough to convince you that we're all just puppets playing to the whims of Treduant, Savvin and Nowinski, then _nothing will_! America is being turned over to the new world order now and the people are just willingly accepting it!"

 _Subject becomes visibly agitated_. "And you know what? All the signs were there! I predicted something like this was going down! I warned that EXALT was going to fulfill their goal of world domination and they're doing it with our blessing! They aren't even hiding it anymore. The puppets they've placed around the world are simply following their directions! And now here's the thing, folks. Pay close attention here: Our way of life is threatened unlike anything we've experienced before. But we _can_ do our part, and I can't do it alone."

 _Subject clasps hands together, looks intently into the camera._ "First and foremost, viewers: Share the message. Wake people up to what's really going on. But that's going to be difficult, and I know this because their will is severely weakened. I have to admit that I do believe I'm wrong now: the mysterious chemicals that the government puts into our food aren't to make us sicker or addict us to their controlled substances, but to make us _susceptible_ to telepathy."

 _Subject motions to highly misleading graph on the screen._ "Telepathy is real, folks. But we've discussed that extensively before, and it all comes back to XCOM. _They_ are the true threat to our freedom now, which should be surprising given where they come from. Since I know this video is going to reach a wider audience, all you need to know is that XCOM is the culmination of Project MKUltra, an experiment that supposedly failed, but actually succeeded beyond what they could have hoped."

 _Two links appear in the video, presumably to other equally questionable content._ "For proof we only need to look towards the footage from New York. It's a fact that mind-control was developed, and XCOM are the only ones who can use it. Along with a host of other equally disturbing powers. But the point here is that the reasons we're not seeing protests, the reason things are being covered up, is because we're being controlled by XCOM. _Placated_ unknowingly."

 _Pause_. "I know personally it's difficult. I want to hide and have someone deal with the alien problem. But we need to never cease our thirst for the truth! We have to be even more vigilant because they _know_ you're aware. They _know_ you're a problem. But even they have limits."

"I don't know if they're in some unholy alliance with EXALT to control us all or if they're simply using them as unknowing puppets, but we can't lapse into apathy. The world as we know it is crumbling. And if we don't make our demands clear, our rights, freedoms and will be taken away in service to the state."

"I'll be doing my part. But the question, viewers is this: Will you do yours?"

 _End video._

 _Analysis: Has valid sources, though no concrete evidence whatsoever. Easily disproven in court. Charismatic to a degree, plays off emotions rather than logic and is intelligent enough to link certain events together giving the illusion of legitimacy. Highly incendiary and encourages instability, a problem given his unfortunately large audience size._

 _Unknown if what he says truly reflects his beliefs, or if it is just a persona. If the latter, I advise he be recruited for our own propaganda. If the former, legal action should be taken against him before he inspires some radical to shoot up one of our offices._

 _Recommendation: Bring him in for questioning. Give him a warning and see what happens._

 _All affiliated sites and channels belonging to Jonas Culbert are now flagged for review._

* * *

XCOM Diamondback Team Report

Restricted to Internal Council

Mission Status: _Success_

Target Status:

Rick Meredith, Councilor of Canada – TERMINATED

Antonio Silvian, Councilor of Mexico – TERMINATED

Tiran Amell, Councilor of the United States - TERMINATED

Mateo Delfinian, Councilor of Argentina – TERMINATED

Lacy Rayce, Councilor of France – TERMINATED

Isabella Narmon, Councilor of the United Kingdom – TERMINATED

Tamara Vasilisa, Councilor of Russia – TRANSFERRED TO XCOM

Kyo Sora, Councilor of Japan – TERMINATED

Kanti Jyoti, Councilor of India – TERMINATED

Ali Ennor, Councilor of Australia – TERMINATED

Kagiso Nthanda, Councilor of South Africa – TERMINATED

Desta Mosi, Councilor of Egypt – TERMINATED

Adaora Osinachi, Councilor of Nigeria – TERMINATED

James Bailey, Speaker of the Council – TERMINATED

Enemy Personnel Eliminated:

20 Security Personnel

24 Staff and Aide Personnel

Diamondback Team Status:

The Commander: _Active_

Captain Ethan Vyandar: _Active_

Lancer Sophie Falka: _Active_

Lancer David Solaris: _Active_

Lancer Hamilton Solaris: _Active_

Lancer Rey Eridan: _Active_

Lancer Travis Venator: _Active_

Lancer Franklin Solaris: _Active_

Lancer Travis Mercado: _Active_

Lancer Jordan Venator: _Active_


	4. ADVENT - History: The Collapse of the UN

ADVENT: History

The Collapse of the United Nations

* * *

" _I suppose all of us thought the United Nations was too big for it to collapse. Sure, its actual power was limited, but how can something that's comprised of the United States, China, Russia and every country in Europe fall so quickly?_

 _Turns out all you need is the leadership being killed, an alien invasion and fear. Or it's possible that no one believed in the United Nations enough to try and preserve it."_

-Former NATO Colonel Francine Gullet

* * *

 _Response from Stockbroker [Censored] to independent Journalist Jessica Wong during an anonymous interview._

"If you thought it was bad when Australia was attacked, it was absolutely _nothing_ compared to the hours after the United Nations was effectively destroyed. The stock market was barely holding together as it was, since every single business operating out of Australia was wiped out. Do you know the economic ramifications something like that causes?"

"Well, no, that's why I'm here I guess. But it was bad, very bad, worst ten hours of my life. Until later, of course. See, the only reason everyone wasn't in _complete_ anarchy was because the UN was actually getting their act together and doing something in that big address of theirs. Calling a General Assembly was exactly what was needed to stabilize the markets a little bit."

"A _little_ bit."

"So I thought things were stabilizing, and everyone did, so despite aliens being down under, we were adapting. Then of course the UN was attacked and everyone in charge died and suddenly we were facing a global crisis the likes of which you'd have never seen before. Don't smirk at that, I'm dead serious. For all its faults, the UN was more or less the only thing humanity had as a united front. So how exactly do you think people reacted when supposedly the best hope of survival was gone?"

"Yep, they panicked. Pure and uniform _panic_. Which led to the worst ten hours of my life, as everyone tried to figure out what the [Censored] we were going to do. You're really going to bleep that out? [Censored] that, it's a pretty big [Censored] deal."

"Fine, whatever. So what do you think could possibly make things worse? Well, try dealing with the news that pretty much every country is suddenly pulling out of the UN. That's taking the markets, and blowing them up with a nuclear bomb. _Nothing_ should have been left, the market should have been in tatters and right now we should all be dealing with a worldwide recession the likes of which not seen before."

"So…then you'll ask: Why aren't we?"

"Simple: ADVENT. You can point to ADVENT as the sole reason why the majority of people are still living above the poverty line, and that scares the [Censored] out of me. These guys were _fast_. Mere _hours_ after the UN collapsed they were already making their presence known to certain economic circles. They sent out a [Censored] memo to Wall Street explaining…well, the basic gist is that they were taking care of things and not to panic. Heh, way too late for that, but then again, that's just what the regular guys got."

"This is where it gets interesting: Word is that some _very_ influential people at Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and WTO all got both meetings with top ADVENT people and a separate memo which I have no clue what was on it. But whatever they said to them was the first step in things somehow stabilizing. Major companies stressed not to panic, and everyone was looking for _some_ sign, _any_ sign of stability and organization."

"Boom, one day later and ADVENT is officially established with the backing of America, Russia, Israel and so on. _That_ was the first sign that things _might_ be getting better. But what's spooky about all of this is that ADVENT seemed to _know_ that some [Censored] was going down. There is no way that _anyone_ could react in all the right ways, so fast, without knowing what was coming."

"Let me be clear that I'm not suggesting anything, not at all. But it's unnatural how quickly ADVENT took control of the situation. Everyone with _any_ basic knowledge of economics knew that it was going to take a lot more to prevent even a short recession. But in the days after ADVENT wasted no [Censored] time and pulled out every single [Censored] trick in the book. Price freezing was big initially, which helped the initial shock after dozens of businesses went…well, bankrupt in the initial crash."

"ADVENT also didn't waste time flat out taking over businesses in the name of the state. To be fair, by all accounts they've allowed the leadership and boards to remain intact, but everything is produced for ADVENT. The biggest weapon manufacturers were hit _hard_ with this. Every single one of any relevance was taken over by ADVENT, for obvious reasons, but it says something that giants like Solaris Industries folded to them without so much as a peep. And let me be clear: ADVENT was not _asking_ to take them over, they were _ordering_ them to take over."

"It was all done really quietly, relatively at least, as in I bet most of the public doesn't know that Wal-Mart is now a direct arm of the State. But ADVENT didn't [Censored] around. You didn't cooperate, you _were_ arrested and this was done quietly, in the dead of night. Sound dramatic? Yeah, it was, but ADVENT wasn't even subtle about it. They just stationed those Peacekeepers outside and told whoever passed by that they were conducting 'operations.'"

"I'm not going to judge ADVENT for what they're doing, quite frankly, I admire them taking steps to actually prevent a catastrophe. But I'm telling you it's pretty [Censored] unnerving to look at the market and realize that ADVENT is now literally in control of a large part of the global economy. You know for all those speeches they gave, I will grant you that they do seem to not want to public to starve while the military fights, even if that means every business either goes under or doesn't turn a profit. That takes guts, even if I question if _all_ of it was needed."

"But here's what's floating around now: ADVENT is apparently looking to not just influence the global economy…but flat out control and regulate it. _All_ of it. And not in a communist way either, where they control every aspect. No, it seems they want just enough influence to be able to force certain businesses to collapse and others to thrive. Pretty much the power that every Wall Street broker dreams of, except that ADVENT might be influential enough to make it happen."

"It was already making a lot of businesses worry, but it quickly became clear that if you wanted to keep your head above water, you did _whatever_ ADVENT wanted otherwise they _were_ going to find a way to take you down. There were quite a few people who just up and left when ADVENT started imposing their regulations and rules, moving to China, Canada and pretty much the major non-ADVENT aligned countries."

"Now, even if ADVENT is more focused on home at the moment, I can guarantee that they have a list of the people trying to subvert them. It tells me even if they don't have complete control over _everything_ , they have _very_ specific standards as to what is and is not acceptable and they _will_ take steps to ensure that everything is how they wanted. ADVENT doesn't want private entities, not really, but they have to keep that illusion, so they just make it so only the ones friendly to them able to survive and starve the others to death. Honestly pretty clever, I have to admit."

"And how? Well, rumor has it that they're going to launch a new currency. Not surprising, and you'd likely suspect them to take the dollar, euro or equivalent, slap some "ADVENT" logo on it and pass it off as some new type of currency. Boom, easy. Relatively, anyway, even the basic [Censored] dealing with economics gives most people a headache."

"Anyway, I'm getting distracted. No, they apparently want a _new_ currency that isn't tied at all to the old ones. Alright, fine, you might say, until you hear that it's going to be _backed_ by something. Yeah, I was shocked too. I'd dare you to try to find a currency today that _isn't_ mostly backed on IOUs. So there are a couple of possibilities here that could possibly make sense. Precious metals are possible, but there is no way ADVENT found enough gold to back their ambitious world government. So what does that leave that could be equally as valuable? Oil? I considered that, but again scarcity comes into play and there's too little to somehow back a global currency."

"So think about it hard: what is something that ADVENT has, that is valuable, that is scarce, yet precious enough to turn into a tradable resource? You're shaking your head, and I can tell you to stop looking for stuff on Earth. [Censored] it, I'll just tell you. ADVENT has alien tech. They have alien metals. And therefore they have a market that literally no one else on Earth has."

"Since no one has set a price on the metals, ADVENT can arbitrarily declare whatever price they want on a particular amount and _it will be worth that much_. They could literally create the most stable currency in existence, and as long as ADVENT keeps winning some victories, they will _never run out of money_. And even though gold is nice, alien tech is far more versatile and useful overall by a long shot.

"Funnily enough, if this is actually what's going to happen, China is actually going to be pretty wealthy since they have the dreadnought, and I can only guess how much additional money XCOM is going to get. The point is this: ADVENT wants to directly influence the global economy, and if they keep making smart and decisive decisions like this, they are going to succeed."

* * *

 _Transcript between two NYPD Officers:_

Officer 1: "He's giving the speech now. Should be interesting."

Officer 2: "Think they'll finally reveal that XCOM was working for them all along?"

O1: "Maybe. Honestly not sure if I'd feel better knowing one way or another."

O2: "Hey, XCOM saved the city. Don't really care who they're working for, they're good in my book."

O1: "He's honestly more likely to announce some kind of united international coalition than anything to do with XCOM."

O2: "Makes sense. NATO on steroids."

O1: "Would need to be a lot bigger than that."

O2: "Shut up, he's starting."

 _Thirty Minutes elapse._

O1: "Come on buddy, get to the point-"

O2: "Hey!"

O1: "The hell? It just went out?"

O2: "Of all the times-just switch the channel."

O1: "Uh…it's not on this one either."

O2: "That's really odd."

O1: "Hold on, they're doing something."

Television Anchor: _"Apologies for this. We're experiencing technical difficulties with the signal. We are working to reestablish the connection now."_

O1: "You had one job."

O2: "Something tells me this isn't going to be fixed soon. Let's get a snack, I'm hungry."

 _Fifteen minutes elapse._

O2: "Showing the building. Better than nothing I guess."

O1: "Quite a time for the UN to drop the ball now. Some of us are…"

O1: "Uh…"

O2: "Are those explosions?"

O1: "The building is collapsing!"

O2: "Holy-"

O1: "Yeah, I just felt that!"

O2: "Get people out there now!"

 _Sounds of radio static._

O2: "We saw it. Moving out now!"

 _End of transcript_

* * *

 **Memo to all NATO Personnel**

Subject: Concerning Recent Activities

As you have likely heard by now, we have received word and confirmation that the United Nations Headquarters, as well as major offices in Vienna and Nairobi have been leveled to the ground, and we can unfortunately confirm the deaths of all senior representatives and leadership. As of right now we are treating this as an alien attack, and have put all NATO bases on high alert.

Concerning our response to this, that is being internally discussed. Though the decision on how we are going to handle it is currently undecided, and we are making preliminary steps to work with various governments themselves to establish some kind of global defense and retaliation for this grievous attack.

As distasteful as it is, there is the possibility that NATO will undergo major changes, as we are now an independent military power with neither the resources, nor manpower to form an effective defense strong enough for all of Earth. If the limited oversight the United Nations had over us is no more, NATO will likely be undergoing reforms to work with the new collection of united governments to combat the alien threat.

I apologize that most of this is either speculative or unclear, but that is due to the fact that as stated earlier, discussions are ongoing and you will be updated as soon as possible. Rest assured that those who've done this will be brought to justice.

 _-Adele Renard, NATO Secretary General_

* * *

 _Archived text messages between Trish and Madi Franklin_

[Trish Franklin]: Where are you?

[TF]: Answer me right now miss.

[Madi Franklin]: Still at the building.

[MF]: That gov building

[MF]: Miss Rachel said she was going to call you

[TF]: She did four hours ago. Why are you still there?

[MF]: I dont know

[MF]: They have soldiers in front of the doors

[MF]: We're sitting and waiting

[TF]: Rachel isn't picking up. Can you ask her to call me?

[MF]: They arent telling me anything mommy

[MF]: Im scared

[TF]: Don't worry, you'll leave soon. Just tell Miss Rachel to call me ok?

[MF]: Ok

[MF]: Do you know whats happening?

[MF]: What does lockdown mean?

[TF]: Honey, why are you asking?

[MF]: The lights dimmed. Bobby says its a lockdown

[TF]: It just means they're going to keep you safe.

[TF]: But get miss Rachel now.

[MF]: I dont feel good

 _Five minutes elapse._

[TF]: Honey, are you there?

[TF]: Are you alright?

[TF]: Answer me now!

[TF]: Tell miss Rachel I'm coming right now- _(Message not sent)_

* * *

 _To the Commander_

Subject: Demeter

I am pleased to officially report that the execution of the [REDACTED] has been achieved successfully in the locations we have designated. Thanks to key agents being planted in advance, we were able to easily circumvent the more troublesome aspects of the [REDACTED] security and allow our operatives to easily infiltrate the building.

The usage of Psion [REDACTED] was also a worthwhile investment as she was responsible for ensuring that the demolition teams were able to enter the building undetected, and again helped ensure they left without notice. While the teams at [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] lacked psionic support, they were faced with far less security and the teams were able to enter the buildings without issue.

The schematics obtained proved to be accurate and the infiltrated teams were able to easily locate the security mechanisms responsible for the cameras and lockdown functions of the [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], and once control was obtained, the rest of the operation was able to be executed with little issue.

Special commendation deserves to be given to Agent [REDACTED] for her suggestion of dispersing [REDACTED] gas as a more efficient way to pacify the population within the building. Thanks to her suggestion, all teams were able to complete their mission and plant their respective X-4 charges quicker than our simulations had estimated. The possibility of [REDACTED] being detected by forensics teams is a likely one, though considering its effectiveness, it will likely not raise any concerns as to why aliens are using [REDACTED].

While we were unable to smuggle [REDACTED] corpses into the [REDACTED], sufficient evidence of [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] was planted to pass known forensics tests. The planting of [REDACTED] corpses at the offices in [REDACTED} and [REDACTED] were successful, and will solidify the role the aliens had in the destruction of the [REDACTED].

Once the teams were clear, the charges were successfully detonated and the teams were then extracted without detection, collapsing the buildings in their entirety and ensuring that there were no survivors within. Local law enforcement and emergency services were on site within minutes.

After consideration, I have suspended the operation at the [REDACTED] office in [REDACTED] as we discussed, as it would be more useful intact and can serve as the public base of operations for [REDACTED] once it is fully established. Despite the operation being a success, I recommend that we immediately begin implementing the [REDACTED] before the repercussions of this operation become irreparable.

That is all.

 _-XCOM Intelligence Director Shaojie Zhang_


	5. ADVENT - History: Unification Day

ADVENT: History

Unification Day

* * *

" _The world was looking for a response. Like the message or not, ADVENT definitely gave them one. And it was one that no one could oppose without looking like traitors."_

\- Unidentified News Anchor

* * *

The entire event made me feel uncomfortable. I remember it very clearly, 'cause it's not something that can easily be forgotten. We were all there together, talking amongst ourselves, wondering what was going to happen. What could possibly happen after this? How could it possibly get worse after Australia and the UN attacks?

Can't say what did happen was…bad…but it's worrying. Every step of the way we were ordered, prodded and frankly intimidated by armored soldiers in black armor. They had no sign of their allegiance on them, no sign that they were friendly. They made no effort to accommodate us or even put us slightly as ease.

Needless to say at the beginning we were wondering if we'd accidentally given ourselves up as hostages or worse. But someone finally talked to one of the…officers I guess, the ones with the red ornate helmets, and he explained everything was fine, so long as we all complied. Soon after that we were given a fairly long speech about rules and restrictions.

It became very clear that ADVENT (Since that's what they called themselves) had very specific plans for us, and we _were_ going to follow them, and if we didn't, we would be kicked out. Coverage. That was all they wanted. They wanted people to see their planned introduction and nothing else. No questions, no interviews, even preview statements were prevented. All in the name of security of course.

Not sure if I believe that.

I certainly wasn't going to piss off the soldiers with guns (Who were likely looking for just any excuse to use them) and that was something silently agreed on, except for one idiot who decided it would be a good idea to try and get some 'insider footage.' Didn't work and the soldiers kicked him out, placed him in temporary custody, and confiscated his equipment. I talked with him later and it was even worse than I'd thought.

They somehow froze his bank account and suspended his password, essentially stranding him in Switzerland with no way out once he was released. Apparently it was to perform background checks to ensure he wasn't a 'threat.' Took a couple days, but he was cleared, which isn't what's disturbing to me. What disturbs me is that ADVENT has the power to completely neuter anyone they suspect is a threat. Useful in the right hands, I guess, but in the _wrong_ hands…it's scary.

Gah, tangent. Anyway, there was a sense of normalcy when the address actually began. The soldiers let us set up our equipment as usual and mostly stayed in the background. Much easier for me to focus to say the least. Saudia seems fine, at least if she actually believes the stuff she said. Hopefully. Bit concerned about how little I know, though I wouldn't expect someone in intelligence work to be public.

Not really convinced that an intelligence person was right to seemingly be put in charge of…well, this world alliance? Government? Whatever. Those types are hard to trust.

I want to like the Commander. XCOM has done a lot of good, and yet I have the feeling that XCOM is a lot more influential than they let on. The fact that they're one of the most powerful militaries in the world and don't answer to anyone is also concerning.

I do wonder what deal XCOM worked out with ADVENT. Anyone who refuses to name themselves is a bit more suspicious to me. But what really unnerved me was when the Commander saluted, probably just for show, and _all_ the soldiers around us echoed it instantly. That was spooky.

Makes me wonder just who really is in charge there.

\- Journal entry of Hali Runiani, Journalist for CNN

* * *

 _Fox News Broadcast shortly after Address end_

[Pam Giulini]: "And we are back after the newly proclaimed Chancellor of what we now know is ADVENT finished her address, and we also got our very first recording of the Commander of XCOM himself. Clearly this has major ramifications across the world, not just the United States. Right now we're going to go to Trey on Capitol Hill as he gives the reactions of Congress. Trey?"

[Trey]: "Thank you Pam. Well, reactions here vary from _concerned_ to _angry_. President Treduant apparently did not consult with Congress at all before going to Switzerland, though there are several sources that do say that she had appraised military and intelligence officials well before hand."

[PG]: "So when you say angry…what level are we talking about here?"

[T]: "Well, it's mostly a lot of rhetoric at this point. But the truth of the matter is that President Treduant cannot simply keep ignoring Congress to get what she wants done. The Senate Majority Leader has openly criticized this move saying that 'Performing this unilateral stunt without consulting Congress will have major global ramifications that we are not ready for.' Safe to say that the Republicans are continually displeased with her performance."

[PG]: "Aside from President Treduant, are there any reactions on ADVENT itself and Chancellor Vyandar?"

[T]: "Quite a few, and this has apparently shocked Congress, who had no knowledge anything like this was even in the works. They do not appear to be alone either, almost all of the European Union has given similar reactions of surprise. There are a couple of congressmen that do agree with the overall message of unity, but believe it is far too soon to join an unproven organization as far-reaching as ADVENT appears to be."

[PG]: "And from the sounds of it, nations that join would be subject to ADVENT. Have you heard anything on that?"

[T]: "Nothing confirmed, unfortunately, but that is the suspicion and if that's the case, I can't see President Treduant bringing America into ADVENT without substantial incentives. There is a lot of skepticism surrounding Chancellor Vyandar, and she has a lot to prove to the United States in particular."

[PG]: "Well that is certainly interesting and thank you for letting us know."

[T]: "Anytime."

[PG]: "Well, in a few minutes we will be continuing our analysis of the sudden announcement of ADVENT, and what it means not just for the United States, but all of you watching at home."

Mom and Dad are worried, but they aren't telling me what's really happening. I hate it when they treat me like I'm just a kid, that doesn't know things are bad. Everyone at school is scared, saying we're going to be attacked by the aliens. The teachers lie to us and say everything's going to be fine and try to teach us useless crap. Who cares about division when we might get attacked by aliens…

I'm scared. Mom's scared. Dad's scared. Everyone is, but just pretending they aren't. Even the people on the news are trying to make it seem like everything will work out. But I don't think it will. I think it's going to get worse. Matt says that his dad thinks there'll be martial law soon. I wish I hadn't looked that up.

Today was different for some reason. Dad seems a little calmer and I think it had something to do with that speech that lady gave. They played it at school today, time off from class is always nice, but I didn't really pay attention and chatted with Mary a bit. Well, quietly. Now I sort of wish I had paid attention since what she said seemed to make things better.

I asked him why he looked that way, and he pulled up a picture of some guy. It was the same place where the lady had given her speech, but the guy in her place looked like some kind of dashing action hero, with silver armor and a stern face. Kind of like dad when he knows I've done something wrong. He asked me if I knew who that was. I said no.

He said it was the "Commander of XCOM" and that XCOM was going to protect us. I remember XCOM a bit now. They protected New York, they seemed to be fighting the aliens and winning. For a while we'd wondered who the mysterious soldiers around the world were. Matt said they were special forces, that they worked for the UN, whoever they were.

I guess if they make Dad feel better, then maybe I shouldn't be as worried. I hope XCOM will protect us; I don't want them to be worried again.

\- Journal, Amy Kindle, age 11, 6th grade

* * *

"Begin log. Authorization: Quisilia."

" _Confirmed: Log number 5B7, Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary."_

"Good enough. I believe we erred in our handling of EXALT badly. While this might be attributed to the Commander, having the presumed former Director of EXALT working against us, presumably with the rest of EXALT, is a setback that should have been prevented. The revelation that the now-Chancellor Vyandar is leading this ADVENT is an issue, especially since we should have had intelligence predicting this to begin with."

"However, I am more concerned not solely due to Chancellor Vyandar, but because this was no doubt orchestrated by the Commander as the number who even know for sure of EXALT's existence was extremely limited, and the Commander is practical enough to use his former enemies against us. It raises significant concerns as to the lengths ADVENT will go to stop us."

"I suspect that the Commander would not have put Chancellor Vyandar in charge if he did not have some kind of guarantee that she would act in ways that are damaging to our efforts or are favorable to XCOM. The declaration of XCOM as an independent power appears to corroborate this, and will no doubt make XCOM more dangerous."

"Furthermore it raises questions as to how involved the Commander was in the formation of ADVENT, as he was clearly involved to a degree, or at the very least, aware of it. All those behind them are allies of XCOM, so it is not implausible that the Commander was not solely informed about ADVENT, but actively participated in its creation."

"In which case, that makes ADVENT a far more dangerous adversary, because if it subscribes to even a portion of the Commander's combat philosophy, taking control of Earth will be far harder than initially presumed. The opposing force, may, ironically be the Humans themselves. ADVENT appears to require submission, and several major countries will likely not submit without a fight."

"The question then is if the Commander or Chancellor Vyandar will tolerate that. Would they turn on their own people in the name of defeating us? With the Commander, certainly. I am less convinced of Chancellor Vyandar's resolve on that front. But if the Commander is influencing her, then the possibility becomes far more likely."

"Regardless, this needs a balanced response, and if ADVENT is an aggressive organization, that will open up additional opportunities for Zararch influence and infiltration. If ADVENT wants to aggressively take control, we can incite internal wars as long as it takes. But we cannot allow ADVENT to form a complete world government, as that will make the assimilation of humanity impossible without extensive Ethereal intervention."

"Which would admittedly be nice. Quisilia, I know you listen to these and might be here now. One Ethereal will not be enough to take Earth as evidenced by the Ravaged One's attack on XCOM's Headquarters, and the Battlemaster will not survive alone. In which case my recommendation is your deployment to assassinate the leading world leaders."

"Think about it. I know you enjoy toying with the Humans, but both of us know there is a larger threat to deal with."

"End log."


	6. ADVENT - Dossier - Saudia Vyandar

ADVENT: Dossier

Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

" _Who the hell is Saudia Vyandar?"_

\- Ian Powell, Director of the CIA

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 8290**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Saudia Vyandar

Current Occupation: Chancellor of ADVENT, Former Director of EXALT

Threat Level: Minimal (Subject to change)

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved by: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence; the Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : Black (Shoulder-length, appears to put some amount of care into it)

 _Eye color_ : Brown

 _Skin color_ : Black

 _Height_ : 6' 3"

 _Weight_ : 172 lbs.

 _Scars or markings_ : Severe scar tissue around the neck, though from examination it does not appear to conform to that of fire, acid or blunt instruments. Surprisingly, the scar tissue bears more resemblance to that of the deceased Psion Annette Durand which was caused by her usage of psionics. Possibly happened as a result of an encounter with the "Ravaged One".

 _Physical Condition_ : Excellent, as she appears to maintain her above-average strength and reflexes despite not being an active soldier. Usually unable to gauge strength level due to her attire often covering her entire body. (Possibly as a way for people around to lower their guard?).

 _Nation of Birth:_ Nigeria

SECTION 2: Psychological Assessment

When it comes down to it, Saudia appears to be a rather straightforward case. After speaking with her extensively, I can make some fairly solid analysis of her actions. Most immediately notable is her complete and utter devotion to the completion of the goals set out by EXALT, and she now seems to consider her position at ADVENT as an extension of those goals.

While not possessing a fanatical mindset, she will use every single means at her disposal to make her plans a reality (As evidenced by her attempt to utilize the aliens against us). It should be noted that often times she will seek additional counsel before making major decisions, though she is a master at articulating her position in a way that makes it difficult to contradict, so there is often very little resistance to her plans.

Tied in closely with her devotion to EXALT's goals is her loyalty to EXALT itself, which appears to have been transferred to ADVENT. From what I can gather, much of this came from her upbringing, and her father in particular instilled a drive in her that hasn't dimmed to this day. As a result she has little tolerance for those who she sees as vulnerabilities, and she takes a harsh view on treason of any sort if not in the direct interests of EXALT.

Saudia takes a very analytical mindset when solving problems, all framed in the context of what will benefit EXALT/ADVENT more. It is an interesting display of selflessness that appears to be entirely natural and goes far beyond what I would normally expect, even in those with military profiles. Her position and personality have become intertwined to a disturbing degree. It would explain why she's so driven to protect EXALT/ADVENT as well, because her position _is_ part of her personality.

She also doesn't tend to form many personal friendships, instead regulating most to professional acquaintances. This again appears to come back to her position taking priority over all else and as a result, she sees most people as more useful tools than as living humans. There are exceptions of course, as she is married, has a son, and is close friends with several of her former EXALT family heads. In light of this I did want to address her known relationships briefly:

Ethan Vyandar: Her husband and assumed confidant. Saudia refused to answer questions about him and was notably defensive when pressed, which does indicate that she feels he is worth protecting, though for what I can only guess at. What I do know is that they've been married for nine years, have a child, and by all accounts have not had many issues. I cannot offer insight as to why he could have attracted her interest, though an interview with him might fill in some blanks. (Addendum: As Ethan worked with the Commander at one time, perhaps he could offer insight into this?)

Martel Vyandar: The son of Ethan and Saudia Vyandar. I unfortunately know very little about him other than that Saudia appears just as defensive, if not more so of him than of Ethan, even refusing to tell me if he was even on the continent.

Hasina Vyandar: I include this here not because of any strong sisterly bond, but rather the opposite, which I find curious. From what I was able to get out of her, it seems like there were major disagreements between them, which from inferred tone and insinuation, appears to revolve around her marriage to Ethan, as well as the direction of both the Vyandar Family and how EXALT should be run (Disagreements that appeared to persist in the family, with the exception of her father). By her own admission, she 'loves' her sister, but it seems to be an obligation for her, not a love she actually feels.

Matthew Solaris: One of the few friends that Saudia openly admits to. They've known each other for many years, and appear to work extremely well together, as well as sharing very similar outlooks and goals. From my brief encounters with him, I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that his loyalty to EXALT is nearly as much as her own.

Zara Venator: An interesting matchup, I must say, as the two could likely not be more different. Zara is brash and blunt while Saudia is eloquent and far more reserved. Oddly enough that appears to put Saudia at ease more, and appears to endear her as Saudia takes her bluntness as a sign of trust, and has a surprising amount of confidence in her because she does say what is on her mind, regardless of public opinion.

SECTION 3: Threat Assessment

I have stated above that I consider her to be a minimal threat to both XCOM and ADVENT operations largely due to her past actions and deep loyalty which I explained above. I firmly believe that she will do whatever is necessary to protect and preserve ADVENT. The only possible way she could convince herself to turn is if XCOM was suddenly working against the interests of ADVENT (Something I foresee is very unlikely).

Even then, she is aware that we have damaging information on her, and would utilize it if she moved against us. She is also aware of our Psions, and as such will not risk ADVENT even if the opportunity to turn on us arises as she knows that it will lead to our contingency plans going into effect.

Nevertheless, there are some possible concerns to be aware of:

1\. I noted that Saudia and Zara have a friendly relationship, and with Zara apparently coming to XCOM (We need to discuss that), there is the small risk that she will pass along information to Saudia about our operations. Then again, with what knowledge of Zara I have, I believe she lacks the subtlety to accomplish that. I still recommend psionic screening regardless.

2\. Her people are still in ADVENT and many are loyal right now to _her,_ not ADVENT. While I doubt many would raise issues, if Saudia for some reason decides to move against us, she _will_ have support and with the appointment of Elizabeth Falka to ADVENT Intelligence Director, it could potentially be damaging.

3\. There is the possibility that a third party could learn of Saudia's past with EXALT and use that to blackmail her. The number of players that would even _have_ that information I can only speculate at, but there is cause for concern beyond potential Chinese interference. I can unfortunately gauge that several ADVENT Representatives would take advantage of such information, namely Iseul Gwan and Dan Nowinski. Just something to be aware of.

Threat Mitigation:

In the event that Saudia _does_ become a concern, there are ways she could be brought into line without being killed:

1\. Threats to Ethan and/or Martel would be highly effective, provided they could be secured in a way that she can't free them. While she will likely attempt to impede the kidnapping party as much as possible, she will ultimately do whatever is needed to ensure they are safe. (Note: This tactic would be more effective with Martel, as Ethan would likely either kill himself or harden her resolve instead of watching her submit to demands). However, it could easily be confirmed that this will make a lifelong enemy of Saudia.

2\. Threats to EXALT/ADVENT would have the same effect, given how much of herself is tied with the organizations she serves. If it could be definitively shown that one had the power to collapse them, she could likely be forced to meet any demands provided the threat is genuine. This is risky as she will be able to tell plausible threats from bluffs due to her extensive knowledge of the organizations she runs.

3\. In the end, I unfortunately must suggest that should Saudia Vyandar become a threat, it is best she is eliminated for good, otherwise she will simply attempt to seek revenge later on and can no longer be relied upon as a trustworthy ally; something that is desperately needed now.

Additional contingency plans are with Director Zhang.

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Online conspiracy theorist_

 _Video Title: Our New Masters_

"I am not sure if it is appalling or insulting how they really expect no one to ask any questions at all. Pure propaganda, all of that stuff that's spewed from their mouths. As if they actually believe that we will just blindly follow them. Then again, sadly, people are scared right now and these cowards are taking full advantage of that to solidify their new world order."

 _Pause_. "So let's talk about the big elephant in the room right now: The so-called _Chancellor._ Please, whoever is _actually_ in charge of ADVENT, it is definitely _not_ this Saudia Vyandar. Keep in mind who was in attendance at this event. Savvin. Nowinski. Gwan. Treduant. You really think they're just going to let someone else run the show?"

 _Subject becomes agitated (Again)._ "No! This is all just a front! Miss Vyandar is nothing more than a smokescreen to keep people who actually care about the truth to start asking questions! And how _convenient_ it is that whatever she was before this 'happened' to be in intelligence. Where, by the way, it was so secret that literally _everything_ about her is classified. You could not come up with a better front if you tried!"

"And it's not like anyone can actually _prove_ she was even there in the first place! Why? Because any 'proof' is going to have to come from ADVENT, and do you really trust them to _not_ lie? I'm going to be honest, folks, this is discouraging. I've been warning that Treduant is too scared to go against her global masters, but it seems she's thrown in with them all the way. So we're going to have to work harder to preserve our great nation before it's too late."

 _Subject reaches for some papers on the desk._ "Now, I do like to be informed, so I decided to learn as much as I could about the puppet, and what I've found is _very_ interesting. One of my sources said that Saudia is actually related to some reclusive Egyptian billionaires, quiet oil barons who sell their share to the world and quietly bank it up. That definitely implies that money might have something to do with her appointment, or she was a bargaining chip for one or both parties. I'd feel sorry for her if she wasn't intentionally suppressing the truth."

 _Subject shifts papers._ "Guess what else? Apparently, that 'global intelligence service' doesn't appear to actually exist! At all! No evidence at all shows she was actually part of such a thing to begin with, much less _lead_ it. All this is yet more evidence that Saudia isn't _actually_ leading ADVENT, but merely parroting out what she's been given."

 _Subject sighs._ "All signs point to Treduant forcing America into ADVENT, so even if we have no say about the leader of the world order, we must resist our great nation being forced into the servitude of others. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but we just might have a chance. Word is that Washington is nervous, so now is the time for action. Pressure your senators, storm their offices if needed and spread the truth to our blinded brothers and sisters across the country."

"Saudia was right about one thing in that speech: There isn't any turning back. We decide the future of America now, and I know we won't be defeated."

 _End video_

 _Analysis: More of the same drivel as the rest of his videos. Scant evidence, over-reliance on emotion, and it circling back to some global conspiracy. It at least affirms that he appears to know what he's doing. Despite clearly not knowing how intelligence organizations work, he apparently feels no hesitation in stating his knowledge as fact, which in this case is dangerous since most of the public is unaware how top secret intelligence is conducted._

 _There definitely appears to be an increase in revolutionary rhetoric, with the call to "storm their offices" which has been archived in the event we move forward with prosecution. As it stands we have enough to charge him on several counts of incitement and misinformation, but I understand the need to build a strong case._

 _Nevertheless, it is concerning that he has become far more mainstream in the past few days, with a surge in traffic to all his holdings. Again, I advise he be interviewed at the very least and removed off the air as soon as possible. We honestly don't have time to deal with this crap right now._

* * *

First time I've gotten to write in a while, been a serious whirlwind from the UN collapsing, to our branch being reorganized and now the UN 2.0 being put on display. Got some nice armor though, honestly better than any I've had before. Apparently I was good enough to be stationed here, part of the not-honor guard or whatever.

Press wasn't happy with all us soldiers around, but I really didn't care and neither did anyone else. They had a problem we showed them the door. Not going to lie, it felt good kicking the trespassing bastard out. Probably the feeling of actually _doing_ something for a change instead of passively waiting. It seems like they have someone who's actually been a soldier running this thing.

Someone who actually wants to get results and doesn't have patience for when the rules are broken. Hell yes, about time. The Chancellor does seem to be calling the shots, so I guess I'll credit her, even if she isn't a soldier, she seems to be listening to someone who is. Or she's just naturally smart, can't decide.

Her supposedly being part of some secret intelligence group is extremely shady, but not really surprising. Bit surprised they went with an intelligence type rather than some American general. In any case I definitely believe that whatever she _was_ involved in, she was definitely in charge. There's something she has, not really an aura, but it definitely grabbed my attention when she walked past, and _not_ because she's now technically my boss.

Probably her height. It's weird having to literally look up to her. Didn't recognize the accent either, so…somewhere from Africa? Maybe? Guess it doesn't matter, but it's still interesting. Honestly, take off the uniform and guard and she wouldn't look out of place as a regular mom. Really, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering who she is. It's not like…well, anyone, to pick a young, African(?) intelligence type that no one's ever heard of over the dozens of admirals and generals?

Did she win them over? Give them some version of the speech I heard today?

Hmm. Maybe. In any case, I hope that wasn't all an act because if she actually believes that stuff she said about us needing to unite, she'll definitely have a supporter in me.

 _\- Journal of Rob Easter, ADVENT Soldier_

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** Saudia Vyandar

 **Current Role:** Director of EXALT (Note: See information compiled on EXALT for more details)

 **Current Interference Level:** Neutral

 **Threat Level:** Low

 **Usage Level:** Moderate

Brief Assessment: If you wish to proceed with the plan to utilize EXALT on Earth, you should be aware of the current leader of the organization. She holds the title of Director, and by what we've managed to learn, is extensively involved in all EXALT operations. Expected of course, although the fact that EXALT has attempted to contact us likely means it is approved on her prerogative.

I shouldn't have to suggest the worst-case scenario, but some Humans are unpredictable and intelligent, and I do believe Saudia Vyandar fills those categories. It is highly likely that she intends to take advantage of our superior technology for the purposes of increasing the strength of EXALT. The question is of course, if that will be enough to keep her loyal or if she will turn when she perceives weakness.

While personal interaction is severely limited, I am unfortunately forced to write much of this as speculation, but I would advise extreme caution. At this time we can reasonably assume that she has led EXALT for several years, and as they have seemingly infiltrated all aspects of the Human countries, she almost certainly possesses a degree of subtlety and intelligence to avoid detection, as well as maintaining internal control within EXALT itself.

In light of that, it might be wise to consider exactly what EXALT could want from us beyond our technology, and I believe that I have an answer to that. Simply put, they want control of the world and right now the major obstacles in their way are the United Nations and XCOM. Depending on how badly they want to achieve that goal, we might be able to control Saudia that way.

However, it should not be forgotten that she is a Human and likely has issues with how we have gone about the initial stages of assimilation. Again, I would not dismiss the possibility of betrayal at some point when she perceives there is no point continuing an alliance further.

To ensure that EXALT functions as we want, I would suggest the aid of Quisilia to ensure that Saudia performs as we expect her to, should she truly want an alliance. While a large investment, it would be worth it because if we can control EXALT through Saudia, we have a way to infiltrate Human culture undetected.

Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _Your request to utilize Quisilia is denied. This is no longer a matter for the Zararch. – Sicarius_


	7. Vitakara - Dossier: Zar'Chon Ravarian

Vitakara: Dossier

Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

" _Each species and individual must decide the side they are on when the time comes. I will not tolerate neutrality any longer, for that is a luxury that cannot be afforded."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary to the Aui'Vitakar

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 43B8**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence, Internal Council

Subject: Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary (Ravarian)

Current Occupation: Zar'Chon of the Zararch

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Approved By: The Commander

 _Preliminary Note:_ All information contained within this document is based upon the descriptions and knowledge from Nartha and the current Vitakara captives. As such, much is speculative and subject to change upon further encounters with this individual.

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Bald)

 _Eye color:_ Blue (According to Nartha's descriptions, Vitakarians have no pupils and the entire eye is one solid color that gives the illusion that it is 'glowing' which is dependent on the amount of oxygen in the air. This does not seem to apply to other races of the Vitakara)

 _Skin color_ : Dark gray (Slightly darker than most Vitakarians, according to Nartha)

 _Height_ : 7'2" (Note that this is the conversion from Vitakara measurement, so the possibility for discrepancies exists. Nevertheless he is tall, and his height is something Nartha commented on as strange, even though the average Vitakara is well over six feet. Given what we know of Vitakarian physiology, it is possible his unusual height is the result of genetic tampering or specific conditioning)

 _Weight_ : Unknown (Estimated between 200 – 220 lbs. No data to back this up)

 _Scars or markings_ : No physical scars, though Nartha does know that the left hand is cybernetic, and it is possible that there are additional obscured modifications.

 _Physical Condition:_ Unknown, though it is assumed that he is moderately fit, either through training or genetic modification. Nartha concurs and does note that Ravarian did originally come from the Lurainian (Vitakara Special Forces – see respective file for more details) so his initial physical condition was likely at its peak. His strength is also likely augmented by an unknown number of cybernetic and prosthetic modifications.

 _Nation of Birth:_ Vitiary, Vitakarian city near Borelian territory which is fairly unremarkable according to Nartha, and interviews with additional Vitakara concur that the city never grew large due to the sizable Borelian presence and extremely cold climate compared to other Vitakarian cities.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Much of what will be written here has not been confirmed, only what we have managed to gather from our Vitakara captives, Nartha and what we have seen of the Zararch itself. Based on what Nartha has told me about both Ravarian and the Zararch itself, I do believe that the Zar'Chon himself has only become heavily involved with Earth recently, or has been severely restricted by the Ethereals as Nartha assures me that if he was in charge, it is likely we'd have been assimilated into the Collective long ago.

Ravarian is certainly an Ethereal loyalist, though whether this is due to shared ideology or Ethereal mind control is impossible to determine, but what is innately clear is that Ravarian is intent on spreading Collective influence across the galaxy and will fight, kill or assimilate any threat to both the Collective and Zararch.

What is a potentially concerning point is that Ravarian does not seem to recognize neutrality of any sort. He sees everything as either allies or enemies, a trait that Nartha only personally started observing a few decades ago. The reason for this is unclear, or if it is something he has believed all along, but Nartha does know on at least one occasion where the Zar'Chon personally went to the Aui'Vitakar to shut down any sort of talks regarding renegotiating the agreement with the Ethereals.

I should also point out that these 'talks' consisted of one delegate and several aides of various other delegates, behind closed doors, in private and never even remotely brought up in public. Regardless, it was enough to kill any whispers regarding such a topic, and does seem to confirm that Ravarian has no personal loyalty to his species and is fully committed to the Ethereal Collective.

Ravarian prioritizes efficiency and practicality in actual operations, which I suspect is not surprising. Yet from Nartha's description, he does not treat agents as disposable and actively ensures that agents have what they need to complete their missions. That being said, he does not appear to suffer much if they end up dead.

Now concerning what we know about his views on humanity, they appear to be roughly this: He does not view us as a threat at the moment, but rather something of an annoyance that is impacting his plans. Due to our continued survival, according to Nartha, he has developed something of a grudging respect, but also feels continually frustrated at how our species has been handled, which seems to indicate that the Ethereals themselves have ordered him to hold back.

As another note, concerning his views on the Ethereals, they are largely unknown even though he is at least a Collective loyalist. Nartha personally suspects that there is an Ethereal working directly with the Zar'Chon, though has no proof to back it up. I tend to agree, as I can't imagine the Ethereals not wanting some oversight on their own intelligence branch. But who this Ethereal could be is unknown.

Nartha has also witnessed some animosity between Ravarian and the Ethereal identified as the Battlemaster, which is largely because of a difference of opinion in tactics, specifically during the subjugation of the Mutons. Ravarian seems to be rarely in favor of full invasions, and believes that the Zararch are more than enough to deal with any threats, and his methods are seen by the Battlemaster as 'underhanded' (An odd sentiment). While the Zar'Chon does always maintain his respect, Nartha notes that he never really seems particularly kind to Ethereals he encounters or mentions, most notably the Ethereal identified as Sicarius, who was apparently dismissed and replaced by the Ethereal now known as the Ravaged One.

While that does not indicate that Ravarian has enough influence to recall an Ethereal, I find it highly coincidental that it is unrelated. If so, it raises the question of how much influence Ravarian has within the Collective and might indicate that our battle may suddenly become much harder.

Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that we will have the chance to assassinate or capture him in the future as he is likely conducting operations well beyond Earth and Nartha notes that he rarely goes groundside, preferring to instead have an overview of the situation and relying on his agents for specific details.

This is likely our best means of influencing him to our ends, locating his agents on Earth with XCOM Intelligence, capturing and releasing them back after their minds have been altered by our psions. He has no known family, but it is unlikely we could do anything even if that were possible.

This document will be updated as more information is collected.

* * *

Battlemaster,

As requested, I have outlined some strategies for usage on the new world and the species currently residing on it. While the Humans will no doubt cause issues in the future should they be left alone, the fact is that they are technologically several hundred years behind us at a minimum and ultimately pose little threat to the Collective as it stands currently.

With that understood, there are some things I have learned concerning the species and its history that will be beneficial in understanding how best to assimilate them. Unlike the Mutons, a fully militaristic approach will likely not yield the same results, and as the Humans themselves are more interconnected, you risk a unification of several major powers.

However, there are many weaknesses we can press to ensure the assimilation of the species is done to maximize our efficiency:

Note 1: Humans are an incredibly diverse species, though not superficially. The diversity comes from the vast array of opinions, viewpoints and intelligence levels humans are comprised of. There are geniuses, idiots, anarchists, criminals, fanatics, leaders, strategists and more. Essentially, if you could name a particular trait, there is a high chance that a human exists that embodies it.

This particular disparity has ultimately been a mixed bag, from what I can learn from their history. A large percentage are religious, and within each religion are moderates and extremists, but all nonetheless are tuned to a certain way of thinking that excludes others. It is a cause for major division between humans, and often the start of entire wars.

Humans in particular appear to have issues understanding each other, with certain groups only believing that they are in the right, and most have no desire to learn about the view opposite them which as you can understand, has caused issues with the various governments. It does not help them that some major Human issues are irrelevant details such as skin color, gender and the nation of birth. Superficial as I said, but these have nonetheless been an issue over the past century, with entire groups of humans with a different skin color being regulated as second-class citizens, then debates about allowing an entire gender (They only have two) to have more substantial roles in society, and most recently, outright suspicious and hostility towards those of a viewed inferior nation (This also tends to tie into the issue of skin color).

The point to take away from this is that Humans are easily divided, and we can easily take advantage of that. The majority of the population (Like most) is often complacent and subject to the whims of those in charge. Because Humans have similar forms to Vitakarian and Dath'Haram, it will likely not take the Shapers long to develop suitable disguises, which we can seed throughout the Humans to sabotage their society before we arrive.

As it stand now, the chances of humanity putting aside their many differences to combat our forces is extremely minimal, even if subterfuge was forgone entirely.

Note 2: Human society is comprised of many nations, and each one has a unique form of government (Although most are based on some existing governmental philosophy or belief). They are reflective of Humanity in that they have various friendships and rivalries with each other. Most nations are irrelevant and independent, but there are several that wield significant economic and military influence in the world despite the division. The nations known as Russia, China, and the United States of America seem to be the most powerful of these (Specific files on each are attached with this document).

However, despite these nations being supposedly friendly, they do not appear to be overly fond of each other, as each wants to be the dominant superpower. As it stands, that currently is the United States, but China and Russia are both rising. There has been more animosity between the United States and China in recent years, and Russia seems content to wait before making moves of their own.

If we wish to proceed with the infiltration of our agents, it is advised that we coopt one of these nations for our purposes while weakening the other two. Based on their respective systems of government, the United States is most vulnerable to being taken over and is conversely more susceptible to outside influence. Factors to consider moving forward.

I suppose I also must mention that the humans do have a "United Nations" which is little more than a council with representatives the give the poor illusion of unity. To crystalize the point, it essentially amounts to the Aui'Vitakar, except with no power, corrupt, and run by liars and thieves. It is not even worth destroying or coopting.

Note 3: The Human militaries pose very little threat to Collective forces, as the majority of their weapons are ballistic-based and their larger weapons are simple missiles. Their numbers might pose an issue if they were to unite, but the simple answer is that their conventional weapons pose no threat to our Muton soldiers, let alone our advanced units. With additional sabotage, their military can be made to be even more ineffective.

Preliminary Advisement: The most optimal solution would be a plan that takes no more than thirty years to complete, ending with the total assimilation of the human race into the Ethereal Collective.

Phase 1: We utilize our Zararch agents and Special Operatives to isolate and target figures of note in various prominent nations and begin experimentation on the species to begin shaping convincing Human replicas. Once the Shapers have mastered the Human genome, we adapt several of our top agents to these various figures and replace them with our operatives. This should not take longer than five years, fewer with direct Ethereal and Sectoid support.

Phase 2: With our agents in play, we begin the rapid dissolution of their society, starting wars, changing laws and increasing anarchy throughout the world. Care would have to be taken to not completely destroy it, as Humans have nuclear weaponry. The optimal approach would be to sow chaos throughout the major nations, barring the one we plan to use for our purposes. If done correctly, we could collapse their basic society in between ten to fifteen years.

Phase 3: With their nations in disarray, they will be willing to accept a peaceful extraterrestrial envoy who offers to help them, which of course would be the Collective. With the other nations in too much disarray, our chosen one will officially form an alliance with us and begin establishing a species-wide order which I estimate many will join. Some may possibly turn violent, but this new state armed with our technology would be able to easily put them down. Afterwards the rebuilding of the world and utilization of the Humans could begin. This is estimated to take between three and seven years, possibly fewer with Vitakara and Andromedon support.

I have made the necessary preparations, all that remains is your approval, or one from another Ethereal.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

Imperator,

Concerning recent developments, I feel it is prudent to state my opposition to your continued refusal to inform certain members of our Collective about our true goal. At this point it is counterproductive, even if you believe that they will simply not comprehend the threat we face. Therefore I must disagree, for I have spent several centuries among them now, and I must state that you are vastly underestimating their intellect. While there is no question that we are a superior species, to simply discount our subordinates as lesser simply because they lack the Gift is a pettiness that can frankly no longer be afforded.

The Vitakara are loyal, and will remain loyal as a result of our intervention, but I believe that you have made the mistake of assuming this loyalty is blind and as a result, that they are not intelligent enough to be worth more consideration which I will inform you is incorrect. The Hive Commanders are devious and cruel, but they value the self-preservation of their species above all else, and will remain loyal to us unless we actively threaten them. The Andromedons are the greatest concern here, as I believe they suspect that we are hiding something, and from their descriptions of the threat they fled, I believe that if we simply tell several of them the objective of this Collective, we would ensure their loyalty for good.

I will address which Andromedons and Hive Commanders I feel are appropriate to share this information with, but there is one particular Vitakara who I believe would not only grasp the gravity of the situation, but actively help ensure both the Zararch and Collective are as strong as possible. He is the current Zar'Chon of the Zararch, who you might remember as he was the one who discovered the Mutons and worked with the Battlemaster to form a plan to subjugate them. While the Zar'Chon was not particularly approving of the tactics employed, the Battlemaster was nonetheless highly impressed by his performance.

Zar'Chon Ravarian is most importantly loyal to the Collective first, not to any personal Ethereal or even his species, and that is why he is deserving to know, so he can shape the Zararch into what we need for the future. I understand that you doubt they will attack even within a millennia, but I am not convinced and we will need a powerful intelligence unit to pierce the species of the inner galaxy and if there is an alien that I trust to accomplish that, it is him.

That is my recommendation, Imperator, though the final decision is of course, up to you.

\- Quisilia

* * *

REPORT: 0001000100111000

TARGET OF INTEREST: ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

ISOLATED CORE NAME: RAVARIAN

\- CORE NAME DATABASE SEARCH: RAVARIAN

\- 47 RESULTS FOUND: ISOLATING NAME WITH ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS

\- 1 RESULT FOUND: ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: BOTH PARENTS DECEASED; CAUSE OF DEATH NATURAL

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO SIBLINGS

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO CURRENT RELATIONSHIPS

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: SERVED IN VITAKARA MILITARY (TIME = 25 YEARS)

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: SERVED IN VITAKARA LURAINIAN (TIME = 13 YEARS)

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: SERVED IN THE ZARARCH (TIME = 999 YEARS; _WARNING! DATA CORRUPTED!)_

ISOLATED TITLE: ZAR'CHON

\- TITLE DATABASE SEARCH: ZAR'CHON

\- 1 RESULT FOUND: ZAR'CHON, ZARARCH

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: HEAD OF ZARARCH

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: ANSWERS TO ETHEREAL ( _INFORMATION UNKNOWN!)_

ISOLATED PLACE OF ORIGIN: VITIARY

\- ORIGIN DATABASE SEARCH: LOCATION OF "VITIARY'

\- 1 RESULT FOUND: VITIARY, VITAKAR

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: COLD REGION

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONTINENT: BORELIA

\- INFORMATION OF NOTE: POPULATION MAJORITY: BORELIAN

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: MODERATE

\- ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary is not an alien that tolerates even perceived threats to himself or the Ethereal Collective. As such if he even suspected talks of secession within the Unions, he would not hesitate in eliminating even an entire one as a message. He also seems to surprisingly carry a significant amount of influence with various Ethereals, as even Ethereal Sicarius paid him some respect, as did the Ethereal Battlemaster.

Additionally, we know he has had contact with at least two more Ethereals, though specific ones are currently unknown, and it was deemed too risky to investigate his strongholds as one of the Ethereals suspected is the one identified as Nebulan, which we are aware is a master illusionist.

If we wish to avoid attracting the attention of Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary, agents within the Andromedon Federation must be targeted and marked, but not dealt with unless they pose a direct threat to the Unions. In addition, the existence of this branch of the Omega Union must be preserved at all costs, else Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary will certainly shut down the entire Union or put the creation of Special Operators directly under Collective control.

RECOMMENDATION: OBSERVATION VIA SPECIAL OPERATORS

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 001; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR: DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION


	8. Vitakara - Organizations: The Zararch

Vitakara: Organizations

The Zararch

* * *

" _If these Ethereals are the ones leading the Collective, the Zararch are the ones who make sure it endures."_

\- Collective Andromedon Commander J'Loran

* * *

 _Rare recording of suspected Nulorian Leader 'Miridian' (Note: Unlikely to be actual name)_

"All of you standing here are outcasts in one way or another; you don't fit in and don't plan to conform to the lives that the Ethereals have planned for us. Would you be surprised to know that what you felt isn't uncommon? Almost all of us do at one point during our lives, but you decided to do something about it."

"The reasons why you did so are irrelevant to me. All I care about from you is if you can do your job, follow orders and understand the most vital function of the Nulorian: _Secrecy_. And I am not simply referring to our operations when I say that. How did you hear about me in the first place? About us?"

"I can work with silence, fine. Are you worried about offending me? Please. I know what I am, a criminal and deviant, it's the word of choice when used to describe this entire operation and I don't deny it. We _are_ criminals. We _are_ deviants, all of us. If you thought this was some noble cause to strike back against the Ethereals for the freedom of our species, then you are wrong."

"We are not a rebellion. We are a criminal organization that seeks to hinder the Ethereals on Vitakar. We will never grow larger than that and we will never be seen as anything more than the worst of our people. But what we _will_ be is a constant reminder to the traitors in the Aui'Vitakar that not everyone is fooled by the Ethereals' lies, and perhaps that will be useful in some way later."

"So with that said, who is the greatest threat to us?"

"The Ethereals? No, not directly. I doubt they even know we exist. The greatest threat to us is the Zararch, the supposed protectors and enforcers of the law. Do they still teach that the Zararch serve the Vitakara? If they did, I can safely confirm that is a lie. They may _enforce_ the laws the Aui'Vitakar create, but their true loyalty is only to the Ethereal Collective."

"We have and do remain an embarrassment to them, the one band of criminals where none should exist in the first place. The criminals who can't ever be killed and as a result they make every attempt to hunt us down and kill us. And I will be honest here: They are often successful. By this time next year most of you will be dead."

"If that is too much, leave right now because I will execute you personally before putting any sort of trust in cowards. The only reason we are still here is because of _secrecy_ and that is a mantra that will be drilled into your respective minds if you decide to join. How good you are at being discreet is directly correlated to your lifespan. Is that clear?"

"It better be because this is what awaits you if the Zararch manage to find you. If you're lucky they'll simply kill you, but what is more likely to happen is that you'll be dragged into their interrogation rooms and tortured, or sent to a Sectoid division to have every bit of information in your mind drained. Best case there is you'll go insane, worst case is that you'll remain lucid and spend the rest of your life as a live test subject for whatever experiments the Sectoids and Runianarch are running."

"This isn't a life of honor, glory or rebellion, but one of theft, sabotage and running from the Zararch. But I can promise that it's ironically more honest than living a lie as a Collective slave, and I know the Zararch, I know how they operate and I will do my best to keep each of you alive. But ultimately, only you can decide just how badly you want this."

* * *

Operation: Healing Hand

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'jarvi'sanio

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

We have finished our initial surveillance on the Andromedons and have uncovered some disturbing and dangerous information, which will be detailed below, split up into several sections. The first, and most important point is this:

 **The Andromedons are creating Special Operators:** This has been confirmed without a doubt, as we have recordings, images and witnesses which show the units in question, all of which match the descriptions of the Special Operators that we know of from previous interviews with the Federation. As expected, these new Special Operators are equipped with cutting-edge cybernetic technology beyond our own and even beyond the Andromedons themselves, which raises some unpleasant implications which will be detailed later.

In total we were tracking three known Special Operators, and as a testament to their skill, almost lost all of them multiple times. If we had any fewer agents devoted to this operation, we would have lost track of at least one. Each seemed to be watching some specific area. One stayed within Federation space, while the other two moved between Vitakara and Sectoid space for reasons we have been unable to determine.

We did attempt to capture one near the end of the operation and it nearly killed all the operatives assigned to it. As it stands we still lost six agents, and were left with nothing as we learned that the Special Operator was designed to self-destruct upon either death or capture. It is unlikely that we can prove from the remains that it even _was_ a Special Operator, or even from the images we've collected as the suits have no markings and the Special Operators themselves leave an almost invisible trail that only professionals would be able to follow.

As for what they are being used for, it appears to be just observation for now, but if those exist, there are likely others and the Andromedons are already suspicious of us, even if most would balk if they knew that Special Operators still existed. This is an important point I would like to stress, because extensive operations on the Federation itself seem to indicate this:

 **The majority of the Andromedon Federation is unaware that Special Operators are being developed:** This extends to the government itself, and there are no Unions who are connected to the program that we could find. With that being said, it is unlikely that the Chief Overseer is unaware of the program, but an extensive review of finances does not reveal any sort of fake funding that could be money smuggled to fund the creation of Special Operators.

This raised major questions, as they have to be getting resources from somewhere, so we expanded our search beyond the Andromedons and investigated the Runianarch, Aui'Vitakar and the Sectoids. As expected we found nothing connecting the Vitakara organizations and surprisingly enough, nothing connecting it to the Sectoids either, which either means that the organization is completely rogue (Unlikely, given the quality of the Special Operators observed so far) or their benefactors are better than we are. This is another crucial point:

 **We do not know who is behind the creation of the Special Operators, or where they are operating from:** Our original leads came from a station near Federation space, though after raiding the site, it appears to be nothing more than a staging area for operations. There is no doubt in my mind that the Andromedons are involved in some way, since only they know how to create Special Operators.

Interestingly enough, it appears that any Andromedon with expertise in Special Operatives is unable to be found, even by us, and we also noticed that several talented Union Apear Andromedons suddenly disappeared one day with no trace of any records (Which we were unable to recover). If you recall, Union Apear specializes in artificial intelligence and cybernetics. It is unlikely to be a coincidence.

I initially believed this warranted much further investigation, but unfortunately I don't think that is possible or advisable because of one reason:

 **There is a high likelihood that the Ethereals know about the Special Operators and are involved in their creation:** We have arrived at this conclusion because of two reasons: One is that it would explain how there is absolutely no trace of anyone that can be connected to these Special Operators. We do not have numbers on anything related to the Ethereals, and thus would be unable to effectively track how they utilize their resources. It would also explain how these Special Operators appear to be more advanced than even the Andromedons themselves, since the answer could be highly specialized Ethereal technology.

Aside from that, the recording device we planted on that station we raided was unexpectedly visited by Ethereal Sicarius, who promptly disabled it. While obviously not implicating her in any way, I would not be surprised if she would be overseeing such a project, as it fits with what limited information we know about her operations. She has also been spotted multiple times entering and leaving Federation space, and is oddly more involved than she has any right to be.

In light of this, while the confirmation of the Special Operators is concerning, I do not advise interfering unless we do so knowing the risk that we may be interrupting an Ethereal operation. We await further orders on what to do next.

* * *

 **XCOM File 5571**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: The Zararch

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Approved By: The Commander

 _Preliminary Note:_ All information contained within this document is based upon the descriptions and knowledge from Nartha and the current Vitakara captives. As such, much is speculative and subject to change upon further encounters with this individual or others.

SECTION 1: Overview

I will dispense with the idiotic question that is whether the Zararch are a threat to us, since we are well aware of that fact as well as knowing what kinds of steps we need to take to deal with them. What is equally as important is that we lack specific knowledge about their structure, which has been cleared up by Nartha significantly and if accurate, reveals that the Zararch are much larger and more complex than we initially assumed.

We know the Zararch for their intelligence operations on Earth, but it would be a mistake to call the Zararch an intelligence organization. That _is_ a function they perform, but their work covers much more than that. The Zararch are not an unknown organization, and are actually quite prominent to the Vitakara because the Zararch are essentially the law enforcement of the species, and their colony worlds. According to Nartha, most Vitakara civilians are unaware that the Zararch even perform intelligence work thanks to excellent propaganda.

It also appears that the Zararch are one of the most influential organizations in the Collective itself, perhaps the most influential since they are tasked with watching _everything_ for threats to the Collective, including subordinate species. They are also aware of almost all interspecies relations, and it is likely they spy on the various 'autonomous' governments to ensure they remain loyal.

One important thing to remember is that while the Zararch were initially a Vitakara organization, now they are an arm of the Collective and any perceived loyalty to the species is merely superficial.

SECTION 2: The Zararch Law Enforcement

The Zararch have complete legal power on all Vitakarian worlds and that is not an exaggeration. There are surprisingly few, if any, incidents of abuses of power according to Nartha, but the Zararch do have the authority to do almost anything in the name of enforcing the law. Most Vitakara are upstanding citizens, so crime of any sort rarely happens, and the Zararch typically just enforce the law set by the Aui'Vitakar.

Reading this, it may give the impression that the Zararch were made separate from the government after the Ethereals saved them, but surprisingly enough, this has always been the case. The Zararch were always an independent power, originally intended to serve as a check on the government which controls the military and to ensure that no one would be exempt from the law. A noble goal, but one that made it easy to be coopted by the Ethereals.

SECTION 3: The Zararch Intelligence

The intelligence wing of the Zararch is far larger than the law enforcement wing, although it functions very similar to what we expect from an intelligence organization. Infiltration, analysis and subterfuge of all kinds. Standard for the most part, what makes it more interesting are the dynamics associated with it.

The Zararch is not made up of purely Vitakara. Nartha is positive there are several Sectoid interrogation divisions and several Andromedons that act as agents for the Zararch. It should be noted that the vast majority are Vitakara, specifically from the Vitakarian and Dath'Haram races although there are at least a few representative races of all kinds employed.

The Naja unit in particular hosts a large number of Cobrarian agents, and the unit itself is devoted to assassination which doesn't typically require much subterfuge. The rest of the units are standard, specifically reconnaissance, analysis and infiltration.

The entirety of the Zararch is overseen by the Zar'Chon who is appointed in a process that we are still unaware of, and the current one has held his position for at least two centuries (See dossier on Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary for more details). While there is no confirmation of the Zararch being overseen by an Ethereal, Nartha is sure that the Zar'Chon is in communication with at least one at all times.

Very rarely do Ethereals openly intervene in the organization, but it appears they have multiple times during operations on Earth, first with Sicarius, and then with the Ravaged One. With the war officially happening, it is likely there is another Ethereal with the Zararch, though we cannot speculate as to who that might be.

* * *

Operation: [REDACTED]

Division: [REDACTED]

Report Author: [REDACTED]

Authorization: [REDACTED]

[REDACTED],

We have finished compiling what we have gathered on the Ethereals within the Collective. As we are aware of their power and observational skills, this list is by no means exhaustive and I cannot guarantee that the Ethereals did not notice our observation, though if so, they have not seemed to acknowledge it. This list of known Ethereals is as follows:

 **The Battlemaster:** Probably the most well-known Ethereal in the Collective, as the leader of the Collective military. He is actually the only Ethereal we have enough on to have a file, so refer to that if you want more information.

 **Sicarius:** We know very little about this Ethereal except that Sicarius is a rare female Ethereal, only seen operating alone, and apparently has the ability to escape any and all pursuit. We _suspect_ that she might be an assassin or scout of some kind, but ultimately her role is unknown.

 **Revelean:** This Ethereal has made only one public appearance, and that was during the first contact with our species where he personally promised to cure our genetic plague. He has not been seen since, though we can infer that he is possibly a geneticist or scientists as him being a simple spokesman does not seem likely. Sana'Ligna also confirmed that the cure was largely due to his work. It is unknown what his rank within the Ethereals is.

 **Sana'Ligna** : Another female Ethereal, and the most unique one encountered so far. She was heavily involved during the First Contact and personally administered the cure to the Vitakara. However, specific notes about what exactly she _did_ are missing, although everything that remains indicated that she was supposedly a very warm and kind Ethereal. I suspect that the records have been tampered or it is the result of Ethereal manipulation.

 **Unknown Ethereal 1:** We have heard rumors about an Ethereal that supposedly destroyed a planet. We have no description, name or gender, but the location where this supposedly took place _is_ a lifeless rock, so there might be some validity to the rumor, though evidence is scarce.

 **Unknown Ethereal 2:** Observing Sectoid records, there are notes of an orange-robed Ethereal that managed to convince the Hive Commanders to work with the Ethereals. No name was given, but the Sectoids are incapable of forging records, so it is likely this is legitimate. No idea as to who the Ethereal in question could be.

 **Unknown Ethereal 3:** The Battlemaster one referred to another Ethereal once as the "defender" though did not elaborate. At the very least this implies that there is an Ethereal devoted to defense of some kind, but what that means to the Ethereals can only be speculated.

 **Extrapolation 1:** It is very likely that there are a number of Ethereal scientists or those in related fields. One Ethereal alone could not fabricate a genetic cure for an entire species, even an Ethereal. There would also have to be some kind of engineers or architects to create their spacecraft, which is unlike anything from the Sectoids or Andromedons. Estimated number: 5-10.

 **Extrapolation 2:** It is highly unlikely that the Battlemaster or whoever this "Defender" is, are the only militant Ethereals. An argument could be made for Sicarius, but we simply don't know enough about her to assume her position. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to assume there aren't more Ethereals as or more powerful than the Battlemaster, which is an admittedly terrifying thought.

 **The Ethereal Leader:** The one leading the Ethereals is a complete mystery, and has apparently never revealed himself to any species in the Collective. The only thing we know for sure is that every Ethereal answers to him, and is equally loyal. I suspect that whoever their leader is, he is more powerful than any of them if he can maintain control over their formidable powers. Further investigation is not recommended.


	9. Ethereals - Dossier: Aegis

Ethereals: Dossier

Aegis

* * *

" _The issue with Aegis was never his dedication, it was his loyalty."_

\- The Overmind of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

These are the ideals we hold above all else:

 _Order_ : We preserve the peace throughout our Empire, we settle disputes and hand down judgment clearly and fairly, removing our personal biases for the betterment of the Empire. We defend the outer systems from the debased criminals, killers and scavengers that threaten our brethren.

 _Protection:_ We dedicate ourselves to the protection of each and every Ethereal regardless of status and position, and will never abandon them or bring them to intentional harm. We are both the first line of defense against the enemy, and the last ones to leave the battlefield. We are never far from the side of the Battlemasters, and shield those who bring the wrath of the Empire down upon our enemies.

 _Strength:_ We dedicate our minds and bodies to the constant improvement and training to increase our power to protect and defend. An Aegis never reaches mastery, but strives for it in all aspects nonetheless.

 _Integrity_ : An Aegis holds themselves to a standard that will never be tainted, always acting for the good of the Empire, rather than out of personal ambition or incorrect leadership. An Aegis' directive is to protect the Empire and our species at all costs, even from ourselves.

\- Code of the Imperial Aegis' (Abridged)

* * *

It was several decades after first contact with the Synthesized, when we were still attempting to determine the most efficient way to kill them and defend our worlds. I recall the debates clearly, the scientists and engineers frantically trying to determine solutions to this unexpected threat they could only theorize about.

Perhaps it was complacency. Perhaps it was arrogance that made them believe that this was just another problem that could be solved over the course of millennia. I am not an exception among that number, though I wanted to see firsthand this mysterious and horrific disease that was spreading through our Empire.

It was not difficult to find an Overmind that was willing to take me to the front lines of the war, as most of our military forces were occupied; buying time with lives as I know now. Those who are aware of who I am know that my ability with the Gift is not insignificant, even if now I merely regard myself as a historian of what is now lost, so I insisted on going down to the battle itself, certain I could protect myself despite the warnings from the Overminds.

Why they let me, I think has to do with that they intentionally wanted me to _see_ the truth that the others were still blinded to: This enemy wasn't a minor issue, but a _threat_ to our very survival. The Overminds and Battlemasters had said as much, but of course it was known that even the most recent ones were several generations old, and lacked the clarity of the newer Ethereal minds.

An issue for another time, but I landed on a world we called Yawen, and from my research on the planet, knew it was primarily a research outpost where scientists were experimenting with the unique wildlife that had some kind of extraordinary regeneration capabilities. Imagine my surprise when I stepped out of the Gateway and beheld what could only amount to sheer devastation.

The research outpost could only be compared to a military installation now. Soldiers guarded every exit, patrolled in groups of six every ten minutes. Engineers kept expanding the boundaries, repairing the automated turrets while the Healers rushed frantically around, attempting to heal Ethereals who were missing limbs, hacking blood and screaming in pain. And the moment I saw a heap of corpses, I realized something I had never considered before.

I had never seen one of our own die. Not naturally, not ever.

And the pile held at least two dozen corpses, likely not even reflective of the greater total. I never thought to ask. I quickly walked the battlements and beheld the world itself. No longer was it the lush and green world, but huge swaths were just…gone. Purple residue still remained on the scorched dirt, the echo of the psionic devastation upon the last assault. Hundreds of abominable mixes of flesh and metal littered the area, the bodies not even recognizable as the aliens that had once been our neighbors.

I do recall that was the moment when I wondered if I had made a mistake coming here. Where were the fleets? Why were they confined to this one area? I quickly set out to find the leading Battlemaster and learned that she had died holding off several hundred of these Synthesized. Only the Aegis was still alive, still holding on.

I simply asked why they were still there, why they didn't have support. The Aegis simply answered that this planet wasn't a priority for the fleets, and he was here to defend the soldiers who'd been ordered to remain, as his code dictated. To see an Aegis still dedicated to such was an uplifting sign, and a testament to who the Aegis of the Skyllian sector really was.

As it turned out there was a renewed attack on the installation, one with the twisted black ships of metal screaming towards us with the intent to kill all inside once and for all. One thing that must be realized to those reading this is that our Empire was peaceful, there was rarely conflict, and certainly never conflict warranting the usage of the Aegis. I had seen demonstrations, and had even attempted some practice of the tactics of the Aegis'. But nothing compared to the display of power I witnessed that day.

Within seconds the installation was shielded in a purple-tinted dome and deflected the ships crashing against it. More landed further away, transports I assumed, and what remained of our forces rushed to the walls and began raining down devastation upon the Synthesized and modified aliens rushing toward us.

The Aegis did more than simply protect the installation. Barriers of energy sprang up on the battlefield, slowing, tripping and harassing the mindless brutes. Entire lines of alien charges were frozen in stasis for precious seconds, which allowed the charging soldiers to quickly slice them to pieces. The remaining melee soldiers were few, but most had been disciples of the now-deceased Battlemaster, and were quickly becoming as deadly as she had been.

Throughout all of it, the Aegis never forgot to protect them either, all of them bore shimmering barriers around them that deflected projectiles, claws, blades, and anything else that tried to harm them. I confess I did participate as well, and realized just how ineffective my own abilities were compared to even the ones soldiers wielded. While I had to concentrate to telekinetically crush just several, one of the Battlemaster's disciples was lifting a dozen at a time while systematically hacking them to pieces with a greatsword. The psions unleashed maelstroms of energy on hordes of charging enemies, killing hundreds at a time. Even the long-range support soldiers brought a precision and devastation to the battle that I hadn't believed possible. From what I understand, they focused the Gift inward, heightening their focus and concentration and as a result, they never missed a single shot.

And throughout it all, the Aegis never wavered or expressed exhaustion. I lost count of the hours the assault continued, all that I knew was that I was exhausted and we had only lost six Ethereals. For me at least, it was the Aegis' iron will that kept me going, even as the hordes seemed endless and I wanted to give up.

But then at last it was over. I believed that it was not possible for there to be another attack on this scale soon. But the Aegis simply shook his head. They would come back, he said, they had always come back. But the longer they held out here, the more time the other divisions had to kill the Director Flagships.

The possibility of another equally deadly attack so soon was immensely upsetting to me, but the Aegis barely reacted, only asking that if I was to leave, that I spread the word that the Synthesized were a much larger threat than we could have anticipated. I promised I would, and soon left to do so.

But soon after that I returned to the war, and I can personally attest to the great feats of the Aegis of the Skyllian sector, more of which I will detail in this section, and am honored to call him a friend.

 _\- The Annals of Aegis of the Ethereal Collective and Skyllian Sector, authored by Ethereal Cogitian_

* * *

So it was a perfectly ordinary day. I was getting used to the oddities of XCOM, talking with the soldiers, watching the news anxiously and the stuff we were normally doing when there's an alien invasion going on. XCOM's a bit strange, true, but there was definitely a camaraderie that went beyond anything I've felt before, especially from the veterans. There was definitely something about the way they acted that really made us wonder how much they'd gone through before we showed up.

They hate aliens though, so they're good in my book.

Well, apparently only _some_ aliens (Which does happen to be most of them).

Anyway, so I'm exploring this Praesidium and feeling pretty good, oddly enough. Which is really weird for me. And I saw the Research Labs and thought something like "Huh, you know, I should go in there and see what's up."

Nooo, nooo, bad Allison. You do not go into places you don't belong and I _knew_ I didn't belong there. But for whatever reason I got it in my head that it looked interesting, and so I went. It was the most bizarre feeling. I didn't have any hesitation at all and strode right in. Wasn't much security, or people just didn't care as I went in and sort of looked over what they were working on.

I'm not anything close to a scientist, so that stuff was pretty much another language, but I did see some green stuff lying around, and some canisters of that apparently magical substance called MELD (Not sure if it's an acronym, but everyone puts it in caps for some reason). So I go a little further in and see an actual alien.

A Vitakara, they're called. Guess there's subraces of them too, but I just thinking of them as Vitakara. No, that wasn't shocking because I actually _was_ told that XCOM was utilizing alien researchers in their experiments. They probably had some sort of bomb in them or something, I didn't ask, but probably only because it didn't enter my head.

Because that bizarre _confidence_ that had gotten into me, took over and I went to get a closer look at the alien. It was the first live one I'd seen that didn't seem violent and it was…well, interesting. It was scarily humanoid and much taller than me. Had greyish skin and eyes that would have made me give it a wide berth if I caught them looking at me. Pretty, but utterly cold.

But instead I looked into the glowing blue eyes like some kind of idiot teenager, somehow fascinated at how they looked. And they _were_ fascinating (They were glowing!), but I would never in my right mind ever try and hold a staring contest like that for pretty much no reason (What the hell happened to me then?).

So was that the strangest thing there? Ha ha, no, of course not! Why the hell would it be here? (This place is becoming creepier the more I think about it). So I finally break off my idiotic staring contest with the likely extremely confused alien and turned around and my heart probably stopped for a few seconds as I saw a fucking _Ethereal_ standing in front of me, casually chatting to…gah, what's her name? Varren? Vahren? Whatever, the head-scientist woman. Just chatting and talking like nothing was odd at all.

You know what? I didn't feel terrified at _all_. I was terrified that I wasn't more terrified. I wasn't worried at all because something was telling me that this was all under control and I shouldn't have to worry. And you know what else I felt? _Curious_ of all things! So what would be the natural thing to do, Allison? Back away slowly? Scream? Run away in terror? Nope! _Walk right over to get a better look_.

I'm such an idiot.

Well, at least the Ethereal didn't seem to mind, he…she… (Do Ethereals have genders?) it sort of looked at me and then my brain finally caught up and I decided I needed get out of here ASAP. So I walked, all calm and reasonable out of the labs and straight to the barracks and immediately took a cold shower and probably threw up several times. I'm not sure all that wasn't a fever dream. I'm not _like_ that. I don't act so impulsive and do things just because I'm curious.

Whatever happened there was fucking scary. I don't know what came over me, except that is what would happen if I ever threw caution to the wind and didn't care about any sort of safety. Which is that I would act like an idiot and see killer aliens like Ethereals (!) and just feel mildly curious. I'm mostly writing this down because if that did turn out to be a dream…uh, well, it's a story. But it doesn't feel like it. Or if so, I haven't woken up yet.

Gah, I'm never going back to those fucking labs again. And if that was some weird hallucinogenic drug, Dr. Voran, fuck you too.

\- Journal entry of Allison Monder, XCOM Soldier

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 0666**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Aegis

Threat Level: Currently Minimal

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange, almost identical to Vitakarian eyes

 _Skin color:_ Dark purple

 _Height_ : 9'2"

 _Weight_ : 254 lbs.

 _Scars or markings:_ None that I was able to identify as such. Ethereal regeneration is so robust that I suspect that scarring is impossible (Will have to confirm with Dr. Vahlen for further research).

 _Physical Condition:_ Ethereal physiology is such that it appears to always be in top form, and Vahlen has confirmed that there are clear signs of genetic tampering. Even without genetic modification, Aegis is likely at least as strong as our own genetically enhanced soldiers, as Ethereals in general are naturally far more fit that Humans.

SECTION 2: Brief Assessment

I will admit, while I expected XCOM to have some secrets, I did not imagine that one of them would be a live Ethereal, one that wants to _help_ us no less. Thank you, Commander, for springing that on me with absolutely zero warning. For future reference, information like this is best shared in a meeting, and _not_ by introducing me to said Ethereal.

Ahem,

Method of introduction aside, Aegis is without a doubt the most fascinating alien I've been able to interview yet. He was surprisingly eager to talk to, and our conversation lasted far longer than I had anticipated, though if that was entirely coincidental is a point of contention. I will elaborate more on that later. But he was willing to share quite a bit about himself and the Ethereal Empire as a whole (Documentation on that is separate).

Aegis specifically did not have a natural birth, but was "born" in one of their labs after a gestation period of nearly a century. He was part of an experimental group which was attempting to increase psionic potential without negating other positive traits. The experiment itself was only halfway a success, and I mean that almost literally. Nearly half of the group was birthed with extremely high psionic potential, but were mentally handicapped significantly. Aegis suspects that they were either experimented on or converted into biological material.

A somewhat irrelevant point, but Aegis was fortunately in the successful half, and spent most of his life honing his psionic talents into that of a defender. He had decided in his early decades that he wanted to be an Aegis, saying that particular ideology appealed to him, and sure enough, worked to that goal within fifty years, extremely fast for such a young Ethereal.

I should quickly clarify that a "young" Ethereal is one that is between zero and four hundred years. Aegis' current age (Removing the time spent in cryostasis) is 1,978 years old. And that isn't "old" by Ethereal standards by any stretch of the imagination.

Continuing on, Aegis served as the Aegis of the Skyllian sector, which was on the outskirts of the Ethereal Empire, and was initially one of the more "outlaw" sectors of the Empire, with some other alien species occasionally raiding and observing. Aegis literally stopped all illegal activity within one month and there was no further activity until the war with the Synthesized.

When the war began, to sum up his participation, Aegis participated from the very beginning, up to the time when the Imperator asked him to join him. During the time in between, he defended worlds, protected soldiers with little to no support, and even apparently took down one of those Director Flagships once.

Moving several decades forward, into more modern times, Aegis has actually participated very little in the Collective itself, as he is still unsure that the aliens within it are acceptable forces for the "coming war." Instead, he has been focusing on improving himself and several internal Ethereal projects in the Collective. Remember that the four or so centuries they've been awake after cryostasis is not much time for them at all.

I also want to add that Aegis' claim that he is "not a scientist" is, excuse my language, complete and utter bullshit. Out of curiosity I asked how much he knew about psychology and the answer equated to "a lot." It was a fascinating discussion, especially since he was what I would deem an expert in areas of psychology that aren't even invented yet.

So with that in mind, I decided to test him and ask what he knew about quantum physics. He instantly answered that was a field he was "somewhat unfamiliar with" and then proceeded to give an explanation that would give _actual_ physicists pause. What he explained was so far beyond me that I gave up trying to follow and finally asked him to stop.

After hearing this so-called "non-scientist" talk, I can only imagine what their actual scientists are like, and if this Sovereign-level technology is giving _their_ scientists trouble, I don't even want to think about Shen and Vahlen trying to figure it out. I am also of the firm belief that there is no such thing as a stupid Ethereal, because I asked and this was the _minimum_ level of education most Ethereals had by their first century:

\- Ten years in biology

\- Ten years in physics

\- Ten years in psychology and mental influence (His words, not mine)

\- Twenty years in various computation fields

\- Five years in biomedicine

\- Twenty years in genetics

\- Ten years in quantum theory

And that isn't counting military service, psionic training and a dozen other electives most Ethereals did just because they could. We're dealing with literal geniuses, Commander, keep that in mind. There is no such thing as a stupid Ethereal.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

I hesitate to even try and figure out the mind of a being that's older than my entire extended family's age combined, but I will do my best. What I am most concerned about is that Aegis is smart enough to know what I am doing, and I highly doubt he wouldn't be above only showing specific sides of himself that he wanted to be seen, or altering my mind without any knowledge.

Nevertheless, I will report what I observed.

First important point is this: Aegis is not a traitor. I'm not exaggerating. He honestly doesn't believe he is a traitor to the Ethereals. The Collective, yes, but not to the Ethereals themselves. To him, allying with us is the best move to preserve his species and if you read his code, which prioritizes the survival of Ethereals above all else, it fits extremely well.

Aegis is extremely analytical, which makes sense both because of his tactical background and that Ethereals naturally take years to decide or set up what we would do in months. He particularly specializes in observing and exploiting vulnerabilities in enemy forces, and has a catalogue of weaknesses, both for enemies and allies alike, which he attempts to fix or exploit as the case may be.

He has one for you as well, Commander. You might want to ask him about it.

Aegis' views on the Collective species is…interesting. He respects the Vitakara, though believes they are too naïve to be useful soldiers. The Andromedons he isn't concerned about, even though from his descriptions they are the weak link in the Collective. The Mutons he views mostly as mere beasts, barely sentient at all and the Sectoids he despises for their cruelty and intellectual sadism. Their society is, in his words, "an abomination."

I would not describe him as xenophobic, but more…difficult to impress. He believes without a doubt that Ethereals are superior to most species, though oddly enough views humanity as highly as his own, and I believe this centers around our ability to utilize psionics. But then again, if that is the case, should he not feel the same towards the Sectoids?

I am unsure of what his true feelings towards humanity really are. On the surface he seems to believe our species is worthy of at least some respect, but he is an Ethereal, and one I am unsure I completely trust. However, I do believe him when he says that he will do whatever it takes to destroy the Synthesized, and he is without a doubt driven by some form of vengeance, no matter how calm and collected he appears.

Aegis does not have a traditional "moral code" as we would define it. His mandate is honestly similar to yours, Commander, which is, in his case, the preservation and protection of Ethereals at any cost. However, the difference is that he would never harm an Ethereal willingly, nor sacrifice them for the greater good. Even now he has repeatedly stated to me that he will never kill one of his own. I do believe that he is less fully joining our side as making a point to other Ethereals, and trying to convince them that he is right.

If so, this makes all of us pawns in his game. But I might be looking into this too deeply.

SECTION 4: Concerns

Being around Aegis changes you.

You're already aware of it, but I want to firmly reiterate this. He has some kind of psionic aura that removes any inhibition or fear. You ever curious what it feels like to stick your hand in lava? Go ahead and do it. You ever wonder what it would be like to kill someone? Why not do it and find out? I am not exaggerating when I say that Aegis should be kept secluded from the rest of the base unless he brings it under control. It's an addicting feeling of helplessness and empowerment that is both terrifying and liberating.

It's not natural or safe, and if we just allow him to wander around the base there _are_ going to be a lot of problems as regular Humans simply can't resist the auras Ethereals emit. Psions are resistant to a degree, though are definitely still affected, and the good news is that Patricia assures me that the effects of the aura _can_ be negated rather easily.

The explanation Aegis provided was that it was a talent he developed over decades as a way to keep soldiers from panicking or losing morale. All well and good except that goal is really only applicable for _psions_. According to him he can't just turn it off, so people with no resistance are overwhelmed and can't objectively think about the actions they are performing.

I know it is tempting to want to use Aegis against the Collective, but I have serious concerns about deploying him with the rest of the soldiers. He may be more of a liability than an asset in some cases, unless he is properly isolated or disrupted by a psion.

In addition, there is of course the concern that _as_ an Ethereal, we don't have many ways to prevent unwanted mental tampering. If Aegis is not as honest as he appears, and this is a scheme of his, we are all subject to being unable to protect ourselves, even our psions. Aegis simply being around is a high-risk, high-reward deal.

Keep this in mind before you make drastic decisions with our Ethereal friend, Commander, he may be an ally now, but I'm not convinced he is a friend.


	10. XCOM - Unit: Soldier

XCOM: Unit

Soldier

* * *

" _XCOM draws from the best, but the soldiers who go in generally aren't the same when they come out."_

\- Anonymous United States Military Official

* * *

 **Hostile Unit Report:**

 _Unit Designation:_ XCOM Soldier

 _Species_ : Human

 _Threat Level:_ High

 _Category_ : Advanced Paramilitary/Special Forces

 _Size_ : 65 Soldiers

 _Report Author:_ Zar'horu'saren

Physiology:

XCOM soldiers are humans who are at extremely high or peak physical and mental form. Also like humans, they possess vulnerabilities similar to specific races of Vitakara, who lack any sort of natural protection or exoskeleton. They are also vulnerable to a wide variety of toxins and specific humans have allergic reactions to certain foods or environments.

There is also a variety in the physical characteristics of XCOM soldiers, who boast a wide array of traits that are difficult to standardize. Some are tall, others are shorter, some have lesser strength, but faster reflexes. This unfortunately makes it difficult to determine the actions of a human soldier, since they have displayed varying tactics against us.

Tactics:

XCOM soldiers were initially deployed in squads of six, though now typically deploy in teams of eight or more, as they have been observed deploying multiple squads to accomplish certain objectives. They traditionally are disadvantaged in large-scale battles, so instead are used on strike missions against our crashed spacecraft, or used for single-target removal as demonstrated during their response to the New York attack.

On the ground, the tactics of their soldiers vary depending on several factors: The equipment they currently have, the terrain, and the Squad Overseer, who is the leader of an XCOM Squad. Surprisingly, this is not a set role within XCOM, and is frequently rotated within a pool of names with one seemingly being chosen at random to lead a squad. We are still unaware of the rationale behind choosing Squad Overseers.

To illustrate a possible scenario, a typical squad of XCOM soldiers are likely to attempt to first launch surprise attacks on our forces, then slowly pick them off one-by-one, heavily utilizing the terrain until most or all hostile forces are dead. They also have a tendency to become creative with their equipment, such as using smoke grenades to blind our own soldiers or utilizing the so-called "symbiote" grenades.

They will also modify their tactics depending on the species encountered. While they were initially wary of Sectoids, they have adapted to easily kill them. Our Vitakara agents are also worryingly inefficient against XCOM, with the exception of our Naja snipers who have been the cause of several deaths. Mutons have been proven capable of holding down and overwhelming XCOM forces, though only when possessing a massive numbers advantage, and otherwise are vulnerable to being outmaneuvered by a superior human intellect.

Specialty units are not as effective as would be expected, as XCOM tends to prioritize obviously dangerous units such as the Mechtoids, Outsiders and Oyariah Soldiers, and have so far been successful in mitigating their effect.

XCOM soldiers will not fight to the death either, and will retreat if they are in a losing battle. As a final act against the opposing force, they will call down an airstrike on their position to kill any remaining hostiles, which can be devastating if unprepared for.

In cases where XCOM fields one or more MEC or psion, the fight unfortunately becomes extremely one-sided as basic Sectoids and most Collective species have no defense against even a human psion, and MECs were seemingly designed to fight Mechtoids one-on-one and win. Recent battles have shown that XCOM psions will sow confusion in ranks from mind control or shield their soldiers who take otherwise suicidal movements and survive to devastate our ranks. More advanced units will need to be fielded to negate the impact of these units.

XCOM Specializations: Per Nartha, XCOM soldiers are designated specializations upon entry to XCOM, of which are documented down below.

 _Infantry_ : This appears to be the most common specialization, and the front-line soldiers XCOM utilizes, who generally entrench themselves and provide covering or focus fire on enemies. They traditionally bear rifles and are armed with several grenades of varying types.

 _Sniper_ : A self-explanatory position, and fairly rare within XCOM, that is focused on long-range single-target neutralization. Usually wields sniper rifles that are modified for increased power and aim.

 _Scout_ : A reconnaissance specialization, whose members are normally more lightly armed and armored than most XCOM soldiers, who typically attempt flanking maneuvers, advanced scouting and suppressive fire.

 _Gunner_ : Heavy-weapon specialists of XCOM, and among the most dangerous. Multiple Gunners have the ability to shred priority targets in mere seconds, though are more inefficient against smaller humanoid targets. They also excel at suppressing entire areas, allowing Scouts and Assaults to move forward on entrenched forces. If there is a specialization to target, it is this one.

 _Rocketeer_ : A self-explanatory position, which essentially amounts to a demolition specialist. In addition to their rocket launchers, Rocketeers also boast what is estimated to be a half-dozen high explosive grenades, and possible additional variants. While they clearly pose a major threat, there are not many with this specialization.

 _Medic_ : Self-explanatory. Experts in battlefield medicine who generally offer support to other XCOM soldiers, patching up wounds or throwing smoke grenades. Medics are highly mobile, though are another rare specialization in XCOM.

 _Assault_ : A specialization that is as Humans say "Up close and personal." Assaults are risk-takers in XCOM, exploiting flanking opportunities and charging enemy lines to quickly shred an opposing line. An uncontrolled Assault is one of the most dangerous XCOM soldiers on the battlefield, since short-range shotgun blasts have killed most of our soldiers in one or two hits. Armored units are a good counter, but I realize that is not always feasible.

 _Engineer_ : A questionable name, as the term does not seem to apply to what they _actually_ do. These are pure support soldiers, armed with symbiote, flashbang and smoke grenades, sometimes XCOM med-kits, and Arc Throwers. In addition to that, most of them have high technical skills, and have been able to perform computational feats quickly, which does include destroying or subverting the Sectoid Drones. They are nevertheless one of the most disruptive specializations, and even more difficult to actually kill.

Equipment:

 _Firearms_ : Currently XCOM soldiers utilize a mixture of beam and magnetic weaponry, often varying on the specialization of the soldier in question. There are shotgun, rifle, heavy autorifle, pistol and mobile-rifle variants of each kind. They have not developed plasma weaponry, though that appears to be a logical next step. Regardless, it has reached a point where basic units are no longer sufficient as beam weaponry literally cuts them to pieces, and their magnetic weapons immediately punch fatally large holes in them.

 _Grenades_ : XCOM utilizes traditional explosive grenades, which are dangerous to unarmored units, although less so to those that are armored. However, XCOM has been known to utilize an armor piercing variant that is highly dangerous to all units, though can be avoided by hiding behind most cover. Symbiote grenades are used to pin their enemies in place, and are nearly impossible to escape from once they detonate. Flashbang grenades are typically used to disorient, blind or stun enemies, our psionic units in particular are vulnerable to this. Finally there are smoke grenades, which have been used to obscure XCOM soldiers, and to blind our own.

 _Armor_ : All XCOM soldiers wear hardened armor across their entire body, which has only gotten more advanced as the war has progressed. It is sealed, can presumably survive in vacuum, has a small air supply, and filters out almost all known toxins. The suits also allow communication between both local soldiers, and XCOM command. The armor itself is capable of withstanding several direct plasma shots, though the helmet is particularly weak. I will also note that XCOM soldiers appear to customize their armor, sometimes painting it non-traditional colors without a unified scheme. It may be useful for identifying certain ones.

 _Miscellaneous_ : Med-kits, a battlefield medical invention are carried by at least several soldiers in a squad, and are capable to extending the lifespan of a fatally wounded soldier a few hours longer to get them urgent medical care. Arc Throwers are guns that shoot electrical currents into targets, and are mostly used as a tool of capture, rather than killing.

 _Genetic Modification_ : We have knowledge of some soldiers who have undergone significant genetic modification, such as multiple hearts, the ability to jump multiple stories, and enhanced eyesight. While they are fairly rare now, I have no doubt XCOM's genetic program will only grow larger and more dangerous the longer they are allowed to operate, and I suspect this is only the beginning of what they are capable of.

* * *

It's one thing to hear about XCOM and another to see them in action. We'd joked, debated and argued exactly who they were and what they were really doing, but I must say, didn't really give them the credit they deserved. We really believed the stories had been exaggerated. I mean, that six people took down that massive alien ship over China? Please. Not even the SEALs could do that.

Although to be fair, the idea never really occurred to us that XCOM was what happened if you gave SEALs advanced tech and laser weapons. Guess they probably could then.

Anyway,

Uh, let's see, where was I? The point is that they were more legend than actual men and women. A rogue special forces group or UN anti-alien squad depending on the day. Good people, but only just a few, not nearly enough to save us. Which I still believed until the day the aliens attacked New York.

Worst day of my life by far. Everyone was panicking, order was impossible to establish and that was _before_ two behemoths of aliens attacked us. I don't scare easily, if at all, but that thing was covered in armor, towered over us and had a gun the size of me and I'm not exactly a small gal. So we did the natural thing and shot at it. Bullets bounced off it like BBs, doing about as much damage too.

Those aliens were practically invincible and they knew it. The stormed past our awful barricades and blasted us point blank. By the time five minutes had passed, we were already retreating, dying left and right. People I'd known for years just killed in an instant. Around that time I was pretty sure I was done for, and had one final grenade ready as a last _fuck you_ to the aliens when one of those XCOM aircrafts flew over and dropped a metal robot onto the ground.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I had no idea what that thing was, but it was fighting the aliens so it was cool with me. Then another plane came around and landed and out came out something I'd really only seen in movies, but this was _real_. For the life of me I don't remember their names, and I'm not sure they even stuck around long enough to give them, but as long as I live I'll never forget seeing an XCOM squad at work.

I don't know if they'd fought those things before, but they sure as hell acted like it was natural. They immediately got the aliens' attention, fired actual laser weapons at it, and I'm pretty sure it was all deliberately done to draw the aliens away from us mere soldiers. Some of the stuff I saw sounds fake just writing it. That robot immolated one of the aliens with a flamethrower, and one of the XCOM soldiers shot some kind of purple beam from her hand and killed one of the aliens outright.

Once it was done, and we were all wrapping our heads around that display, they didn't even pause for a break and went deeper into the city to wherever they were needed next. One of those soldiers did die, I do remember that. Damn alien got him with a grenade. Have no clue who he was but I salute him, he'll be missed.

Don't care that people are apparently suspicious of them, they saved me and the city and probably more I don't even know about. I trust them and think they're going to be the reason we win.

 _\- Diary of Anne Chiosan, United States Marine_

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 011001100110

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

UNIT OF INTEREST: XCOM SOLDIER

SPECIES: HUMAN

DATABASE SEARCH: 8 VARIANTS FOUND; 3 ENHANCED VARIANTS [NOTIFICATION! ENHANCED VARIANTS IN SEPARATE FILE]

NOTE: WEAPON TECH LEVEL IS SET TO (TECH_LEVEL=BEAM || TECH_LEVEL=GAUSS);

VARIANT 1: SNIPER

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: SNIPER RIFLE; PISTOL

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: SMOKE GRENADE; MED-KIT

|ARMOR LEVEL: LIGHT; MEDIUM

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Snipers operate from long range, and are extremely ineffective in close-quarters combat. Snipers have lighter armor than ordinary XCOM soldiers and are easily disrupted with targeted fire.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Upon the marked location of a sniper position, immediately focus fire on the area to shut down any long-range attack. Close distance rapidly for quick neutralization. Alternate tactic: Usage of Battlefield Engineer drone for neutralization, attack or harassment while distance is closed or other hostiles are dealt with.

VARIANT 2: SCOUT

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: SUB-MACHINE GUN (BEAM OR GAUSS); PISTOL; RIFLE

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: SMOKE GRENADE; MED-KIT; HIGH EXPLOSIVE GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: LIGHT; MEDIUM

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Scouts are lightly armed, and pose a limited threat, and are lightly armored, and due to their position, can be isolated and quickly terminated.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Areas around known Scouts must be locked down with either suppressive plasma fire, or targeted acid dispersion from Soldiers. Alternate tactic: Utilization of Battlefield Engineer drone to disrupt, harass or cripple isolated Scout.

VARIANT 3: INFANTRY

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: RIFLE; HEAVY RIFLE

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: SMOKE GRENADE; MED-KIT; HIGH EXPLOSIVE GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: HEAVY

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Infantry are stationary soldiers who can be easily controlled by opposing forces. They are highly susceptible to quick flanking attacks, and are highly immobile to long-range bombardment.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Contamination Operatives are the ideal counter, as they can quickly turn the immediate area held by the Infantry into a hazardous zone that will eventually overwhelm the filters of their armor. Acidic attacks will force movement, and will allow for open shots by other Andromedon soldiers.

VARIANT 4: ASSAULT

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: SHOTGUN; SUB-MACHINE GUN

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: ARC THROWER; HIGH EXPLOSIVE GRENADE; ANTI-PERSONNEL GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: HEAVY

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Assaults can be easily isolated, and Andromedon suits are highly resistant even to close-range attacks. Highly susceptible to quick melee attacks and can be lured into traps or flanks.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Battlefield Engineers are able to easily counter Assaults by setting traps, using their drone for harassment or attraction. The specialization is suited for Humans who lack a certain amount of caution, and thus are able to be easily predicted.

VARIANT 5: GUNNER

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: HEAVY AUTORIFLE

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: SMOKE GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: HEAVY

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Similar to Infantry, they are stationary soldiers and vulnerable to the same attacks as an Infantry unit.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): As with the Infantry, Contamination Operatives are best suited to countering Gunners, as area contamination will negate any opposing fire from that unit, and either force it to move or slowly exhaust the systems of their armor. Acidic attacks will also force movement, and will allows for clearer shots from friendly Andromedon and Collective forces.

VARIANT 6: ROCKETEER

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: RIFLE; ROCKET LAUNCHER

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: HIGH EXPLOSIVE GRENADE; ANTI-PERSONNEL GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: HEAVY

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Rocketeers require a certain amount of time to set up their explosives, and if they are prevented from doing so, are effectively negated. They are also vulnerable to targeted fire at their explosive equipment.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Rocketeers must be continually harassed and suppressed to prevent usage of their explosives. Battlefield Engineers are ideal for this, as are Soldiers for providing suppressive fire.

VARIANT 7: MEDIC

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: RIFLE; SUB-MACHINE GUN; PISTOL

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: MED-KIT; SMOKE GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: MEDIUM; HEAVY

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): Medics provide little to combat operations, and are highly limited in their role, thus making them predictable. Preventing them from their intended function can be accomplished by pinning a Medic via suppression or targeted contamination of the immediate zone.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): As Medics are likely to head to wounded soldiers, they must be cut off from reaching them immediately. Immobile wounded XCOM soldiers should be targeted by acid contamination via Soldiers or Contamination Operatives. The immediate area should also be subjected to chemical contamination to prevent access to the wounded soldier.

VARIANT 8: ENGINEER

|WEAPONS OF CHOICE: RIFLE; SUB-MACHINE GUN; PISTOL

|SUPPORT TOOLS OF CHOICE: FLASHBANG GRENADE; SMOKE GRENADE; SYMBIOTE GRENADE; ARC THROWER; MED-KIT; HIGH EXPLOSIVE GRENADE; ANTI-PERSONNEL GRENADE

|ARMOR LEVEL: MEDIUM

|WEAKNESSES (MANUAL COMMENT): The majority of the equipment utilized by Engineers is ineffective against Andromedon soldiers, and they do not have heavy armor or weaponry. Though they have been seen utilizing additional explosives, they typically fill a support role and as a result, pose little direct threat to Andromedon soldiers.

|NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Engineers should be pinned or negated utilizing localized contamination, acid, or Battlefield Engineer drones. It is a harassment unit, and is not a high priority. In the event symbiote grenades are used, neutralize via acid. Melee combat is advisable, should the opportunity present itself.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT


	11. XCOM - Dossier: Patricia Trask

XCOM: Dossier

Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask

* * *

" _That Human woman is different. The Ethereals perceive her as a threat and I need to know why."_

\- Andromedon Rilianor, Union Omega Project Director

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** Patricia Trask

 **Current Role:** Advisor to the Commander (Last known intel)

 **Current Interference Level:** High

 **Threat Level:** High

 **Usage Level:** Low

Brief Assessment: On paper, Patricia Trask is not unique among Humans. She served with the military in her home nation of England, and, by what records we can find, performed well. Not a prodigy by any means, and showed no desire to advance within the military hierarchy, but was nonetheless was a reliable soldier.

Why she was chosen for XCOM is something we are still unsure of. She had a flawless mission record, and very few died under her command, which was no doubt one of the reasons she was chosen, but there are thousands of others that are similar, so I can only assume that she was just one of the finalists that happened to be chosen, for I can see nothing that marks her as special.

Regardless, she was chosen along with the now-deceased Paige Broker, one of her few friends she made during her time in the military. Information gathered from Zar'nartha'intha confirms that she was with XCOM from the beginning, and was a usual Squad Overseer, a role that she fit extraordinarily well. The death of her close friend seemingly focused her on the complete destruction of any and all aliens, though this fire appears to be currently tempered.

Were we simply dealing with one soldier who might have cause to hate us, even an XCOM one, this document would not be necessary. But unfortunately, that is not the case. Patricia Trask is the first known XCOM psion, and now poses a severe threat to us. Her latent power was seemingly activated when she accidentally entered the Sectoid network on the Overseer Dreadnought, and slowly began manifesting over time.

At the time of compiling this report, we have enough information to determine some things about her psionic abilities. The first is that they appear to be mostly telepathic, and she has been observed to easily dominate Sectoids, Mutons, Andromedons and Vitakara. As you can imagine this is an issue that is not easily dealt with.

However, her psionic abilities are still developing, and considering that she was unable to stop the Ravaged One on her own in New York, she is unlikely to be able to stop an Ethereal. Unfortunately, she has been observed being able to subdue Hive Commanders which makes the numbers of responses against her extremely low.

We also know that she's risen high in the Commander's inner circle, though her exact position is unknown, but we can expect from what we know of the Commander that he fully intends to use her militarily and politically, which may disrupt our operations in multiple nations. That she is a telepath is particularly troublesome, as she will not be able to be easily surprised and will be able to detect spies.

Our leverage against her is extremely limited, as it appears her personality has slowly changed to echo the Commander from what Nartha has gathered. Initially Patricia exhibited signs of rash behavior and emotional suppression, and was also rather blunt and brash to her comrades in addition to her brilliant analytical mannerisms. She has since adapted into a highly collected tactician presumably willing to do whatever it takes to protect XCOM.

Nartha suspects that she is currently in a romantic relationship with another XCOM soldier, Anius Creed. Additional details are unknown, though Nartha has not ruled out the possibility that he is an example of Patricia testing the limits of her psionic manipulation. Regardless, while the Commander may be the most dangerous Human in terms of strategy, Patricia Trask poses the greatest direct threat to the Ethereal Collective.

I recommend we utilize a Special Operator and terminate her immediately.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _While it is no doubt vexing for you, your recommendation is denied. - Quisilia_

* * *

REPORT: 00101000000010101

TARGET OF INTEREST: PATRICIA TRASK

DATABASE SEARCH: PATRICIA TRASK

1273 RESULTS FOUND: ISOLATING NAME WITH ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS (MILITARY SERVICE: ROYAL MARINES; MILITARY SERVICE: IRISH JOINT TASK FORCE)

1 RESULT FOUND: PATRICIA TRASK

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: BOTH PARENTS ALIVE (MOTHER = 61 YEARS; FATHER = 64 YEARS)

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO SIBLINGS

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: CITY OF BIRTH: LONDON, ENGLAND

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: 1 CURRENT RELATIONSHIP (XCOM SOLDIER ANIUS CREED)

CURRENT POSITION: XCOM SOLDIER

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: HOLDS SQUAD OVERSEER POSITION

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: INTERNAL COUNCIL MEMBER

|INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

|PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATH

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: MODERATE

|ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Patricia Trask is among the most dangerous Humans on the planet, but is no more talented than a Hive Commander. While she has been observed taking control of Andromedon soldiers, she does not appear to have significant ability beyond telepathy.

For reasons we cannot determine, the Ethereals have appeared to take a direct interest in this particular psion, with partially decrypted information from the Ethereal Temple Ship revealing that she has attracted the attention of the Imperator himself. Why this Human has attracted his interest is both unknown and concerning, though it is unwise to risk the Special Operator monitoring the Temple Ship.

For this reason caution must be exercised when deciding her fate. The threat she poses is negligible, and she can be removed on orders from the Federation. Observation will continue.

RECOMMENDATION: CAPTURE VIA SPECIAL OPERATOR FOR HARBINGER PROGRAM CONVERSION

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 029; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR: DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

It's interesting the people you meet here. Already I've met soldiers from twelve different countries and that number is probably only going to get larger. But talking with the veterans there are a few people that are definitely above the rest, in some cases quite literally in terms of ranking. I guess I met one of them too, Patricia Trask. Had no idea she was so important, but she seemed to take herself and everything around her really seriously, and even during our brief talk I got the very clear sense that she was analyzing everything I was saying.

Definitely not a people person, but I can easily see her being excellent as a leader. Anyway, turns out my feeling was right, not just because she was described by one Navy SEAL as an "over imaginative analyst who plans for the worst case scenario when she really doesn't need to," but because she is apparently a psion.

A term I was unfamiliar with at the time, and I kinda wish it had stayed that way. I don't care who it is, I'm not comfortable that someone has the ability to literally read my mind. Was that what she was doing during our talk? Reading my mind for…something? Trying to determine if I'm loyal enough? Wouldn't surprise me, seeing as how she also apparently answers to the Commander himself who I've heard is good…but very, ah, _dedicated_.

I really don't know how to feel about her. On one hand I've heard nothing but praise for her, and it seems XCOM _did_ suffer a breach from a spy not too long ago, so I guess it makes sense for her to be suspicious. She also apparently doesn't go around reading minds. Some internal code of hers or something.

Sorry, I don't buy it. While I'm sure there are some who could restrain themselves, I haven't seen anything to show me that Patricia Trask is one of them. I saw it very clearly in her eyes, and those weren't the eyes of a person who would hold back. If she sees an opportunity, she will take it and if she can justify it, she will do it.

Or maybe I'm just being a paranoid loon. I need a drink. This place is weird.

\- Journal of Leono Cantu, XCOM Soldier

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 7138**

Authorization Level: The Commander of XCOM

Subject: Patricia Trask

Threat Level: Minimal (Spare me. Do we really need this here?)

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved By: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : Brown (Chestnut); curly; cut off just above the shoulders

 _Eye color:_ Grey

 _Skin color:_ White

 _Height_ : 6'1"

 _Weight_ : 187 lbs.

 _Scars or markings:_ None

 _Physical Condition:_ Patricia is an exceptionally fit woman, and has absolutely no physical deficiencies. Her condition is only likely to improve with the addition of genetic modification.

SECTION 2: Psychological Assessment

Patricia is…very interesting to talk to. Knowing that the woman you're interviewing has the ability to read your mind is certainly disconcerting at first, but that gradually faded the longer we continued talking. I must confess my mild alarm at the fact that you gave me no warning about the severe personality shifts she's undergone, as that would have been highly useful to me instead of me pursuing further research. Then again, you've have had no proper mental health professional for nearly a year, so maybe I should not be surprised a minor detail like that slipped your mind.

But I digress.

Patricia Trask is an extremely intelligent and analytical woman. Throughout the entire interview I got the sense that I was being analyzed just as much as her. Very rarely did her eyes ever stray and she never once showed any sign of emotion during the process. She was not 'mechanical', but she is not a very emotional person, at least not with those she does not trust, and that circle of those she does is very, very small.

Perhaps the most important takeaway is this: Patricia is not the same woman who initially entered XCOM. She has changed, and moreover, she _knows_ it. She actually quite open about what she's gone through since coming to XCOM. Her analytical mind was always the same from what I could find and she relayed, and as I also found out, _adaptable_.

There were several major events that molded Patricia into the woman she is today. In some ways her reactions are almost…mechanical. Programmed is the wrong word, but she subconsciously will change entire aspects of her personality that she _knows_ are a detriment to herself. Before XCOM she was, in her words, "Not good with people" she only had one friend, who she now wonders how she kept in the first place.

In her mind, it seemed that friends were nice, but not necessarily something that provided her with any benefit. It was apparently more important to her than she realized, since after the death of her friend shortly after arriving at XCOM, she became much more…personable. She made some efforts to be less abrasive and interact more with the soldiers serving with her. Even still, she believes that she is a much better squad leader than friend.

It may seem like grief was a main contributor here, and it clearly seems to be at first, but Patricia is rarely affected by strong emotions for very long, or turns those feelings into productivity until they are spent. She still regrets the death of her friend, but I don't think it's accurate to say that it is a motivation of hers any longer.

Compared to reports of her earlier behavior, I cannot help but notice your clear influence on her, Commander. Her dispassionate statements on aliens, criminals and people she dislikes are extremely evident evidence of your ideology rubbing off on her. I can confirm this because she flat-out told me some of your oh-so-valuable bits of wisdom such as "Not everybody deserves to live", "Some must be sacrificed for the greater good" etc. Paraphrasing of course, but it was clear she latched onto your ideology once she logically concluded it was superior to what she held before.

The catalyst for this, she told me, was her interrogation of the first Hive Commander, when things apparently "became clear" to her. I can definitely attest to that since, records after that, and interviews with other soldiers, definitely portray her as a much more serious, cold woman who is just as dedicated as you are to ending the war.

This is not a critique of your own viewpoints, if you've interpreted it as such, I mention the clear influence you have here for one reason: Patricia has adapted many of your ideologies not because she believes they are right, but that they are _superior_ to what she held before, and as a result she does believe she is right, but only because someone hasn't managed to convince her otherwise.

In some ways, Patricia is one of the most easily influenced people here. But the way to convince her is not through emotions, loyalty, beliefs or even facts, but pure logic. Present a viewpoint that she believes is superior to the one she holds now, and she _will_ adopt it and subsequently believe that there she has always believed it to some degree, when in reality her mind has altered her personality to accommodate this new perspective. Please keep this in mind when considering her interactions.

I would also be remiss to talk about her viewpoint on psionic usage. It is surprisingly ethical. She will not use her abilities on those she considers allies (Though still can sense their emotions, but she has no control over that). But like the rest of her, her beliefs on the usage of psionic powers have changed as her personality has adapted to perceived superior viewpoints.

As of today, she has absolutely no qualms about using her psionic powers on those she believes are a threat to herself, her friends or XCOM. She does not distinguish between anyone, and feels no guilt about using her powers when she can justify it.

Sound familiar, Commander?

The point is not necessarily the views she holds now, but that they stand in stark contrast to what she held before. Interviews with Anius Creed state that Patricia was extremely worried about potentially abusing her powers, going so far as to keep it a secret. At one point she apparently told him that she thought it was too much to use responsibly and wanted some way to make sure she didn't hurt anyone.

Doesn't sound like the same woman, does it? You could argue that it's a natural progression from being unsure about her abilities, then gradually growing more confident and finally accepting them. Except that doesn't appear to be the case here. I will note very clearly that Patricia became much more aggressive and comfortable with her abilities about the same time as the first alien base assault, the importance of which I've already stated above.

It does not seem like a coincidence, and I say all of this because of how you operate, you likely believe you understand Patricia, and I need to tell you that you _don't_. Right now you hold similar ideals, but the difference is that for better or worse, you truly believe you are correct and justified. Patricia's conviction will only last until someone comes along with a better argument.

I cannot stress this enough: She is _not_ like you, Commander, and to assume otherwise is, frankly, dangerous for a woman of her power. Treat her with as much caution as any of your other psions, and I am not certain she needs a role within your Internal Council. The potential for abuse is too high, even though you are psionic as well.

I am aware of the development of the Manchurian Program, and I sincerely recommend Patricia undergo it when complete. We can't risk her going rogue just because her overimaginative mind has drawn conclusions counter to our interests.

And make no mistake, that _is_ a risk.


	12. Ethereals - History: The Ethereal Empire

Ethereals: History

The Ethereal Empire

* * *

" _We will never reclaim the glory of our old Empire, but we can emulate its power."_

\- The Imperator

* * *

 _Personal Log of Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary_

"Where did they come from?"

"Of all the curiosities a species like the Ethereals bring, there is a distinct lack of _history_ behind them. A lack of _context_ as to what molded their species into what they are today. As presumably privileged as I am concerning some secrets the Ethereals keep, they have still not told me what happened before they were destroyed by the Synthesized…"

"And even then, Quisilia offered no details. No explanations as to how a species so powerful could fall to an enemy that seems so…simplistic. Sheer numbers do not account for their fall, not without direction and guidance. But beyond the war itself, there is so much that remains unknown about their culture, society and way of life."

"Certainly it is preserved in some Ethereals alive today…but it is at best a mockery of what was. I can only draw assumptions. Fragments from what little I've been able to squeeze out of Quisilia and the Battlemaster. And even then it is far too little for me to draw conclusions I am satisfied with. Their species was far beyond the others, that seems logical, and was on a technological level beyond our own."

"Then…hmm, they are clearly masters of genetic manipulation. It makes me wonder how they were able to solve our own genetic plague so… _quickly_. It was a process that should have taken years, not mere months."

"Almost as if they had done it before."

"…In that case, unlike us, they survived their genetic catalyst and mastered their genome. But if that is the case, why have they not replaced their numbers yet? Cloning is not an elusive technology, so the only explanation is that Ethereals themselves are difficult to create. Could the difficulty have something to do with psionics?"

"Endless questions. Ones that will likely remain elusive. Perhaps they will trust me enough one day to share their secrets, but it appears that day will not be soon. Rest assured, Quisilia, I won't waste more time pondering this. I know there is a species that is yet to assimilate."

* * *

 **Log A12N – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category: Historical Log**

 **Type: Audio Log**

 **Participants: Archivist Cogitian; The Overmind of the Ethereal Collective**

 **Begin playback:**

"Respected Overmind, I first thank you for taking time to answer several questions of mine. I am of course aware of the duties, especially relating to the new species we discovered, given to you by our Imperator."

" _And yet you came to me anyway. Ask your questions."_

"Certainly, though I must first ask if you are aware of my directive here?"

" _The Imperator informed me of your purpose. By my accounts you perform your function well and have your own experiences in our Empire. You lived and participated in the war. What could I add to your archive?"_

"You are certainly correct, and I was very familiar with the modern Empire…though that sounds wrong now. Regardless, there are gaps in my knowledge, specifically our history before our rapid genetic advancement and immortality. Those records were only available to the Chief Archivists and have long since been destroyed, and I unfortunately never reached the rank required. And as it stands, I would not want that aspect of our history to remain lost, and you are the only one who might be able to reveal the secrets of the time before our immortality."

" _An admirable goal, but tell me, Archivist, what even do you know about me?"_

"I know that you are the oldest of us, even the Imperator doesn't appear to know your age. But Overminds have existed for thousands of years, and the title itself is only given to the ancient among us."

" _You came from the tanks, correct?_

"Yes, I was not a natural birth."

" _Then listen, child, if you want to learn about our own history. If you must know, I was born naturally roughly fifty years before we discovered the key to immortality. Your educators taught that we were always a united species, and that was the cause of how we drastically conquered our genome and continuously improved ourselves."_

"Correct, though there are infuriatingly few details. Records of the time were extremely difficult to find, so I've heard."

" _They were lied to. I lived through our "unification," and it was not a peaceful time. Our species was few and scattered, congealing into many different clans, for there were rarely enough residents to form cities of thousands. Our kind never increased beyond one hundred thousand before we developed cloning. Each clan was autonomous, and they were as varied and diverse as other lesser species. We were not special, we were no less petty and cruel than others who failed to ascend to where we are today. But the path to ascension was bloody."_

"…Is that right? There were civil wars even within our own species?"

" _Of course there were! One of the largest clans, led by the Ethereal you know as Regina, were aggressively experimenting on our genome and they managed to break the code, allowing unprecedented control over themselves."_

"Ah, Regina. I actually met her once; quite the visionary as I recall it. One of the finest geneticists in our Empire. A shame the Imperator didn't bring her along."

" _He would have, had I not dissuaded him from that notion. Regina was a visionary, I cannot dispute that, but she was a debased tyrant and liar. Once her clan had made the discovery, she set to impose her standards of the perfect Ethereal. Specifically, ones who were loyal to her clan. And she began her conquest of the lesser clans, who were caught completely unprepared from her attacks._

 _They were further shocked when she used her clan's skills of genetic modification to force the captured populations to become loyal to her. She removed any traits within them she felt would pose a threat to her and heightened ones that enhanced loyalty. To the soldiers, she did the same, and altered their memories so they believed they had always fought for her._

 _We did not remove traits that simply because we as a society came to a conclusion that it was the right thing to do; we did not do it to make a better Ethereal; it was simply a means of control Regina placed on our species to mold them into what she desired, which is a people completely loyal to her, and who would unite under her leadership._

 _The war lasted centuries, and she led thousands of Ethereals against each other. Some of the larger clans began to unite, but by then it was far too late. With full knowledge of the Ethereal genome, Regina further enhanced the psionic, physical and mental attributes of herself and her soldiers, and unleashed devastating genetic plagues on the weaker Ethereal genomes that drove them mad, broke them down at the molecular level, or simply killed them._

 _Even the clans that surrendered to her had their bodies changed and memories altered for her needs. Ethereals that resisted her genetic tampering due to mutations or other conditions were taken away to be experimented upon, arguably a fate worse than death. By the end of the war, Regina was responsible for causing nearly half of our entire species to die, and the ones that remained were completely loyal to her, and with an entire species she could begin her vision of the perfect species."_

"I…see. I didn't realize she was so…influential. In that case…why was she not leading the Empire?"

" _Because it had grown far beyond her. She most certainly did direct the fledgling Empire when we had barely mastered spaceflight, but her dream of constantly improving ourselves amusingly backfired on her. Once cloning was discovered, it suddenly opened the door to truly creating superior iterations of ourselves. So she did, and these Ethereals were smarter, stronger and better than she was. And within a few generations she simply became obsolete, a former figure with no relevance in the modern age; handicapped by an inferior genome and per her own standards, only the best of the Ethereals were fit to lead the Empire, and she no longer fit that category."_

"But…she also prioritized loyalty, correct? Why would she not do the same, even to those enhanced?"

" _Because she had believed that she was untouchable and that no one would dare change anything. But she failed to account for those in her original clan, those she had never touched, perceiving all of us too loyal to even think of betraying their leader. And it was true, but soon after she began leading the Empire, they stepped in and removed any loyalty restrictions on future Ethereals without her knowledge and her grip over the Ethereals was broken forever."_

"Yet she was still alive, and everything…"

" _Everything you grew up with was explained by lies. While Regina was rendered powerless by the First Guardians, nearly everything that was within the Empire was a direct result of her influence. Our directive to enhance ourselves was her vision, and one we nearly fulfilled and despite her actions, she is the reason we ascended beyond the concerns of lesser species."_

"That certainly explains why the actual records were kept so secret…something like that would have come close to splitting the Empire."

" _Hence why the decision was made to keep with her story and continue her work, but without her tainted interference. Perhaps it was a mistake, but it was simply another concern in the larger Empire. I trust that this answers your question?"_

"Without a doubt, Respected Overmind. Thank you for speaking with me…and as an additional note, what do you make of this new species? The gray bipeds?"

" _A devious species whose genetic ambitions have turned them into a hollow husk of a species, controlled by their weak-minded leaders. They will serve a purpose, but they will never be anything more than pawns."_

"As it should be, I wish you well, Respected Overmind."

" _To you as well, Archivist."_

* * *

 **XCOM File E1E1**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Ethereal Empire

Document Type: Historical

Report Author: Ethereal Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

 _Preliminary Note:_ All of the following report is based entirely on Aegis' knowledge and account of the Empire, and cannot be currently analyzed for historical accuracy. Psionic monitoring does confirm that Aegis was not lying when writing this, or at least he thinks he isn't. Keep that in mind. - _Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask._

SECTION 1: Overview

I have been asked to record my own knowledge of what was once the Ethereal Empire for historic purposes. Though my role clearly did not entail access to every facet of the Empire, I can provide a basic overview of general life within the Empire, and the overarching governmental and military structure. In this event, I will forgo the template provided in favor of one that emphasizes specific parts of the Empire.

SECTION 2: Childhood and Education

There were two types of Ethereal children: those who were born naturally, and those grown in cloning centers. Before continuing further, I should clarify the differences between the two:

Natural Children: Natural births were extremely rare, even before the modern Empire. It is likely another genetic issue that we've yet to discover, though if the theories about our origins are correct, it is not unreasonable to assume that the reason for this is to offset our extremely long lifespan. Because of the unlikelihood of their birth, children were heavily protected and guarded in pre-Imperial eras, and were the only ones declared off-limits between any clan disputes. The killing or abuse of children was one of the few offenses that was punishable by death in the times before the Empire.

Natural children were not only precious to the parents, they were an extremely valuable resource as they were genetically superior to both of their parents, which before cloning, ensured that each generation after the parents would be smarter, tougher and overall _better_ than the one preceding it.

Modern Imperial natural children were often several iterations ahead of even the most advanced clone, and were prodigies in their own right, and each natural child was subject to testing that used the data collected to improve the next iteration of Ethereals, progressing our species and bypassing additional years of iterations.

All natural children were powerful psions, and many became military leaders such as Overminds, Guardians or Aegis'. Physically their skin was typically a darker purple than grown Ethereals, though this is only superficial. It is also not uncommon for natural children to be physically taller and stronger than the current iteration of Ethereals, though this does not extend to later iterations where their genetic factors can be implemented to adjust height.

Grown Children: Ethereals grown in cloning vats comprised the majority of the Ethereal population, with the children being grown by combining various traits from genetic vaults to produce the Ethereal desired. Despite the fact that cloning technology was used, there were no "clones" in the Empire, at least not in the literal sense. They were a combination of genetic markers and traits from hundreds of other Ethereals, making the one being grown very much unique compared to others in the Empire, but often superior. The time of growth heavily varied, with a minimum gestation period of half a century, but more complex or powerful Ethereals could take a century or more to properly develop safely.

During the period of growth, they were overseen by the Creators, who determined how the Ethereal was to be grown and what they would be. They had full control over the being soon to be created, and could determine the intelligence, strength and various other attributes. There was a baseline established, but even we had limits. A being like the Imperator was simply not possible during the modern Empire, as having an Ethereal enhanced in every way risked the Ethereal dying in the vat or seconds after birth, or worse, suffering rapid tissue degeneration or insanity. There were limits that had to be respected and the Creators took few chances with ordered batches of Ethereals.

You might ask the question as to who dictated which Ethereals were to be grown, and there are several answers to that. The Imperial Civil Command gave orders once every ten years, ordering a certain number based on data they had collected over the previous decade and what the specialties were to be. The Creators were then given free reign over their construction, provided they followed the basic guidelines and appropriate gender diversity (Note: Gender diversity was implemented as a requirement after an incident occurred where an entire Civil Command batch was male, which I presume was an attempt at humor, or a pointed consequence to Civil Command being too lax in their requirements).

The Imperial Military acted in a similar manner, though sent several Battlemasters to oversee the Creators and ensure they were following the far stricter guidelines enforced. Unlike Civil Command, the Imperial Military made sure to get the Identification Numbers of every grown Ethereal they ordered to approach them later for service. Because while the Military is allowed to order the growth of Ethereals, they cannot impose service until an appropriate age. The children are, however, informed who was responsible for their growth.

The final group were, as you have probably guessed, Ethereal couples who wanted a child of their own. The majority of the time they appealed on the basis of being unable to have children of their own, but there were of course, other reasons beyond that. Only a few received a personal child of their own, but the ones who were selected had full control over the attributes of the child, and unlike other grown children, the DNA was exclusively comprised of the Ethereal mother and father to simulate a natural birth as much as possible. The gender of the child could also be chosen, or it could be unknown initially.

Priority in these cases was often given to Ethereals of some prominence within the Empire. Scientists, advisors, and it was especially prevalent in the Military. However, the Creators did make sure not to have a completely merit-based list, and there were many ordinary Ethereal couples who received children of their own.

Education: Where and how the Ethereal child received their education depended entirely on their method of birth. Natural children, or grown ones with parents, had options to choose from and were free to choose their own specialties. Those without parents were raised in communal education centers where they learned fundamental knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. Basic schooling is a twenty-year process.

Afterwards, the Ethereal is allowed to choose their further specialization of interest. This is by no means locked in, as we are immortal, but it lays the foundation for what they want to accomplish and contribute to the Empire. By this time many have been approached by military or Civil Command representatives. There are almost no "independent" jobs like within your own species, as there was no need for non-government positions as the Empire provided everything needed for free.

Regardless of the path chosen, what followed would be at least several decades of additional training or schooling before officially receiving a position. From there the Ethereal could acquire advanced knowledge in their specialization or move to a completely different specialization of interest.

SECTION 3: Imperial Civil Command

This is what you would define as our 'government', though that is a term that does not seem accurate because it implies that there are opportunities beyond those sanctioned by the Empire, which was not the case. The word "civilian" not have the same correlation to us as it does to your species. To us, a civilian is one who is not involved with any government or military aspect of the Empire, which was exceedingly rare.

Civil Command was composed of many different branches that each managed an aspect of the Empire. Note that the Imperial Military is not among them, and is technically a separate organization, though Civil Command and the Military cooperated closely on almost everything of importance. It also does not include the Creators, which is the only other organization that is not under their command.

The Scientific Branch comprised all science and experimental aspects for purely civilian purposes, many of which did include genetic experimentation, as well as terraforming, cloning and the analysis of various alien plants and species. In addition research was done on new elements, and materials and foods were altered to become stronger or more nutritious.

The Engineering Branch dealt exclusively with the architecture, design and implementation of all spacecraft, structures and equipment within the Empire on the civilian side. In addition they were responsible for the management and maintenance of all of their creations in the Empire and as a result were one of the largest parts of Civil Command.

Our leaders and managers were not elected or chosen. There was no set limit for representation for the councils determining major matters of the Empire. It was simply a matter of motivation. If an Ethereal wanted a greater role in making decisions, they could acquire the necessary training and upon completion, achieve their goal. There is no 'president' or 'chancellor' either in the sense of one person with special authority. There is one who becomes the Voice, who officially states decisions or proclamations, then the position is given to another of the council.

SECTION 4: The Imperial Military

The Imperial Military is tasked with defending the Empire from all threats, and in the modern day Empire, were known as the strongest military force in the galaxy. Unlike the military structures of your world, there is not a purely straightforward hierarchy, and instead, the military is divided into sections who have representatives in a special council that speaks for the Imperial Military.

The Imperial Military also had their own Scientific and Engineering Branches, albeit slightly smaller but often just as advanced if not more so. Both branches were instrumental in new advances for the military, all of which were shared with Civil Command, with the exception of those having to do with the Creators.

Military Doctrine: The Imperial Military held one very simple rule: Do not act unless there is clear evidence of a threat. When the Military moved, it was never unjustly or without reason, and when they struck, it was without mercy. When our Empire first made contact with other civilizations, several attacked and prompted a swift response. The Imperial Military decreed that the aggressors posed an intrinsic threat to the Empire and promised to remove the problem.

And remove it they did. Opposing forces were easily destroyed, and their leaders executed. The civilian populations were taken by the military to strip them of their genetic codes and every one was experimented on, and those that managed to survive were executed, and orders were put out to kill any surviving members of the species. Several attempted to flee to other civilizations, but were shunned once the Military demanded they be turned over.

Not wanting to risk their own people defying us, they complied and over time the species that fought us was extinct. The Imperial Military was not averse to preemptive attacks when they had sufficient evidence of an impending attack, and they once did so against a multi-species collective that was planning to launch attacks to capture civilians on the outlying regions.

Immediately the structure of this collective was decimated, and out of fear we would retaliate against the member species, those civilizations helped hunt down and kill every one of those members pleading ignorance, and the Military determined it was an acceptable explanation, though warned they would not be so lenient again.

That was the last time the Imperial Military went to war against an established alien government, but that illustrates their approach to warfare and diplomacy. If left alone, they will do nothing. Pose a threat, and they will remove it completely.

In terms of reasonings for why certain aspects of our military differ from what is 'conventional' for yours, I will provide explanations now. Melee weapons are by and large considered archaic and useless for your people, and there are certainly valid reasons for that. But it is different for us. Every Ethereal has some power of telekinesis at a basic level, and even basic training renders firearms obsolete and useless.

Projectile combat was rarely used within the military because there was no reason to. The Division of Battlemasters were proficient in telekinesis which stopped projectiles, and even basic forms of shielding which protected from directed-energy and attacks. With the main dangers of enemies negated, they had no defense to a purely melee attack and could easily kill the opposition. And in the event that their enemies were similarly armed, they were trained to be master swordsmen, each with at least thirty years of training with Battlemasters.

In addition, projectile weapons were deemed ineffective compared to psionics, which were capable of both blocking and attacking opposing armies from range with little to no counters. Ask yourself, what use is an army of soldiers carrying plasma weapons when they be torn apart by a single psionic maelstrom?

That is not to say that the Imperial Military did not invest in the creation of projectile weapons, as it should be clear, they have their uses against a species that are not primarily psionic, though the ones who used them during the modern Empire were much rarer and primarily within the Division of the Battlemaster. But the ones that existed were without equal compared to similar units. They were enhanced with cybernetics that specially allowed direct linking with Overminds for enhanced concentration and power, and primarily were used not for removing single soldiers, but performing surgical attacks on structures, vehicles spacecraft. It was very rare for them to take more than one shot to neutralize their targets.

The Divisions of the Imperial Military:

 **The Division of the Battlemasters** : When aliens imagined the Imperial Military, they imagined the soldiers of the Division of the Battlemasters. Ethereals armored in gleaming and ornate armor, with built-in shielding and constructed from the best materials in the Empire. Blades of all kinds were held in their hands, from greatswords to daggers. And leading them were the terrors of the battlefield: the Battlemasters themselves.

Soldiers in this division were not constrained in terms of weaponry. Some specialized in the usage of only one weapon, others mastered dozens and switched between them in combat. Several became proficient enough to wield two greatswords at once, though this was exceptionally rare, and those were often the Battlemasters themselves.

Above the soldiers were the Disciples of the Battlemasters, Ethereals who had either expressed interest or been picked out by Battlemasters themselves. A Battlemaster rarely took more than two disciples, but taught the ones under his or her command personally, usually over a period of several centuries. I do not personally know the full rites required, but there were ceremonies that only Battlemasters participated in and excluded all others. The Disciples were identified by similar capes to the Battlemasters, but were colored white.

Then there were the Battlemasters themselves; beings of such strength, power and agility that they were able to single-handedly take on and destroy entire armies. They were masters of telekinesis, personal psionic shields and had usually mastered every single weapon created. In addition they were master tacticians, and were recognized as the battlefield strategists of the Imperial Military. They were always easily recognizable by the crimson capes that fell from the shoulders of their armor. Another interesting note is that Battlemasters are immune to all forms of mental influence, including psionics. Please make note of that, Patricia.

 **The Division of the Aegis:** Our original function was to protect the soldiers under the Battlemasters, but eventually we were elevated beyond that to oversee the defense of entire portions of the Empire. Unlike most divisions, there are only two ranks within our division: Disciple and Aegis.

Disciples are chosen from Ethereals who display affinities for defensive psionics, or are devoted to the protection of other Ethereals. We did not distinguish between Civilian and Military during the process of selection. I personally was a Disciple to an Aegis that had once been an Engineer, and I had a disciple of my own who was a doctor on the outskirts of the Empire.

Discipleship varies heavily depending on the Aegis in question, as there are no set standards, but for me, my Aegis taught me everything he knew and when I surpassed him in ability, he revealed that I was ready to take the role of an Aegis without any prior warning. For the disciple I had, I was less concerned about raw ability than I was about dedication. During the War with the Synthesized, we were forced to split up and she was stationed on a lone colony world which was out of the way, but nevertheless important and would warn us if enemies came from that direction.

I received word that the world had been attacked and I made for it as soon as I could and found her almost all alone, surrounded by hundreds of Synthesized wrecks and dead Ethereals, while the ones still alive were near death. Despite the horrific attacks she had endured, she had not retreated or left the ones still alive to such a fate, and that was when I knew she was ready to become an Aegis, and pronounced her one after the planet was evacuated.

I wish I could say she survived the war, but it is unfortunately not the case.

Returning to the subject at hand, the responsibilities of an Aegis were the defense and protection of a certain portion of Imperial space. Strategies, plans, oversight and contingencies were all the responsibility of an Aegis, and there was heavy coordination between the Aegis' and the Imperial military so that they were aware of the best methods should a sector come under attack.

Psionically, Aegis' were among the most powerful in the Empire. We have the ability to shield entire armies, or individual members. We were often instrumental in battles between fleets, as we both protected our fleet and trapping their own in stasis fields. We are often telepathically able, as well as proficient in telekinesis which we use when defense fails, or in addition to it.

 **The Division of the Overminds** : Prior to the creation of the Imperators and Reapers, the Overminds were the most powerful psions in the Empire. They were very few, like the Aegis', and specialized in coordination and telepathy. What you may find interesting is that many Overminds were exceptionally old, the oldest one I was aware of being nearly thirty thousand years old.

I do not know how an Overmind is chosen, but like the leaders of the other divisions, they have their own Disciples, who wear black robes as opposed to the orange ones typically worn by true Overminds. They rarely meddle in Civil Command or even Imperial Military matters, but are always willing to assist when asked.

Overminds often display their psionic power in one of two ways. The first is that they enhance their allies around them, granting them increased coordination, speed, reflexes and an overall sharper mind. I personally witnessed a small group of Ethereal soldiers and their Battlemaster take on an army six times their size and win without a single casualty, largely thanks to the Overmind supporting them.

However, Overminds are far more dangerous offensively. They alone are also capable of subduing entire armies, but they do so through direct mind control, for the telepathic might of an Overmind is only challenged by an Imperator, and sometimes not even then. An army faced with an Overmind will destroy itself long before the Overmind is even in danger.

 **The Division of Shadows:** This is the most comparable division to an "intelligence" agency within the military. Shadows were experts in both telepathy, illusions and bladework, using their abilities to cloud the minds of suspicious minds to gather information, illusions to throw enemies off track, and of course were supplemented by electronic and cloaking equipment. Shadows were nearly impossible to find and detect, put provided valuable information to the Military.

Unlike other divisions, this division has no signature leaders, but one overseer who does not go by any title. The Division knew his name, as did the special council, but no one else. Shadows often went by their names as well, and never revealed their missions even to Ethereals, unless they encountered a superior such as a Battlemaster or Overmind.

However, I am aware that the leader of this division was exceptionally powerful, even for a Shadow. He allegedly is rumored to have infiltrated a Director Flagship, killed all those inside and taken control, though this has never been proven. It was also rumored to be powerful enough to obscure himself from other Ethereals (With the exception of Aegis', Overminds and Battlemasters), though I am personally skeptical of this. There is little point dwelling on it, outside of historical purposes, as I am certain he perished in the War.

 **The Division of the Maelstrom:** Prior to the creation of the Reapers, the Maelstrom was composed of the most powerful destructive psions in the Collective. Their power, while not being enough to render entire planets uninhabitable, was more than sufficient to devastate entire battlefields and armies, especially with their ability to create lethal psionic storms, concentrated beams and the less powerful manifestations of energy that targeted individual units.

The Maelstrom also incorporated the less obvious, but equally powerful psions in the Empire. They used telekinetic masters who were skilled enough to suspend fleets in the air, as well as crush and destroy enemies on the ground, it also could serve a defensive purpose in the event that they were without the support of an Aegis.

Maelstrom solders used a mix of the armor used in the Division of the Battlemasters, and the robes of the Overminds, and created a distinct utilitarian hybrid with their bodies covered in light armor, but with a unobstructing robe over it that also covered their head. The armor was largely uncolored, and the robe was a shade of purple for the ordinary soldiers.

The Commander of the Maelstrom was the closest a pre-War Ethereal came to rivaling the power of even a Reaper. He was one of the most intelligent tacticians in the Military, and personally ensured that his division was the most powerful it could be, a fairly easy matter since very few had the raw power required to become a part of the Maelstrom.

As far as I am aware, he did not have any equivalent of a Disciple, but took multiple Ethereals for individual training before placing them in the Division of the Maelstrom proper. With all that, I do not think it should come as a surprise to learn that he was the basis for the Reapers, and later, the Imperators.

 **The Division of Reapers:** Despite being a late addition to the military, I feel obliged to mention their contributions briefly. Reapers were the most destructive psions created with the exception of the Imperators. I did not exaggerate when I said they could destroy planets, because they did so regularly. Their destructive power was equally as devastating against opposing fleets and Director Flagships.

The Reapers were purely grown, and not a division that took regular Ethereals, though that would have likely been changed had we won the War. The only way to become a Reaper was, quite simply, to be born as one.

 **The Special Council:** During the modern Empire, the Special Council was comprised of several beings: The Grandmaster of the Battlemasters, the Commander of the Maelstrom, the Greater Overmind, the Aegis of the Ethereal Empire and the unnamed leader of the Division of Shadows. They made the ultimate decisions regarding the Imperial Military and were the ones to decide what information was to be released to various parties.

The Special Council was supplemented by the creation of the Imperators who took over all military and civilian operations when they emerged.

I believe that this should be sufficient information for your records. If you have additional questions or want clarification about specific aspects of our former Empire, I will do my best to explain them.


	13. ADVENT - History: Dissolution of EXALT

ADVENT: History

The Dissolution of EXALT

* * *

" _The more I think about it, the more I'm sure EXALT got exactly what they wanted."_

\- XCOM Soldier Carmelita Alba

* * *

Commander,

Integrating the former EXALT personnel into ADVENT is proceeding as we expected. EXALT is adapting many of their worldwide installations for outside usage, and diversifying their rosters to avoid suspicion. While it is inevitable that some outside ADVENT personnel will have suspicions as to the history of these people, they are unlikely to act on them in a way that compromises us.

Overviewing the candidates Saudia has listed for the various agencies and military, I strongly suspect that there may be some internal conflict between those who were with EXALT, and those who were not. Resentment from those under EXALT, perhaps, in dealing with the fact that they are answering to someone who were not aware they existed days ago, and superiority from former EXALT personnel. I am aware that EXALT indoctrinated their members into believing they were superior to regular people, so it is not unreasonable to expect some of them acting on this conditioning in a detrimental way.

Thus far, Saudia has showed restraint, only appointing Elizabeth Falka as Director of ADVENT Intelligence, and one of the Mercado family as the Chief Engineer. That being said, she had seeded all the ranks below those directly in charge with former EXALT staff. While they appear to have positions relative to their ability, and even lower in some cases, it is entirely possible that Saudia is simply appointing them to lower positions to appease us and has plans to promote them naturally.

As we also expected, the majority of the Falka family has transitioned to work directly for ADVENT Intelligence, while some Falka operatives have expressed interest in working for XCOM Intelligence as an alternative. Zhang has responded by currently refusing all applications until the Manchurian Project is complete, as he suspects they would act as spies for Elizabeth. I personally would suggest we simply have them be interrogated by Patricia or Aegis, but his suspicion is warranted.

The Eridan family is also mostly staying put. They are scientists by training, and have taken many positions in ADVENT relating to the multiple fields of science and medicine. Vahlen has also considered accepting some former Eridan scientists, as she believes their familiarity with alien technology would be beneficial provided their loyalty could be assured. Knowing Vahlen, I trust her to be careful with integrating people from questionable sources. If she can control aliens, she can control humans from a shadow organization.

The Mercado family has largely acted the same, staying within their fields of expertise. Interestingly enough, none of them have expressed any interest in XCOM whatsoever. The most plausible explanation for this is, of course, that we attacked their headquarters in China and their family head committed suicide in an attempt to stop us. If there is any part of EXALT that will hold a grudge, it will likely be them.

The Solaris family has largely integrated its members into the Peacekeepers, with Matthew Solaris himself moving Solaris Industries into a fully-fledged arm of the State. Under ADVENT they will likely be a primary arms manufacturer, and may conduct research into more advanced weapons. Interestingly enough, Saudia (Or Mr. Solaris) didn't place any of his members in high-ranking positions within the Peacekeepers, but rather as ranking officers on the ground. Team leaders and the like. I advise we watch what the Peacekeepers do closely, not just their command.

Surprisingly enough, the Vyandar family has done very little, nor truly made an attempt at integrating directly into ADVENT. This may appear as favoritism until you know what the Vyandar family actually did, which was providing EXALT with the wealth needed to sustain their operations. Saudia apparently doesn't want to interrupt a winning strategy, so she's pretty much left them alone with the exception of quietly placing all Vyandar companies and businesses under ADVENT control. That family alone gives them enough money to rival one of the European countries, so don't discount their influence, and if any part of EXALT will draw outside questions, it is likely that the Vyandar family will be a primary target.

On to what is likely completely unsurprising, the Venator family have all taken positions in the ADVENT military, mostly as part of the Lancer Division due to their skills, but a good number are officers in the Military proper. Saudia has taken a similar approach to them as the Solaris family, which is to seed them at the lower levels and only moderately influence the command structure. And as you know, several Venator soldiers have expressed interest in joining us, including Zara Venator herself. Considering you have allowed her into XCOM, I imagine the number will grow if her integration continues without incident.

As for Saudia herself, at the moment it appears that she fully intends to lead ADVENT to the best of her ability. I highly doubt that she will pose a direct threat to us, but in that event, both President Treduant and Supreme Leader Gwan will serve as checks on any rogue actions and we will take appropriate action if needed. As long as we have people watching her, there should be no issues.

\- Ariel Jackson, Central Officer of XCOM

* * *

There is absolutely no way that this came out of nowhere.

Sure, that's probably obvious in retrospect, but I was under the impression that ADVENT was a completely new organization and building up science and engineering teams from scratch. Obviously there would be some familiarity between initial teams since they've probably been working weeks before I even arrived.

This is nothing like that at all. I feel like I'm coming into something that's been established for years, maybe longer. There is a very obvious portion of my colleagues who work, talk and poke fun at each other as if they've known each other for years. They know their individual preferences and quirks, which is suspicious since the most I've ever been able to get out of them was that one of them knew a couple for a "couple months" prior to coming.

Uh huh. Sure.

What's most disconcerting is that they aren't obvious about it. On the surface it doesn't appear that they are even willing colleagues, and they don't spend time with each other outside work to establish anything there. But I've been in labs before, and I'm not an idiot when it comes to reading people. They know each other, and are deliberately making it appear as if it's not the case.

Why? Most obvious theory is that "ADVENT" existed a long time before anything was offered to us. But that doesn't explain the secrecy. Why not just say they've been here and just working? What could be worth going to all this subterfuge to make sure the illusion is maintained? It's the only reason I've held my tongue and not called them out on their deception; because if there _is_ some nefarious reason they're acting like this…it probably goes to the top of ADVENT.

I'm not getting myself killed or worse just for my damned curiosity. Probably paranoid, but if I learned that Chancellor Vyandar was behind some nefarious plot to control the world, I would believe that. Don't care what she says, complete strangers don't get handed the keys to power without good reason, and if that's true, those reasons are definitely worth killing over.

In the meantime, got a new project from Dr. Tygan. Better focus on that instead.

\- Journal of Michael Storms, ADVENT Geneticist

* * *

We have succeeded.

As most of you are aware, we have ceased major hostile actions against XCOM in recognition of the fact that the alien threat is one too large and dangerous to solely handle on our own. During this time we have also been working as usual to prepare the world for a coordinated and strong defense against the alien threat.

Because of our work and experience, we have been working with XCOM to establish a full world government per our own directive, and under my command. As of today the goal of EXALT is fulfilled and per our agreement with XCOM, EXALT will officially disband and be integrated fully into the organization established as ADVENT.

It is highly unlikely that your current roles will change overmuch, but we move forward with the understanding that our time in the shadows influencing events from afar is over. We will be instrumental in determining the path of humanity forward and that will never change, even as we must allow outsiders to work in close proximity.

It will not be easy for some going forward, but it is the next necessary step in ensuring that both ourselves and humanity has a chance against the pressing alien threat, and here is where we will demonstrate to the world the correctness of our vision for a united, independent and powerful humanity.

We have proven ourselves capable of being given the responsibility of overseeing the world. Now is the time to prove we can do it.

\- Saudia Vyandar, Director of EXALT in memo to all EXALT personnel detailing the dissolution of EXALT.

* * *

I'm sometimes not sure what goes through the Commander's head. I've accepted that there are some decisions that I'm not going to agree with, but this seems…extreme, even for him. He…spared EXALT. Not only that, but seems to be putting them in charge of the world.

Why?

Ignoring the fact that our own soldiers died fighting them…it doesn't make sense. EXALT was bent on controlling the world. I can understand using them, but this is frankly _rewarding_ them for what they've done. It's exactly what they wanted and it seems very unlike the Commander to even entertain the idea, let alone actually go through with it.

Did he want a puppet? Someone he controls? Does he have blackmail on her damaging enough to make him feel confident enough to put his enemy in charge of the world (Admittedly the knowledge that she was leading an international espionage ring is pretty damaging). Did he threaten to kill her? Her family?

Maybe it's simpler. If nothing else, EXALT knows about the alien threat more than most, and pure practicality in this case would make sense for him…somewhat. It's one thing to have EXALT soldiers in XCOM and putting them in direct positions of influence. Maybe he thinks that only someone with experience should be leading the charge against it.

Maybe what's more disconcerting to me is that another reason could simply be that the Commander has genuinely lost faith in the leadership of the world and truly believes that a woman who's spent her life manipulating the world it is more trustworthy than actual leaders. What a depressing thought, and that doesn't bode well if that's actually the case.

Or perhaps more frighteningly, the Commander agrees with EXALT's goals a lot more than he lets on.

I don't know. Guess I can give them a chance at least. See what they do before condemning them. If nothing else, I know that if they try anything, the Commander will put them down. Small comforts, but nothing else I can really do now. Best focus on the aliens.

\- Log of Fakhr al Din, XCOM Soldier


	14. ADVENT - Organizations: The Peacekeepers

ADVENT: Organizations

The Peacekeepers

* * *

" _We exist to enforce the law. No more, no less."_

\- Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations

* * *

I thought it was terrifying when the soldiers showed up, forced us out of our homes and slaughtered our husbands and sons for just being on the wrong side. Faceless men and women carrying terrifyingly powerful guns, destroying our home and city. I didn't think it could get much worse than losing my son, but the hell we've endured has shown me the error of that thought.

The military, ADVENT as they call them, left soon after sacking our city and a new force came. Peacekeepers they were called. Law enforcement; I knew right away. Of course, the moment the military left, there were those that started to plan a revolt. Revenge for the attack on our people. Fools, idiots who I tried to dissuade. These weren't police, these were _soldiers_.

No police force is clad in night-black armor, or is armed well enough to be an army in their own right. Keep talk to a minimum, keep your head down and try not to attract the attention of the faceless foreigners that inhabit our home. But they were not content to just let us live, they established curfews, rules, they raided local shops and forced the owners to supply them.

"Enforcing the law," that was what they said to justify it. Then I realized that these people were ruthless, and antagonizing them would only worsen it for everyone. But I could not tell that to the group of young men and women who were grieving their parents, brothers and sisters. How could I? What right could I have to tell them what to do with their lives?

But I wish I'd stopped them now.

I don't know how it happened, but they somehow rigged a bomb and threw it into their headquarters. I do not even know if any were killed, but what resulted was a swift crackdown of the city. I witnessed these "Peacekeepers" shooting bolts of electricity into fleeing kids, teens, and anyone else who looked remotely suspicious. I saw them shock their victims into unconsciousness with those batons, and then looked on as they dragged the bodies away.

No one was permitted to see the proclaimed "terrorists", and attempts by surviving parents were met with nothing. I do not know what ever happened to the ones first taken, but they were not the last. It was then the parents of those kids that came after, some would be called in for interviews or arrested on the spot. Then it moved to mere acquaintances.

It was quite clear what was happening; they wanted to create a culture of fear. They wanted information, and they wanted to remove any sort of resistance to themselves. And it worked. People began voluntarily giving up anything they thought would help them avoid being arrested. All in exchange for ensuring their friends or family weren't arrested or questioned.

It was then we all realized that ADVENT did not make "deals" with us. They know no compromise. If a crime has been committed, then they will arrest, voluntary divulgence or not. The best that could be hoped for is a more lenient sentence. It spoke volumes that ADVENT seemingly had no interest in collaboration. They wanted perfection, a flawless record for all, and if you didn't have that…you were a potential target.

We did not have rights under the Peacekeepers, at least none that were told to me. Maybe there were, but none of us had the courage to actually stand up to them. Because those who did were at best questioned, or at worst sent away. I do not know where they sent the hundreds they arrested, but we never saw them again.

And as one final measure, they have recently picking people at seemingly random and putting some kind of chips in them. I know that because I have one in me now. I know not what it does, or why I was forced to receive it in the first place. All I _do_ know is that it is yet another means for the Peacekeepers to exercise control over a populace. They hold this city with an iron grip.

And I know it will never be free again.

\- Journal of Ahmad Hamidi, resident of Zanjan, Iran

* * *

Battlemaster,

Per your request, I have instructed several of my operatives to report on this additional Division of ADVENT known as the Peacekeepers. It is and was clearly designed to be the law enforcement arm of ADVENT, but appears to be far more militant in nature, especially when compared to modern human civilizations.

 _Structure:_ The Peacekeepers are divided into several subdivisions, of which I will detail below. As you might expect, each subdivision appears to handle a different element of law enforcement than the others. Each subdivision has a respective chief, and all those chiefs answer to the Chief of Peacekeeping Operations, who is currently Amalda Stein (Dossier on her is attached).

The subdivisions are as follows, with a brief description (Full files are available upon request):

State Officers: These are what would be most expected of a law enforcement agency, and State Officers appear to simply follow the duties of a regular officer with the respective authority of one. They are likely to be used in special conjunction with the other subdivisions for making mass arrests or providing support.

Riot Control and Pacification: A self-explanatory title, as this subdivision largely deals with public unrest and rioting. They are naturally more likely to be encountered in areas recently captured by ADVENT where populations are hostile to occupation. They are extremely well-equipped to put down entire crowds with ease, and have no qualms about doing so. However, because of this, most of their weaponry is non-lethal and will not be as effective against Collective forces in the event of a firefight.

State Special Response: Of all the subdivisions, these pose the most direct threat to us. They appear to exist as both a counter-terrorism unit, and special forces of the Peacekeepers. They are primarily used for targeting organized criminal or terrorist elements and eliminating them swiftly. They will be problematic in the event that we want to make inroads in resistance movements or criminal enterprises. They appear to be drawing from the same talent utilized in the Lancer Division, which indicates that SSR Officers are just as dangerous as the best Lancer. Care must be taken when dealing with them.

 _Uniform_ : In what is either a tactical move, or act of intimidation, Peacekeeper Officers are clad in armor nearly identical to the known ADVENT soldiers. There are several additional variants beyond the standard officer uniform, with Riot Control Officers having the ability to deploy a semi-transparent riot shield from their bracers, and the SSR Officers wearing heavier armor altogether. In short, they could withstand more attacks from our own forces than we were anticipating.

 _Weaponry_ : It varies from subdivision to subdivision. State Officers have standard ADVENT rifles and pistols, but usually no explosive equipment. Riot Control officers will have stun rifles that appear to have been influenced by the XCOM ARC Thrower. There is a possibility that these rifles could be lethal, but we currently do not know for sure. In addition to that, they have an ADVENT pistol and a stun baton of sorts that _does_ have a lethal setting to it. This could prove problematic for our unprotected close-range units. With correct tactics, they could be used as an effective counter to our chryssalid units. Development of counter-tactics is recommended. SSR Officers appear to have the same kind and variance of equipment as the Lancer Division, which is to say, the best ADVENT has to offer.

 _Tactics_ : We unfortunately have yet to see Peacekeepers engage in a dedicated firefight, but concerning their tactics for maintaining control, it is largely as follows. The Peacekeepers appear to have an obsession with enforcing order that goes far beyond the normal. They appear to regularly profile citizens and observe them without their knowledge if they consider them a possible threat (Completely legal under ADVENT law).

In addition, they have no issues using lethal force against people refusing to follow instructions, which again is legal, provided their life is in sufficient danger. Peacekeepers have little concern for the health of any in their custody, and feel no obligation to them whatsoever. There is a clear pattern of dehumanization of both criminals and lawbreakers, which, while it has made the Peacekeepers one of the most effective law enforcement units I have ever seen, has also has installed a fear of ADVENT, and the Peacekeepers in particular, especially in regions like the Middle East and South America. Much of this mindset can be traced back the current Chief Amalda Stein, as her philosophy is clearly on display throughout the Peacekeepers.

They are harsh, but effective, and we would be remiss not to take advantage of their more brutal methods when possible. In terms of military threat, only the SSR is legitimately a concern, as the other subdivisions pose minor threats at best. I will forward more information to you as it is gathered.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 _Witness statement transcript 516_

 _Witness: Bradly Norris_

 _Officer: Mary Russo_

 _Time: 18:27_

[Mary Russo]: "State your name for the record."

[Bradly Norris]: "Bradly Norris."

[MR]: "Noted. We just need to ask you a few questions about what happened and you'll be free to go."

[BN]: "Shouldn't I get a lawyer?"

[MR]: "You are only permitted a lawyer if you are under criminal investigation. Currently you are not. Should that change, it will be permitted."

[BN]: "I'm not?"

[MR]: "Not currently. However, I would like to proceed. Give me an account of what happened leading up to your intervention."

[BN]: "Right, right. I live close enough to work that I normally just walk there. It's usually pretty deserted since I don't normally get off until much later. It's…not a great part of town, but nothing bad has ever happened that I've seen."

[MR]: "Until tonight."

[BN]: "Yeah. I saw that guy being pushed up against the wall and being robbed at knife-point. Decided to do something about it."

[MR]: "Alone? Why not call the Peacekeepers?"

[BN]: "Because it would have been too late, and the police generally avoided that area. Too dangerous, apparently. If I'd known one of your officers was there, I'd have let him deal with it."

[MR]: "I see. Were you not concerned with being hurt yourself?"

[BN]: "Not especially. I don't carry a gun for nothing, and I know how to use it."

[MR]: "Did you try and talk to the man first?"

[BN]: "No."

[MR]: "Why not?"

[BN]: "Because…I don't know. I was worried he would just stab the guy or try and take him hostage. I don't know how to deal with that."

[MR]: "Smart. You shot well. Once in the leg and twice in the chest. He's in critical care now. Do you feel anything hearing that? Do you regret taking the shot?"

[BN]: "I'm not sure I should answer that. I don't want any legal trouble…"

[MR]: "I can promise you that you are not going to be charged for shooting him."

[BN]: "If you're asking if I'm sad he's in critical condition, I'm really not."

[MR]: "Reasonable. Were you aware that the officer was in the area?"

[BN]: "No. Otherwise I would have let him handle it."

[MR]: "Everything lines up. I have no further questions. You are free to go."

[BN]: "That's it?"

[MR]: "Yes, that's all we need. Although in the future I would suggest you call the Peacekeepers. You got lucky this time, but these are the situations we're trained to handle, and being a hero is likely to get you killed."

[BN]: "I'll remember that. Tell that officer thanks for me."

[MR]: "I will do that. Good night, Mr. Norris."

 _End of transcript_

* * *

 _Interview between BBC Anchor Cory Fillion and Chancellor Saudia Vyandar of ADVENT_

Cory Fillion: "Chancellor, thank you for joining me tonight."

Saudia Vyandar: "Of course, the sentiment is mutual."

CF: "I will jump straight to the point then. You have outlined your plan for the "Peacekeeping Division" in your Directive, and have actually begun to implement it, correct?"

SV: "Correct. Already we are making incredible progress. I've done my best to work with law enforcement agencies across the world. This was an opportunity to take an objective look at the current systems of the world. Learn what works, what doesn't, and then build a law enforcement that is unchallenged by any of its peers."

CF: "An admirable goal, Chancellor. The scope of this division is certainly…extensive, to say the least. If you don't mind, there are some aspects of it that do seem to go against the norm. But first, why not tell us what you identified as the greatest weakness in public policing?"

SV: "With pleasure. In short, we determined that law enforcement has become too politicized. As a news anchor, you no doubt know of this."

CF: "Police brutality is certainly a topic many are interested in."

SV: "Except in the cases where, and I mean no disrespect here, you are wrong. It is not entirely the fault of the media. Footage can be edited to form narratives, and our research has shown that often times the so-called 'controversies' are unrepresentative of the actual facts. Unfortunately, these rarely come to light until several days later, by which time both the media and public have understandably moved on."

CF: "But there are certainly cases where the footage in question is accurate."

SV: "I did say 'most', not 'all', true. But the issue here isn't even necessarily the issue. The issue we identified is _context_. Often times it is down to the word of an officer and the video floating around the internet. Public lines are drawn and the incident only serves to separate an already polarized society, because the truth is, Mr. Fillion, that most of the people spreading these narratives do not care about the victim in question. To them, it is simply another tool to promote their own group or agenda."

CF: "A rather broad generalization, Chancellor."

SV: "One that cannot be proven one way or another, that is true. So the simplest solution was to simply remove the uncertainty surrounding any incidents. All Peacekeepers have video capability built into their armor. From this point on there will be no need for edited videos posted on Twitter. The raw sources will be made available in the event of any incidents."

CF: "An admirable step, Chancellor. Although what is to stop the Peacekeepers from editing the video itself to portray themselves in a positive light?"

SV: "We have contingencies in that case. If you have read the guidelines, then you also know the severe penalties for the altering of armor cam footage. We follow the law, Mr. Fillion, and we hold all those accountable, including ourselves. The Peacekeepers make no exceptions, which was purposeful to fix another issue we had identified within law enforcement."

CF: "Which was?"

SV: "Accountability, Mr. Fillion. Accountability within the police. Too often I saw evidence where they refused to deal with their own. Entire departments were compromised by bribes, corruption and a lack of oversight. I presume we are both in agreement that an independent party should ensure they follow the laws they enforce, correct?"

CF: "Certainly."

SV: "Which is why one is established, and punishments for criminal Peacekeepers are more severe than ordinary civilians."

CF: "It is another admirable step, Chancellor. However, the head of this independent party is chosen by you, correct? Can it then be called truly independent?"

SV: "Yes, the head is chosen by me, and it is independent of the Peacekeepers. You can rest assured that I only put forth people who are qualified and can do the job. There are strict requirements they must pass before even being considered by me. Following that, they must be approved by the Congress of Nations. I feel confident saying that they are a sufficiently independent body from the Peacekeepers."

CF: "I see. Now I would specifically draw attention to a portion of your directive where it authorizes officers to use lethal force to defend themselves without fear of legal repercussions. Could you elaborate on it?"

SV: "Of course. We prioritize the lives of our Peacekeepers over those of potential criminals. If they feel their life is in danger, I will not restrict them from utilizing force. If it ends in a fatality, the local department will review the footage from the armor, debrief the officer, and determine if it was malicious or not. If not, then the case is closed."

CF: "That's all well and good if the person is truly a criminal. But what happens if an officer is spooked and accidentally shoots an innocent person instinctively. It isn't malicious, as you clarified, but the officer was nonetheless responsible for an innocent death. Would they receive no punishment?"

SV: "It would vary on the circumstances, of course, but unlikely. I would rather trust the judgement of an officer and live with the knowledge that a policy I approved led to the death of an innocent, than for him to hesitate and die because he was afraid not of the criminal, but of being crucified in the court of public opinion."

CF: "So are you saying the officers are immune to lawsuits brought against them by families of those accidentally killed by them?"

SV: "Essentially, at least those relating to his or her duties. If an officer has committed a crime, the Peacekeepers will deal with it internally. Lawsuits can still be brought against them outside their work as an officer."

CF: "This seems to require a lot of trust in the Peacekeepers."

SV: "The trust will be well-placed, I assure you. Chief Stein is committed to not only keeping order in ADVENT, but stamping out crime altogether."

CF: "An audacious task."

SV: "Quite. But one I know she'll work hard to fulfill."

CF: "One last topic, Chancellor. Over the past few days we've witnessed several protests, particularly in America that were overseen by your…Riot Control. While the officers in question did seem to be legally safe, there is the question as to if they are too…overzealous when dealing with agitators. Some have called it disproportionate."

SV: "Did the agitators physically attempt to attack the officers?"

CF: "Yes."

SV: "Then the response was reasonable. I have little tolerance for agitators, Mr. Fillion, and those who attack law enforcement even less."

CF: "And those who were arrested. Will they get a trial?"

SV: "They will get a sentencing. We have video footage of them committing a crime. With that, a trial can be waived as there is undisputed evidence of criminal activity."

CF: "Is that not stripping them of the ability to legally defend themselves?"

SV: "Of course it is. Except that there is literally video evidence against them. A trial would be superficial and serve to waste time, money and resources, all of which are in short supply these days."

CF: "This has certainly been an illuminating discussion, Chancellor, and I thank you for coming and taking the time to explain this major organization of ADVENT."

SV: "It was my pleasure. Good day, Mr. Fillion."


	15. ADVENT - Dossier: Amalda Stein

ADVENT: Dossier

Chief of Peacekeeper Operations Amalda Stein

* * *

" _Stein is to criminals what the Commander was to terrorists. Maybe even more terrifying."_

\- Gerald Roth, Public Prosecutor General of Germany

* * *

Proclamation to the citizens of Germany following the multiple alien attacks following the Hamburg assault:

 _Citizens of Germany,_

 _Due to the sudden and swift attacks on our nation's leaders, cities and people, a curfew has been ordered at the direction of Acting Prime Minister Ahren Habicht. This applies to all residents within the nation of Germany, foreign and natural. None are permitted to leave the country without explicit permission from the acting government._

 _Each citizen is encouraged to remain calm and fully comply with all military and police personnel who are encountered or issue directions. Failure to comply will result in swift and indeterminate arrest until the security of Germany can be fully ensured. Offenders will be swiftly caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law._

 _This curfew is in immediate effect and will be enforced indefinitely from this point forward._

 _\- Feldjäger General Amalda Stein_

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Online conspiracy theorist (Really, this isn't going to change)_

 _Video Title: Return of the Gestapo_

"Well people, the Nazis are back in power! I really wish I was being facetious here, but after seeing the nutjob the puppet Chancellor has decided to put in charge of her little intimidation squad, I can come to no other conclusion. 'But Jonas?' you say, 'It's just one person. What could one person do?' A whole lot, that's what, and this is no ordinary woman we're talking about."

 _Brief pause._ "Amalda Stein, a name most of you have probably never heard of and for good reason. The Germans have been very careful to keep her under control, since she was so ruthless she was almost kicked out of the German police, but 'fortunately' she simply resigned-and then moved to the Feldjäger."

 _Pause_. "I think I'm saying that correctly. Another title you probably have heard rarely, if at all. The short explanation is that it's the military police of Germany, and if you recall, the ones who've turned Germany into a hell-hole ever since the false-flag attack in Germany after the alien attack. And guess who was the woman who orchestrated the complete stripping of German freedom? Yep, you guessed it: Mrs. Stein herself."

 _Subject holds up a piece of paper with illegible text._ "I've been fortunate enough to acquire this from one of my sources. Behold and listen to an internal memo she sent out when they began enforcing the curfew. It's long and wordy, so I'll just skip to the good parts. As always, the full document will be on my website."

 _Subject begins reading from the paper._ "The first directive was to find specific people identified by the police as potential agitators and threats, and simply arrest them. No publicity, no questions, no trial. Men show up at a house and take away an unsuspecting victim. These were people who were critical of both Habicht, and anyone not following the tune set by the German government."

"Number two: She ordered the dismantling and arrest of non-violent protesting organizations. Stuff that was unrelated to anything going on with the current problems. It was a power grab orchestrated by Habicht, plain and simple, with Stein as his attack dog. A shrewd plan that unfortunately worked. And anyone who resisted, well, Amalda simply started to either arrest or killed. There was a special protection granted by her during the curfew which gives patrolling soldiers pretty much unlimited authority. They could shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it."

 _Subject pauses for breath._ "So, viewers, I ask you: Does this sound like a woman who should be put in any sort of position of power? Of course the answer is _no_. But guess what, the esteemed Chancellor has put her in charge of the so-called 'Peacekeepers.'"

 _Subject chuckles_. "A more inept name I have never heard in my life. The Peacekeepers under Stein won't work for the people, but will only work to force ADVENT's will upon the people. What happened in DC? That was just the beginning. First they will silence the voice of the people through intimidation, and when we true Americans refuse to bow down to the tyrants, they will kill us with the full backing of ADVENT."

 _Pause_. "There is a revolution coming viewers, and a test of our commitment to the ideals of our Founding Fathers. When the Gestapo demand your loyalty in allegiance, what will you say? Will you comply? Or will you fight?"

 _End video_

 _Analysis: Cross-checking official German documents with the one provided on Culbert's website, it appears to be a genuine, albeit altered, document. Culbert selectively picked out statements in it conforming to the narrative he has created, while excluding others. This is a serious matter and it is essential that we order a retraction immediately or shut down him once and for all._

 _I see little point in allowing him to continue his unfocused rants in such a time as this. Further Peacekeeper activity will only embolden him further, and eventually, someone is going to heed his words and start to fight back._

 _In addition, he must be thoroughly interrogated as to his sources, since it seems clear that someone in the German military did leak him the document at some point. No mole should exist in ADVENT, and certainly not one belonging to such a man as this. We cannot continue to ignore this man forever, no matter how little of a nuisance he appears now._

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 1427**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Amalda Stein

Current Occupation: Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, Formerly Feldjäger General of the German Army

Threat Level: Minimal

Assessment Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Approved By: The Commander of XCOM, Central Officer Ariel Jackson

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ Graying (Formerly brown, short cut)

 _Eye color:_ Green

 _Skin color:_ White

 _Height:_ 5' 11"

 _Weight:_ 180 lbs.

 _Scars or markings_ : None visibly observed.

 _Physical Condition:_ Despite being aged for a soldier, she remains in excellent physical condition reflective of her years of military service. However, due to her age, she would be weaker than the average XCOM soldier. Her mental faculties have respectively only improved.

 _Nation of Birth:_ Germany

SECTION 2: Assessment

Amalda Stein is an extremist, and I do not necessarily mean that in a negative way. However, it is important to realize that we are not discussing a typical representative of law enforcement of any type. Stein possesses a fanatical and extreme approach to law enforcement that would be considered extreme even in authoritarian regions like China, or even North Korea.

In some respects, she is similar to you, Commander. Her approach, while being viewed as radical, have produced exceptional results that are atypical even in the Feldjäger. Stein possesses a demonstrable and self-proclaimed hatred of any and all criminal elements that is taken to extreme lengths.

In essence, while she will only punish according to the laws set, she has insinuated multiple times that she does not see criminals as fully human, or at least not deserving of human rights. This is speculation, but reinforced by her time both within the German police, and the Feldjäger. There are multiple accounts of protocol being ignored when dealing with suspects, and a much higher incarceration rate.

There were allegations brought against her station (Of which she was the Chief) about mistreatment of prisoners and captives, though they were never proven. In fact, her station exceeded the regulation standard, but further research into both her past and the woman herself reveal a different kind of mistreatment that simple conditions would not be enough to show.

Amalda appeared to know that her positions would not be popular, nor tolerated within the system, so she used it against them. An account of a convicted murderer from her station paints an extremely grim picture. If the account is to be believed, Stein dehumanized them in every possible way; sleep deprivation, minimal food and water, no accommodations and regular solitary confinement for days.

Should anyone attempt to seek recompense, they were punished severely. Any and all deviation from the rules set resulted in extended sentences, more solitary confinement, several days without food, but never violence. Stein knew that would be noticed, and, in my estimation, did not believe it necessary to ensure complete obedience.

After several years it appears that Stein's prison acquired the reputation as one of the worst places you could be sent, a fact that Stein appears proud of. Criminals being tried would often cooperate more, or even take longer sentences to avoid being sent to her. To be fair, the German Police knew something was up, though there was no way they were able to conclusively prove it. Stein was very careful in running her operation, and slowly phased in officers who held similar outlooks and views to her own. She did her job exceptionally well, should only the data be looked at, but she was becoming too widely known so they gave Stein a lucrative offer to resign, and take a position in the Feldjäger, the German military police, instead.

It was not technically an ultimatum, but she took it as one and accepted, much to their relief I presume. However, before continuing further, it is important to make one point clear: Amalda Stein is _fair_. She holds all those who work with her to high standards, and despises all forms of corruption, and will to go to dangerous but legal lengths to stamp it out. If anything, she treats convicted or dirty cops even worse than ordinary people because they are a disgrace to the uniform she proudly wears.

Stein proved to be a perfect fit for the Feldjäger, because she held the military to the same standard as her officers, if not more so. She has no concern or fear about arresting people of a higher authority than her, and in fact, appears to enjoy orchestrating their downfall. It led to her getting the attention of then-Defense Minister Habicht, and beyond that, she soon advanced to the rank of General.

Her obsession and fixation on the law made her one of the most efficient in the Feldjäger's history, and since she had absolutely no qualms about using force to enforce the law, it made her indispensable after we initiated the Hades Contingency in Germany, as she was largely the architect of the crackdown.

How she acquired this deep hatred of criminals and fanatical focus on law and order is something I am not qualified to answer, nor can I reasonably speculate. There were no instances in her childhood where she had a negative experience, and her parents were not involved in the military or law enforcement to begin with.

The next question is: Why would Saudia would choose someone like that to lead the Peacekeepers?

The answer, I believe, is that if there is anyone who will bring absolute order to ADVENT, no matter the price or human cost, it is Stein. She is not swayed by outside opinion or perception, but only the law of the land. Should that be broken, she _will_ enforce it to the best of her ability. Optimistically, this is Saudia putting a check on herself as Stein would be more than willing to move against the Chancellor should he or she break the law.

On the opposite end, I could also foresee this as Saudia moving a political chess piece into position. Stein is _predictable_. Should Saudia encounter opposition to her agenda, she only needs to manipulate them into unintentionally breaking some obscure law (Or risk planting faulty evidence, though that is not advised due to Stein herself) and simply pointing Stein in their direction.

But playing games with Stein is extremely dangerous, and manipulating her ever more so. For better or worse, she is both perfect for the Peacekeepers, and one law change away from turning ADVENT into a literal police state.

Which may be exactly what Saudia wants. Tread carefully when dealing with her, Commander.

This document will be updated as more information is acquired.

* * *

 _Interview between Amalda Stein and Independent Journalist Jessica Wong:_

Jessica Wong: "Chief Amalda Stein, thank you for taking the time to speak to me. Given that a large part of the world is undergoing a major reform of law enforcement, I'm glad you see the necessity in clarifying several aspects of the Peacekeepers."

Amalda Stein: "Of course. Having the public be informed is in all our best interests."

JW: I agree. So I am curious what the Chief of the Peacekeepers would define their role as. Traditionally law enforcement has served and protected the people, as well as provided a measure of security. Is your directive different?"

AS: "Yes and no. Traditional law enforcement has, as you said, been directed by the motto, 'To protect and serve' or some equivalent. It is a motto that I do not believe reflects the role of the Peacekeepers. The citizens being protected is a consequence, not a goal of an effective law enforcement agency. The Peacekeepers have two directives: Enforce the law and preserve the order."

JW: "Apologies if I am misunderstanding, but are you saying that law enforcement has no duty to the people?"

AS: "Yes and no. It is of course, a positive consequence, but in general…no, the Peacekeepers have no intrinsic duty to the people. They are to be protected through the following of the directives I have stated above. Consider the consequences of those: Would you not agree that the swift enforcement of laws would lead to a safer society, and thus, a means of protecting the people."

JW: "Perhaps from that point of view. Are you not concerned that this will put a barrier between regular citizens and the Peacekeepers?"

AS: "No, and I do not see that as inherently bad. An effective law enforcement organization cannot be tied to the people who they might arrest or prosecute tomorrow. The Peacekeepers are not friends of the citizens, but the ones who ensure they can live their lives free of strife."

JW: "I see. To be slightly more direct, Chief Stein, you are aware of the protest in DC?"

AS: "I was informed, correct."

JW: "Do you believe the response was overzealous?"

AS: "No, and I applaud the Peacekeepers for taking control of the situation so quickly."

JW: "People could have died."

AS: "You will have to be more specific. I doubt the Peacekeepers there were in life-threatening danger."

JW: "If you believe that, then why were the officers using electrified stun batons and rifles? If their lives were not in danger-"

AS: "They were attacked. They are then permitted to respond in a way that feels appropriate. I fail to see what the issue is."

JW: "Some of the people arrested are only guilty by association."

AS: "You do not know that. We have interrogated the suspects and they are all part of Antifa, which as you are certainly aware, is an anarchist group."

JW: "Yes, I am aware of Antifa, and I also know that some of the people there didn't attack the officers."

AS: "They are associated with an anarchist group that promotes violence against law enforcement. They are afforded no special protections simply because they do not participate. Would you consider a man who has hired a hitman innocent since he didn't physically pull the trigger?"

JW: "That is not necessarily a good analogy."

AS: "No, it is. If you are willing to wear the colors and stand with the criminals in question, then do not be surprised when there are consequences for your actions. If they were truly innocent people, they wouldn't have joined a criminal group."

JW: "Antifa isn't technically a criminal group."

AS: "That is going to change. Groups like that will no longer be tolerated in ADVENT."

JW: "You do understand that most of these people are simply over-idealistic kids? College students who want to make a difference."

AS: "And that should make them exempt from the consequences of their actions why?"

JW: "It would be reasonably concluded on a case-by-case basis, wouldn't you agree? It is not fair for them to be punished simply because of associating with the group."

AS: "No, it is completely fair. But you are right that the sentence itself would vary depending on their actions within it. I do not condone punishment for crimes not committed, only for the ones that are."

JW: "Do you support the death penalty, Chief Stein?"

AS: "Yes, but not as a capital punishment."

JW: "I'm sorry?"

AS: "The death penalty is an appropriate punishment, but unfortunately is viewed as the worst possible punishment that can be inflicted on an individual. This is simply not true. There are worse fates than death, and the death penalty deprives the State of a potential resource."

JW: "A what?"

AS: "You understood correctly, Mrs. Wong. We are entering a stage both in the war and in our society where we simply cannot waste resources, and convicted criminals are a resource that is untapped. I see little point in ignoring it simply because of the mistaken assumption that these are people worthy of sympathy."

JW: "To be sure I understand you completely…you support using prisoners as something of a slave-labor force?"

AS: "If you want to use that term. I personally view it as…an overly manipulative word, but if you think about it, prisoners are already slaves to the state. They lost their rights as humans the moment they were convicted."

JW: "You are aware that prisoners do receive a wage-"

AS: "Something that we have eradicated. You will not get _paid_ to go to prison, nor receive any other luxury. But returning to your point, yes, I support the use of the prisoner workforce. It is far better than simply letting them take up space and air doing nothing."

JW: "You would make no effort to institute some kind of prisoner reform? People can change."

AS: "People only change when circumstances force them to. Some people believe this can be done through therapy, empathy and similar emotions, but will that make lasting change? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But when people are deconstructed, pulled apart and broken through day after day of toil, solitude and simply _living_ , they develop means to ensure it never happens again.

 _Fear_. That is an emotion far stronger than empathy and _understanding_. The only way to truly create a reformed criminal to instill a primal _fear_ of breaking the law. A _terror_ of ever considering defying the Peacekeepers and ADVENT again. In the end, self-preservation overrides all else, and that is ultimately why I justified in taking a position that I am aware is controversial: Because it _works._ "

JW: "And will you subject everyone who is convicted to this…fate? Will this apply to juveniles? Does circumstance mean nothing to you?"

AS: "No, it does not. Circumstance leads down a slippery road. There is only one constant I recognize: The law itself. The only information I need to know is what crime was committed, and the punishment as such. Everything else is irrelevant."

JW: "So following that logic, you would sentence kids and the mentally ill to death if they killed someone?"

AS: "In this hypothetical scenario, was this premeditated murder?"

JW: "Let's say yes."

AS: "Then yes. Without hesitation if that was what the law demanded."

JW: "Even if they were pressured into it by someone else? Even if they aren't in control of their own actions?"

AS: "Did they still murder someone?"

JW: "…Yes."

AS: "Then the law still applies. There can be no exceptions. However, in the case you propose, there would likely be additional investigations launched, especially in the case of a juvenile. And I will note that the death penalty is simply one of several punishments for murder. I suspect a good lawyer could either plead for a different sentence, especially in the case of undue influence. But it does not change the fact that a person is dead, does it?"

JW: "And you truly believe that is justice?"

AS: "I know it is, Mrs. Wong. You may not approve, but I know very well what I am doing, and what obstacles I face. Most people are misguided by sympathy, sad stories of misfortune and circumstance, and that leads to instability. It leads to _complacency_. I do not believe in small slaps on the wrist; I believe in _justice_ and part of administering justice is _punishment_. Do you believe the death penalty is a deterrent to crime, Mrs. Wong?"

JW: "There are studies that show it is not."

AS: "In America at least, I believe it. But not because the death penalty is _not_ an effective deterrent, but the method of execution, pardon the pun, is inherently flawed. Why should you have to fear the death penalty if it takes years or decades to actually carry out? Why worry when it can be endlessly appealed? So the consequence of crime must not simply be _said_ , but _seen_.

There will no longer be trials that take months to resolve, or years for sentences to carry out. The Peacekeepers will bring efficiency to the ADVENT Justice system, in a way that is fair for all those involved. And with that the _fear_ of breaking the law will be instilled not just in the convicted, but in the people. And as a result…crime will be slowly whittled down to nothing, and we will have a society that is safe and _protected_.

A happy consequence, as I mentioned earlier."

JW: "…This has certainly been enlightening, Chief Stein. Thank you for speaking so…candidly about this. I believe you have given enough information to give us your vision of the Peacekeepers and ADVENT."

AS: "A pleasure, Mrs. Wong. Do not hesitate to ask again if you have further questions."

JW: "Oh, don't worry. I certainly will."


	16. ADVENT - History: The Battle of Japan

ADVENT: History

The First Battle of Japan

* * *

" _I now know what to tell my kids when they ask if magic is real. I don't know how else to explain what I saw that day."_

\- Anonymous ADVENT Soldier

* * *

After-Action Report

Operation: Thunderous Twilight

 _Personnel:_

Astro 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Specialist Carmelita Alba

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 37

Astro 2: Specialist Fakhr al Din

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 14

Astro 3: Specialist Jamali Muhammad

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 24

Astro 4: Specialist Lesedi Iminathi

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 5 Days)

 **Kills:** 40

Astro 5: Psion Matthew Hawkins

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 27

Astro 6: Specialist Iida Keyoko

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 6 Days)

 **Kills:** 15

Astro 7: Specialist Sai-Kee Tan

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 11

Astro 8: Specialist Pelin Mukadd

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 12

Astro 9: MEC Soldier Amahle Mosa

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 38

Angel 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Patricia Trask

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** Unknown (Do we count psionic debilitation as at least a half-kill?)

Angel 2: Specialist Anius Creed

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 22

Angel 3: Specialist Blake Harkin

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 5

Angel 4: Specialist Analyn Roxas

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 4

Angel 5: Specialist Charlotte Beags

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 24

Angel 6: Specialist Nati Avraham

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 41

Angel 7: Specialist Allison Monder

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 20

Angel 8: Specialist Fiona Douglas

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 15

Angel 9: MEC Soldier Sanya Olga

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills** : 59

Oriole 1 _(Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Iosif Bronis

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 1

Oriole 2: Specialist Shun Anwei

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 0

Oriole 3: Specialist Zara Venator

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 3

Oriole 4: Specialist Gyeong Ki

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 1

Oriole 5: Specialist Seok Myeong

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 5 Days)

 **Kills:** 2

Oriole 6: Specialist Nuan Kun

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 0

Oriole 7: Specialist Anna Pavlova

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 1

Oriole 8: Specialist Inori Kanata

 **Status:** Captured, likely Deceased

 **Kills:** 0

Pilot 1: Jason Olgard – Call sign: "Big Sky"

Pilot 2: Patrick Nokia – Call sign: "Lightning Sky"

Pilot 3: Barney Kimon – Call sign: "Gray Sky"

Pilot 4: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

 _Artifacts Recovered:_

Note: Numbers are subject to change as more corpses, artifacts and technology is recovered and negotiated over.

12x Intact Alien Transports

5x Damaged Alien Transports

20x Unidentified Mechanical Units

300+x Assorted Alien Corpses (Exact counts still to be determined)

50x MELD Canisters

1000x Alien Weapon Fragments (Numbers may change)

4000x Alien Alloys (Numbers may change – Stripped from UFOs and unused mechanical wrecks)

* * *

That was without a doubt the scariest time of my life, and I don't mean the aliens either. The scale of what I was a part of was something that I can't adequately express here, suffice to say that I was one man in an army of thousands, and that's just what I could see. An army that was facing off against one with greater power and numbers.

I'd read the documents from XCOM, so I knew the things that were attacking us. But it's nothing like the manuals and pictures. The Cyberdisks are _terrifying_ up close, and are almost impossible to kill without explosives of some kind, and their guns tore through a dozen soldiers with ease. Hopefully the tech guys can reverse-engineer that kind of power for our own weapons.

Those little flying drones were…well, honestly, I'm torn between an annoyance or threat. They didn't really _shoot_ at us, but they definitely buzzed around the Cyberdisks and Mechtoids, fixing up wounds and damage we just inflicted. Extremely irritating, and the damn things were taking shots that should have put them down.

The Mechtoids, those were almost as bad as the Cyberdisks, and I say _almost_ because the only reason they aren't worse is because they're on the ground and you don't have to worry about them suicidally flying behind you to wipe you out. Instead you get to watch them annihilate you from the front with those huge plasma cannon arms.

So yeah, all of that was bad enough, and then I hear some cheering and XCOM shows up, and I think every soldier just breathed a sigh of relief at seeing those guys charge into the fray. Blasting drones out of the air, healing the ones wounded and being all-around literal heroes. It was initially amazing to see, butI do firmly believe we would have won even if… _that_ didn't happen.

I might have died, but I'm sure we would have won the battle.

Anyway, things suddenly got very _weird_ very quickly. A few minutes after XCOM landed the Mechtoids started some awful mechanical screeching and collapsed to the ground. We didn't think much of it at first, and destroyed them as soon as we could. It was the Sectoids writhing on the ground that made me pause briefly and think after I killed it.

I looked across the battlefield and saw the same thing. The Mechtoids were somehow disabled and the Sectoids as well. The Cyberdisks and drones sort of froze up as well, maybe not sure what to do, I don't know. Then I got this weird _humming_ thing stuck in my head, it didn't hurt and somehow wasn't distracting, but I _knew_ it was there and it only got stronger as the fight went on.

I think I know what it was. Once we began pushing up, I saw what I'm positive was an XCOM soldier. But there was something wrong with him…her…I can't tell with the armor. It was red, I remember that, but the figure was distorted. Like it was caught in a heat wave or rapidly shifting back and forth. Blurry, that's the best explanation. They were _blurry_ , stuck in some kind of purple transparent wave.

And then those machines came out, the big ones that probably would have killed more of us if the aliens hadn't started _fighting_ each other. And I don't think that was the first time either, since I got a glimpse of the beach and saw hundreds of alien corpses, torn apart by something, and seeing as how a good number were chryssalids, I'm guessing it was them.

How? Don't ask me. But I'm positive that XCOM soldier _did_ something to the aliens. Somehow turned them against each other. It would explain a lot, and when the UFOs started shooting the machines out of nowhere, right _over_ the XCOM soldier I'm talking about, _while_ s/he's pointing towards the machines…kinda spells it out pretty clear.

I don't think it was limited to the aliens either. I started watching the XCOM soldiers towards the end, while everyone was mopping up the survivors. They fought with a coordination that isn't possible. Their shots are almost perfect and they moved _immediately_ to a new target, like they're some kind of human turret.

And I didn't hear them speak, which might just be my own fault…but it was unnerving to see, now that I think about it alone. That XCOM soldier fainted after the battle, or something, since I saw them taken away somewhere. And funnily enough, that humming in my head disappeared as well.

XCOM really is as good as they say, I guess. But if they can do _that_ …I don't know. It makes me really uneasy, especially if we win the war. People with that kind of power can't be controlled easily and it's scary to think how vulnerable all of us are to them. Hopefully ADVENT has a plan if that happens.

But now, the Chancellor can keep them pointed at the aliens.

\- Journal of Hideo Inari, ADVENT Soldier

* * *

COMBAT REPORT TO ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE COMMAND

REPORT NUMBER: 000010000111

GROUND COMMANDER: G'ORIEN

DESIGNATED RECIPIENTS: THE BATTLEMASTER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE; COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN; ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

MANUAL REPORT:

As anticipated, ADVENT forces were well entrenched within the established cities, and were well prepared for the arrival of Collective forces. Despite the recommendation of myself and Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary, the original plan of attack was executed and true to my calculations, we suffered massive initial casualties on beachheads across the country, which severely crippled our ability to advance further.

Despite initial setbacks, the number of soldiers at our command were making slight progress against ADVENT forces, then also as predicted, XCOM deployed several squads to retaliate, dropping their forces where fighting was the heaviest. As we expected, the squads included both psions and MEC soldiers, both of which turned the battle against us.

This highlights the extreme danger XCOM psions pose to our forces, as the Psion Patricia Trask was effectively able to neutralize half of the force sent to Shirako, in addition to the multiple UFOs deployed over her position. As of right now we have no suitable counter to telepathic psions, aside from Ethereals and Hive Commanders.

It must also be stated that the other psions deployed were more dangerous to individual units, or useful for defending them. I personally encountered a defensive psion who attempted to take forward positions near Shibetsu, although defensive psions are easily controlled and handled. Despite that, he was powerful enough to defend against a concentrated Sectopod blast, which may prove problematic in later conflicts.

Aside from the capture of the city of Shibetsu, which ADVENT unsuccessfully tried to destroy, this was a resounding defeat for the Ethereal Collective. Despite this, there is much we can learn from this failure and it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of our current forces.

Our mechanical forces held up well against ADVENT, and proved their effectiveness during initial skirmishes. However, the Humans adapted quickly and capitalized on the weaknesses of these units. In particular focus-targeting our repair drones, using rockets exclusively for Cyberdisks and pinning our Mechtoids in one place while higher threats are dealt with. I should note that these weaknesses are likely to not as be easily exploited in smaller skirmishes, and not when army sizes number in the thousands.

As expected, the Sectoids were virtually useless in a combat situation. I understand that combat was not what these units were grown for, with the exception of the few Leaders we deployed, but they were easily killed by ADVENT, not to mention XCOM. Our Outsiders are unfortunately also useless on their own, as ADVENT will simply focus-fire them until destroyed, and with their gauss weaponry, that is an extremely viable tactic. Outsiders are no longer sufficient defenses for our transports, and I recommend we either put more of them on each transport, or upgrade every UFO to utilize the CODEX system.

Muton and Vitakara forces performed adequately, and had so many of them not died in the initial assault, I believe they would have been more effective than they were here. Borelians in particular were more vulnerable to the XCOM MECs, who are prone to use flamethrowers which Borelians are extremely vulnerable to. Mutons continue to prove as decent shock troopers, but once more display a lack of intelligence to adapt to asymmetrical tactics Humans will resort to, and continually lack an awareness of anything that is not right in front of them. Even the Centurions perform poorly against such tactics. I recommend a review of the current Muton combat indoctrination at all levels in light of this performance. The Oyariah performed better than expected, but are vulnerable to being outflanked easily, although with proper tactics that can be circumvented. I recommend a review of their current capabilities and strategic worth. They might prove useful counters to specific types of XCOM MECs.

Andromedon forces exceeded expectations, proving capable of withstanding the current weapon level of ADVENT soldiers, and exploiting the strengths and weaknesses of XCOM and ADVENT, while adapting to losing situations to turn them around. Our Battlefield Engineers proved instrumental in preventing outright massacres of initial assaults, and were the reason very few Andromedon soldiers died in combat. Many of them died here, and it is extremely inadvisable to waste more of them in such a useless manner.

In conclusion, this battle was not lost due to the forces here, but due to a poor battlefield strategy, lack of centralized command and a mismanagement of forces. But what we learned was almost as valuable as a victory: The Humans can stand against us and win. If the current global strategy remains consistent, we can no longer assume victory is assured, as this battle clearly proved.

I will continue managing forces in Shibetsu until the time comes for our reprisal. I do not recommend advancing on Asia until we have captured most of Japan, otherwise we are making yet another tactical error, and as we have seen today, tactical errors are fatal.

END REPORT


	17. Sectoids - Unit: Pilot

Sectoids: Unit

Pilot

* * *

" _The difference between a pilot and soldier? It's actually pretty straightforward. One pilots UFOs, the other is slightly better at shooting."_

\- Patricia Trask, Overseer of the XCOM Psionics Division

* * *

Looking back, I remember when we all saw those grainy videos and pictures of little pale aliens. Everyone thought they were fake, since they did look eerily similar to stuff you'd see out of Area 51 and all that. When aliens were confirmed, the big question was what these aliens were then. Leaders? Abductors? Theories were endless and they were honestly terrifying.

And now out of all the aliens I've seen now…they really are about as intimidating as a small cat. They're weak, small and bad at fighting. I'm not exaggerating. They can't hit _anything_. One shot is usually enough to put them down without much fuss. The fact is that this species isn't supposed to be fighting. Probably why we've only really seen them in the UFOs they land.

They are supposedly psionically capable, but even knowing that, I've only seen them try any mental tricks once, and Amy only complained of a terrible headache and that was it. We saved the offending Sectoid for her to kill herself. I think she enjoyed it. I wonder if XCOM found them difficult at first, or if they wiped them out just as easily as we can right now.

\- Notes of Terri Anderson, ADVENT Soldier

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy SEC02**

Species: Sectoid

Unit Identity: Pilot

Codename: Helios

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"Contrary to earlier assumptions, it appears that there are certain breeds of Sectoids that are marginally different from each other, one of these are the pilots that are typically encountered in the alien UFOs. In fact, it seems like these have largely been the Sectoids we have been fighting these past few months."

"Physically, they are identical to the breed we have designated as "Soldiers", if such a term can feasibly be applied to such a physically frail species. They retain the wrist plasma weapons of the soldiers, but pose little threat to our trained soldiers at this point, and appear to have been designed exclusively to pilot the UFOs, and rely on the Outsider defense system in the event of a crash."

"This clearly has implications for the Sectoid Virus, and I must quickly determine what adjustments must be made to ensure the plague is still viable."

 _Report:_

A thorough comparison of Sectoid pilot DNA compared to that of other discovered Sectoid breeds has revealed that the changes are so minute as to have barely altered the genetic code at all, which is a relief as the Sectoid Virus will not need to be significantly reworked to accommodate the additional genomes.

The differences in pilots appear to largely stem from how the brain is structured, which results in it being slightly larger than an average Sectoid head, and when combined with psionic telepathy, it seems designed to work almost seamlessly, a reasonable assumption since pilots would likely prefer to be connected to each other to some degree.

Their muscular physiology has not been altered or enhanced in any way, and is visually identical to the majority of Sectoid breeds. Psionically they are weak, and only have the capability of linking with other nearby Sectoids, accessing the psionic locks in their UFOs and performing weak telepathic attacks on hostile soldiers. An interesting note is that their psionic potential seems to have been limited deliberately, which adds to the theory of the Sectoids utilizing a form of a caste system within their society, one likely controlled by the Hive Commanders themselves.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes:_

 _There is little I can add that you already do not know about this breed of Sectoid. As you noted, they are created for a singular purpose, which is to pilot the fleets of Sectoid spacecraft and are capable of little else. Sectoid variants are not largely different from each other either as you noted, and I suspect that only the Hive Commanders will be immune to your plague._

 _I believe I can shed some light on the Sectoid hierarchy. Their entire species is viewed as disposable with the exception of the Hive Commanders. Almost all Sectoids are investments from various Hive Commanders. Organic drones that are grown to perform a specific purpose and can be replaced easily. Pilots in particular are nearly inconsequential to the Sectoids. Every single one could be executed and they would simply grow more within weeks, and they have entire stores of backup units in storage on planets specifically built for such._

 _A "caste" system as you describe it, is not an accurate representation of how their species operates. There is only one class of Sectoids that have any say, and those are the Hive Commanders. Any other Sectoid is a derivative of them with little intelligence, initiative and free will of their own. A Sectoid is incapable of betraying the Hive Commanders not simply because they have no desire to, but because they are incapable on a genetic level._

 _I would suggest, Dr. Vahlen, that you reexamine several Sectoid captives for insight in how your Manchurian program could be implemented._

* * *

 **ADVENT Report S011**

Research Type: Alien Experimentation

Species: Sectoid

Overseer: Chief of Alien Research, Dr. Kim Munju

FINDINGS:

While there are no doubt some who would consider that there is little we can learn from this alien subspecies, I would contest that greatly. While XCOM has laid exceptional groundwork for learning about this species, dismissing it as a minor threat is both arrogant and a disappointing underappreciation of the secrets this alien has to offer us.

I largely believe this underappreciation comes down to directly comparing the combat capabilities of this unit on its own, and not what it was _made_ to do. These Sectoid pilots were created to fly aircraft, so I believe learning how they accomplish this is just as important as a simply autopsy itself. Thanks to our Engineering teams disassembling the various UFOs recovered, we have confirmed that the Sectoids partially control the UFO through psionics, though this might simply be a form of security to prevent non-psions from accessing the ship. Nonetheless, it is a vulnerability that, if properly researched, could lead to a means to cripple their entire fleet.

The key, of course, is learning how this link works, and more importantly, how to disrupt it. The Sectoid captives that we recovered have proven invaluable in determining what can disrupt this link. As expected, electric shocks, extreme heat and cold, and almost any sort of intense pain was enough to disrupt any attempt at psionic linking or attack.

But I am also aware that this is not practical or useful for disrupting control over a UFO, as the spacecraft itself is resistant to such physical attacks. So we moved to invisible forms of attack. Sounds broadcast at high decibel levels have had excellent results, as Sectoids under psionic influence seem to have an increased sensitivity to loud noises, and if such a sound could be broadcast to a specific UFO, it is theoretically possible the UFO in question would crash. At high enough levels, as to almost not even be audible, the sound knocks the Sectoid immediately unconscious, and permanently damages their audio receptors and in rare cases has been observed to cause a mild form of brain damage.

Another method that yielded exceptional results was the usage of a sonic attack, which might be able to be put into effect easier than a high-decibel sound broadcast. However, it suffers similar problems to physical attacks, namely that the craft in question will simply block the sonic wave. However, I believe this would be more useful for Sectoids deployed in combat against our ground forces. Theoretically, it could be used to disrupt the psionic abilities of both Leaders and Hive Commanders which are far more dangerous Sectoid variants than a simple pilot.

Prototypes and theoretical documents have been sent to Dr. Tygan and Dr. Mercado for review and potential implementation. Chancellor Vyandar has also been notified of this potential opportunity.


	18. Vitakara - Unit: Borelian Soldier

Vitakara: Unit

Borelian Soldier

* * *

" _Put an average Borelian and an average Human against each other, and the Borelian would win every time."_

\- Zar'nartha'intha

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy VIT10**

Species: Vitakara

Race: Borelian

Unit Identity: Soldier

Codename: Yeti

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development, Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"Of all the alien species we have encountered so far, very few have displayed characteristics that we would expect from developing for millennia in a certain environment. However, the Vitakara as a whole are so diverse and reflective of the environments they've evolved in that it has produced vastly different races."

"Even from a cursory glance, Borelians clearly came from a frigid region, as their bodies are almost completely covered in fur with the exception of their face, palms, feet, and have a noticeably thicker skin than most aliens we've researched, with perhaps the exception of the Mutons. All of them are taller than normal, the smallest of which is just over seven feet tall with heights only rising from that point."

"Curiously, the Borelian soldiers we have encountered have all been well-armored, as we'd expect from an alien soldier, though it is interesting since I would have expected less covering due to their fur. But it is nevertheless a smart tactical decision on their part, and all the Borelian soldiers appear to have been well-trained, even if they cannot stand up to our enhanced soldiers."

 _Report:_

Borelian physiology is even more fascinating than I had originally assumed, largely because we have yet to recover an alien species this well-adapted to cold environments. The fur covering them is surprisingly fine, and comes in shades of white and gray from the corpses we've recovered. The only places where it is absent is the face, hands and feet, revealing a skin the color of ash.

In addition, their eyes have two sets of eyelids, one normal and one underneath that is transparent, likely to protect their eyes from hazardous environments. We will need to research this further with live specimens to understand the full capabilities of this feature, and we can possibly adapt this as a genetic modification for our own soldiers as well. I will consult with Baranth for more information about their capabilities in that regard.

Every specimen recovered so far has been in excellent physical condition, and on average is much stronger than even our soldiers (Unmodified of course), which would be necessary to wear the heavy armor and equipment they wear and carry. Another point of interest is that it appears that the Borelian soldiers we have recovered have almost been exclusively female.

The lone male Borelian we recovered was almost identical to the females with the exception that his fur was a much darker shade of gray, and that he lacked a pair of visible incisors which I had initially assumed to be a universal feature of the race, but now it appears that particular feature is exclusive to Borelian females. We will need to recover more males to fully confirm this, but it appears that the military of this race is almost completely dominated by females. Curious, and requires further interrogation and research.

 _Addendum - Aegis' Notes:_

 _I am not as familiar with the Vitakara as I am with other species, but I can offer some insight into this particular race since they compose the majority of Vitakara soldiers. Borelians are culturally very militaristic, the reasons for this are unknown, but of all the races, every aspect of their local government and culture is viewed through the lens of a military outlook._

 _Because of this, Borelians generally populate the Runianarch, Lurainian and the various Collective divisions far more than other races of Vitakara and are some of the best-trained soldiers that can be found. Do not be surprised to encounter more Borelian commanders and officers as this war progresses._

 _The reason for the majority of Borelian soldiers being female is simple: it is cultural. Much of Borelian society is unofficially segregated based on gender, with very clear expectations on what roles each gender is best suited to fill. I am unsure of the initial rationalization, but modern Borelian society has females filling military roles exclusively, while males typically take over more domestic duties such as diplomats, engineers and scientists. While exceptions do exist, and there is no law discriminating on the basis of gender, it is exceptionally rare for a Borelian to defy what is seen as the established convention._

* * *

Miridian,

I am concerned we will have to abandon our outpost in Borelia within weeks as the Borelians are getting dangerously close to where we are. I did warn you about this possibility, since the Borelians thrive in this kind of frozen hell and we don't have enough to risk sending guards here, but I admit even I didn't believe they would get this close, this soon.

One of my scouts died out in a surprise blizzard and we were unable to recover his body, and can only assume that the Borelians did or it is buried in the snow. But we cannot take the chance. A lone Vitakarian dying alone in the snow is going to raise questions, and the Zararch are going to intervene soon and demand the Borelians search for us, and their trackers _will_ be able to find this outpost.

We have a limited time to act, so while I will wait for your response, I will begin preparations for dismantling the outpost and relocating somewhere else for several months until it is safe to return. You have several contacts in the Borelian government, I know that much, so we'll have a clear timeline of when this will clear up.

Better we abandon one outpost temporarily than all get captured by the Zararch.

\- Nul'jorial'dorian

* * *

SPECIES ANALYSIS: 110001011111

ANALYSIS COMPILER: FEDERATION FOREIGN SPECIES ANALYSER J'YARROW

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

SPECIES OF INTEREST: VITAKARA

RACE OF INTEREST: BORELIAN

MANUAL REPORT:

We have concluded without a doubt that the Borelians are the largest military threat within the Vitakara species. Their soldiers compose roughly a third of the Runianarch and an estimated half of the Lurainian though we have been unable to confirm this definitively. However, despite outnumbering our own military, we have little to fear from their soldiers.

Field tests of armed Borelians against an Andromedon soldier have resulted in a nearly perfect record of Andromedon successes. The one exception comes from a scenario that took place on a frozen planet, where the Borelian was able to disorient and ultimately kill the Andromedon in question. An unfortunate loss, but it does highlight the strengths this race has.

If we encounter Borelians in conditions that are friendly to them, largely cooler or cold environments, we are immediately at a disadvantage as the race had adapted to these conditions over millennia. Unless we invest in equipment specifically to work in cold conditions, we will not survive long, and I do not recommend making that investment at this time.

However, in all other aspects they are significantly weaker than a standard Andromedon soldier. They largely use plasma weaponry which the suits are designed to resist, they are strong, but unaugmented, and they are much weaker in warmer environments for obvious reasons. A potential complication is that many Borelians are implanted highly in the Collective military itself, and several personally do know Ethereals.

Should it be deemed necessary to act, it is likely that Borelian Commanders and Officers will utilize the aliens under their command, which of course would make it more difficult to remove them. Fortunately, they lack a standing fleet and should the worst be realized, we are simply able to bombard them from orbit.

With this being noted, I do not imagine this particular information will be needed as the Vitakara as a whole are extremely loyal to the Ethereals and I cannot envision a scenario where that changes rapidly.


	19. Andromedons - Unit: Soldier

Andromedons: Unit

Soldier

* * *

" _The Andromedons don't fuck around, even with their weakest soldiers."_

\- Anius Creed, XCOM Soldier

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy AND01**

Species: Andromedon

Unit Identity: "Soldier"

Codename: Grande Padre

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

Suit Disassembly Overseer: Head of XCOM Engineering Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"This alien is one of the most unique specimens we've encountered in this war so far. A physically frail species outside the suits they wear, they are nonetheless one of the most dangerous aliens we have yet to encounter. As observed in the field, they have a much better tactical grasp of combat situations than have been observed in Muton or Vitakara soldiers."

"What is also fascinating is that the very atmosphere of our planet seems dangerous to them, and the phenomenon may extend to other planets as well. Every single Andromedon salvaged from the wrecks of their suits appeared to have suffered a fatal reaction upon contact with the air. Their skin resembles those who have died due to burns and intense heat."

"What remains is a charred husk of an alien, the skin is a ruddy brown and from a distance could be mistaken for a Sectoid variant. This reaction has significant implications if further research confirms it, and will be instrumental in developing counters to the species and where they could have come from, which I believe will be key to learning the secrets they hide."

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Raymond Shen_

"The suit the Andromedons use is one of the most sophisticated pieces of alien technology recovered as well as the most dangerous. In some respects, it is similar to our MEC program without becoming part of the suit directly. Be that as it may, initial observation and review shows that Andromedons have a significant amount of control over the suit itself, though how this is accomplished is not yet known."

"What we _have_ seen is that the suit is resistant even to gauss and pulse weapons fire, and even high explosives are not guaranteed to even keep it down. These aliens seem to have a fascination with dangerous substances, acid in particular since every suit recovered so far has had lethal amounts of acid in ample supply."

"What elevates this suit beyond a chemical dispenser and armor is that if at any point the pilot dies, an AI or intelligence of sorts will take over and continue fighting as normal, making the complete destruction of the central computer necessary to stop it. The result is a soldier that takes multiple soldiers to kill, and even then success is not guaranteed."

 _Report:_

After a thorough dissection of the alien itself, we have managed to conclude several facts about the Andromedon species itself. At first glance, as noted earlier, they might be mistaken for Sectoids because of their apparent frail bodies, but a close examination quickly disproves that. Unlike Sectoids, these are not clones, at least not in the regular sense. Several have identical genetic markers, but are otherwise unique in all aspects, even if outwardly all of them look similar.

They appear to wear no clothing or protective gear of any kind, and I theorize that the suits themselves might be their reason for doing so. The average height of one is slightly taller than a Sectoid, although this varies by several inches, but is otherwise uniform. They appear to be bipedal and have hands functionally identical to our own.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no indication that they are psionically capable in any way, though we have a limited sample size and it is entirely possible we have yet to encounter one yet. This "soldier" does not appear to have been cybernetically or genetically modified in any way, although if these were grown, it is possible that any genetic tampering was done during the conception stages.

The suit itself is one of the most dangerous pieces of technology to be used against us. The sophisticated controls, systems and AI that Dr. Shen has discovered all point to the fact that the Andromedons take their military endeavors as seriously as we do and pull no punches when dealing with their enemies.

Their weaknesses are limited from what we have seen. High explosives are effective at disabling the pilot, although more are likely required to destroy the suit itself. Enough directed weapon fire will be enough to bring one down, but it is a significant dedication of manpower that could be better used elsewhere, and is an impractical strategy when dealing with multiple Andromedon soldiers.

Two major weaknesses are that the air is toxic to them, and the sabotage of the substance they breathe might incapacitate the pilot or even kill it. The destruction of the tanks attached to their backs containing acid can also be destroyed, though the suit itself is immune to nearly all known acids and corrosive elements, as well as hardened against EMP devices, hacking, flashbangs and smoke grenades are all ineffective against them.

However, they can be overcome easily with psionic telepathy, as Patricia Trask has proven. The clear recommendation is to utilize a telepathic psion whenever we encounter Andromedons. However, if they have prepared for every traditional attack, and with them being allied with the Ethereals and Sectoids, I would not be surprised to learn that they have units that might attempt to negate this advantage.

If this is the lowest unit in the Andromedon military, I am concerned about what other weapons they have at their disposal.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes:_

 _Partially correct, Dr. Vahlen, the Andromedons take their military more seriously than even your own species because it is viewed as both a high honor, and one of the most selfless acts an Andromedon can do. To become even just a simple soldier requires forsaking the Union one comes from and committing oneself to the advancement of the Andromedon species as a whole._

 _Andromedons don't plan for defeat; they plan for contingencies. The concept of defeat for them is not the same as how you view it. Even a crushing defeat is included in their contingencies, and you can be sure that they have a full plan to recover. Andromedons are enlisted in the military for fifteen years at a minimum, and have access to the very elite of the Andromedon society, which all of them take full advantage of._

 _You must understand that your average Andromedon "soldier" is one in name only. Most are engineers, technicians, architects, and tacticians, often times holding multiple proficiencies at once. They are capable of much more than pointing a gun and shooting, and are without a doubt one of most dangerous forces in the Ethereal Collective as you noted._

 _I will also note that Andromedons are not capable of wielding psionics, and the very concept of such a power is one of the few things that gives them pause. It is largely the reason why some in their leadership distrust my species, and dislike the Sectoids as a whole. You are also correct that they have developed countermeasures to psionic usage through their Special Operators, which I will explain in more detail later._

* * *

"Imagine fighting an enemy that's bigger, stronger and more relentless than you could ever be. There. You have a good idea of what fighting an Andromedon is like. The damn things just will not _die_. Vahlen says that there's an alien behind the suit, but for all intents and purposes, that thing is a machine. It doesn't get tired, it doesn't get distracted, it's almost impossible to outmaneuver and it actually has a brain."

"So yeah, first thing is that their suits are so difficult to pierce that you really need a rocket to really do anything to them. If you thought that big green helmets are a weak point, you are dead wrong – no pun intended – whatever designed those suits pretty much anticipated all the weaknesses of it and worked their asses off to negate every single one of them."

"…I take it back slightly. The head is _slightly_ weaker, but only on principal. It wouldn't make sense if it wasn't. The point is that while we can take a few direct plasma shots before going down, they can tank so much damage that it isn't even close. But then again, if they just shot at us, they _are_ manageable. For better or worse, they are cautious to an almost absurd degree."

"I am not kidding when I say they could outnumber us two to one and they probably wouldn't take any ground until every single one of us was killed. They do _not_ take risks, which is fine by me, but in return they don't die that often. When one gets wounded, they just disappear and some other Andromedon takes their place. It's scarily efficient how well they work together. I wouldn't be surprised if they were cybernetically linked somehow, or maybe they're just _that_ good."

"Anyway, getting off topic some. So you think that's all they can do? _Nope_! They shoot _acid_. Actual _acid_ at us. Seok's still getting treated for the burns, and it's apparently potent enough to melt through _our_ armor. Oh, and did I mention that when you kill them, they don't actually die. Yeah, shocking, who would have guessed? Nope, being dead is just an inconvenience for them. The suit just gets back up and keeps fighting and makes you have to kill it _again!_ I'm not sure if I'm more impressed, irritated or worried. Eh, all three I guess. So with all that, I'm sort of surprised that the aliens haven't just decided to throw only Andromedons at us."

"Well, maybe they're just as worried about them as we are. If there was one species that could give them second thoughts, it would be one that doesn't know when it is supposed to die."

\- Anna Pavlova, XCOM Soldier describing fighting Andromedon soldiers

* * *

 **Collective Species Report 90HA**

Subject: Andromedon Military Revitalization

Report Author: Zar'ina'narcota

Zar'Chon,

I will get straight to the point, my time in Andromedon space was concerning on a number of levels, not the least of which being the fact that the Andromedons are performing military exercises near Vitakara territory, and the Aui'Vitakar, Runianarch and Lurainian are not aware of it. It was not even that subtle, and while they made no hostile moves, the fact that they did not report this to either Collective Military, the Aui'Vitakar or the Zararch is a worrying sign of their intentions.

You are aware that militarily, the Andromedons have the most dangerous army besides the Sectoids and in many aspects surpass them, although they lack sophisticated intelligence organs which I believe is largely the reason I was able to gather as much information as I did. Not only are the Andromedons conducting more military exercises, they are also expanding their territory significantly.

The planets they are now occupying are apparently random, until you realize that all of them are bordering the territory of another species, and the fact that they are rapidly being terraformed and modernized into sustainable defense worlds does not bode well for the continued alliance of the Andromedon Federation and the Ethereal Collective.

Unfortunately, I am unsure as to the exact reasoning for this, since relations between all Collective species have been healthy. The only reason I can derive is that the Human resistance on Earth has prompted this, but why the Andromedons would be concerned to this degree is highly debatable. It is possible they believe the Humans will push us back and begin an attack on the Collective proper…but such a situation is so ludicrous as to be unbelievable, and the Andromedons don't deal in the unbelievable.

I also believe that a sudden betrayal is unlikely, since many in the Federation approve of the alliance with the Collective, especially Chief Overseer Chernior, and the few dissenters are largely quiet and have little sway in shaping Federation policy. But if that is the case, then the question of why they are doing all of this remains.

I suspect that we will not know the answer to that for a while, since I do have proof that the Ethereals are well aware of their actions, and I can then only conclude that the Andromedons do not intend harm to the Collective. But make no mistake Zar'Chon, the Andromedons are preparing for war, and not one fought for a single planet either.

This warrants further investigation, and I remain ready to assist in any way I can.


	20. Mutons - Unit: Soldier

Mutons: Unit

Soldier

* * *

" _Mutons are brutes, useless without direction, and have little thought of their own. But they are still an army, and that is all I require."_

\- The Battlemaster

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy MUT00**

Species: Muton

Unit Identity: "Soldier"

Codename: Nero

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"The Muton is a species that appears specifically designed for combat. Even from initial conflicts these aliens tower over others and have a familiarity with a wide variety of weapons which appear to come as second nature to them."

"Until we know more about this soldier species, we must take care that our soldiers focus on removing these threats quickly, or risk being overwhelmed by these aliens. Curiously, it has been observed that none of these have been seen in command of anything, much less each other. It begs the question of where exactly these aliens are placed in the alien hierarchy and how much freedom they have to begin with."

 _Report:_

Standing at over two meters tall, the Muton is no doubt a formidable sight, and my initial theory appears to be correct. These are aliens created purely for combat. I estimate they have the strength of at least five unaltered humans, and have a physiology that appears incapable of forming any sort of fat or unnecessary mass.

The eyes are also intriguing, because they seemingly have the ability to focus their vision towards a specific target at the exclusion of all else. This in theory would make their aim better, but in practice it appears to only be a severe disadvantage as the plasma rifles normally wielded by these Muton soldiers are poor substitutes for sniper rifles.

Mutons are not clones, but nonetheless have the markings of genetic modification on all of them, which implies that Mutons are born naturally, and not from tanks. I can only theorize as to why genetic modification is applied later, but every aspect seems to improve the physiology in some way. These Mutons are made to survive in any environment. Cold, heat, rain and snow will likely have little effect on them, which is a large reason why I believe the aliens are using them to this extent.

The brutish looks of the Mutons do seem to be reflective of its intelligence. The brain itself is not nearly as developed as the rest of the body, and most intact brains we recovered had sustained damage at some point, even if it was fixed later. They are fascinating in that they are a rare instance of brain in a place between sentience and bestiality, and what makes it more intriguing is that it seems to be intentional.

If you were to compare these Mutons to an intelligent animal, such as an ape, you would not exactly be inaccurate. To an extent, these Mutons appear to have been conditioned so much as to not be able to function without outside intervention. They can utilize complex tools and follow orders, but they cannot think for themselves and thus, they are tactically inferior to nearly any other species. At the same time, they are capable of speech and understanding commands, so I'm not sure it is accurate to classify them as simply sapient.

It raises the question then, if we can exploit this conditioning to either turn the Mutons against their masters, or somehow break their conditioning to make them remember what they once were. Whatever they were before they were assimilated into this alien Collective is long gone I believe, but some traces seem to remain.

Under the green armor these soldiers wear, are some kind of ritual tattoos and markings which indicate they had some kind of primitive culture. However, I cannot help but suspect that the aliens have exploited this little bit of culture the Mutons possessed, as some of the markings are identical to the alien glyphs we have seen and Patricia describe to me. Furthermore, many of the markings are brands, scars with few of them actually using some kind of ink, which lends evidence to the theory that these are not so much some kind of cultural tradition, but as a way to establish rank within the Mutons themselves, which of course the aliens would control.

It seems clear that we are dealing with what is essentially a slave species here, Commander, and I do not doubt that each and every one of these Mutons is disposable as they are only bred to live and die in war, and throw enough of them at us, they will ultimately prevail even if it costs them millions of these alien lives.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes:_

 _Another educated guess, Dr. Vahlen, and you are closer to the truth than you realize. The Mutons are nothing more than tools. That is all they have been and all they will be. They breed, are conditioned for warfare and most will die. I do not personally consider them sentient, and thus they are a weaponized species little different from the chryssalids. A more apt analogy would be how you use dogs for various tasks. It is similar with Mutons, except they are more versatile._

 _You might ask what the point is of a species that has no individual thought, and the answer is as I said, versatility. They are designed for war, and can be enhanced as we deem fit. There are indeed Mutons that display heightened intelligence, which they would never have possessed if not for us. They serve to let us use disposable soldiers in war without risking more valuable forces, although that is not always ideal and leaders are sometimes required._

 _You are also correct in noting that Mutons are born naturally. Birth rates are exceptionally high among the species, and they reach maturity fairly quickly. Many Mutons die in training, but are quickly replaced by others. Genetic modification is only applied to those that have survived the conditioning necessary to become a soldier in the Collective._

 _While your assumption about the markings is well-founded, it is largely incorrect. The markings are not a signal of rank, nor a ritual of sorts we have preserved from their primitive culture, but a means of conditioning. Pain is a large part of the training, and any deviance was severely punished. Mutons who displayed any signs of resistance, insubordination or anything but complete obedience were branded or cut as punishment. The scars are not a sign of strength, but shame. Very often other Mutons would target a repeat offender for death and carry it out in what they perceived as a display of loyalty._

 _The one exception to this is the tattoos, which are designations of which division each Muton belonged to. Some Collective leaders did not participate in the process, but others did to help differentiate the Mutons they controlled from others. The ones you have fought thus far have been under the command of Sicarius. As this war progresses, it is likely they will be far more diverse and you should be aware that it is not uncommon for Collective leaders to specifically train their own divisions in a certain way, so a Muton under the command of the Battlemaster will likely be different from a Muton under the command of Caelior._

* * *

SPECIES ANALYSIS: 000111011010

ANALYSIS COMPILER: FEDERATION FOREIGN SPECIES ANALYSER J'YARROW

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

SPECIES OF INTEREST: MUTON

MANUAL REPORT:

Once more the inferiority of the Muton species has been proven, despite our efforts and experiments. The Muton species is fundamentally flawed mentally, and despite the reports detailing the advantages of an intellectually enhanced Muton, the Ethereals and Hive Commanders seem determined to continue with utilizing an inferior species.

To detail the experiment, we took an entire batch of combat-ready Mutons, nearly ten thousand unmodified specimens, and attempted to apply some enhancements to increase their effectiveness in combat. Small implants initially proved successful, and helped stabilize uncontrolled pheromone outbursts, focus and concentration.

After an enhanced unit easily wiped out an unmodified unit, we proceeded with the next phase which was to attempt to enhance the brain itself. Unfortunately, as we expected, the brain is simply too weak to handle the intelligence-enhancing implants. The sheer volume of data forced into the mind is simply too much for a Muton to handle and all of them went insane and began attacking each other.

They were put down quickly, and we attempted to use the data recovered to try and modify the implants to control the flow of information in a less overwhelming manner. The next unit we attempted this on resulted in the same thing. One more attempt was allowed, and it ended in the exact same way as the first two.

The fact is that this species is dangerously close to becoming a liability if mismanaged. The Ethereals jealously refuse to increase the intelligence of any Muton that is not immediately under their control, or the control of the Sectoids. Why the Ethereals refuse to use the Sargon or Praetorian as a template for a soldier, and not a glorified manager is incomprehensible, and an irresponsible use of resources.

Thus, we proceeded with the final experiment before discarding the species altogether, and it did involve knowledge that was once used to create the Special Operators. Much of the batch died from experimentation, but we were successfully able to cybernetically enslave the Mutons to a command network, and they now reside completely under our command, and orders can be issued via central command center.

In light of this experiment, and due to the fact that the Ethereals refuse to improve this bestial species, the recommendation of myself and my entire team is that all Muton units under the command of Andromedons be enslaved to a central Andromedon-controlled network to take full advantage of what limited value this species has to us.

* * *

 _Letter intercepted by the Zararch, addressed to Aui'oliav'vitiary_

I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be writing this, but I can't really ignore what I'm witnessing here. We live safe lives on Vitakar, and I don't really want to ruin that, but the more I spend in this Collective, the more I realize the just how sheltered we are. How much the Zararch and Aui'Vitakar hide from us and it's largely due to our own willing ignorance.

The Mutons are something I know we never discussed, not beyond the basics. They are main infantry of the Collective and all of us have more or less just accepted that…the truth is that the Mutons are nothing more than slaves for the Elders. They aren't a noble fighting force protecting us from the unknown, but a species composed of abused, conditioned and enslaved aliens with no purpose in life but to fight and die.

I'm stationed on the rocky hell itself now, the heart of where this species was found. All it is now is war camps as far as the eye can see. The entire planet is segregated into various sections based on sex, age and training area. There are entire facilities dedicated to the Muton females, where they breed day after day.

I've watched some of the births; mothers can give birth every eight weeks and the Overseers keep them running like machines. The moment the mother gives birth, the Muton babies are taken away and the scientists immediately impregnate her once again. It's not uncommon for mothers to simply die after giving birth due to sheer exhaustion.

I asked once what happens if too many die, and the trainer chuckled and said they never had to worry about that because "We never run out." Everyone on this cursed planet speaks as though these aliens aren't anything more than animals, only existing at the whims of the Collective and I can't believe that these are simply unthinking animals.

They speak, they have emotions, but they don't complain, they never ask questions. Defiance is met with branding, and insubordination is met with execution, usually at the hands of fellow Mutons. Children have no semblance of childhood and nurturing here. From the moment they can walk they are forced to run physical exercises to increase conditioning and strength. Many die at this point, and a sight that became frighteningly normal was walking through the children training grounds and seeing a line of small corpses who'd died of exhaustion.

In some ways it's a mercy. When Mutons fully mature they are forced into tests of endurance, strength and pain tolerance. Mutons are routinely shot randomly for no other reason other than to test them. The only way to pass this test is for the Muton to just continue whatever it was doing, no complaints or acknowledgement of what had happened. Anything else will result in the immediate execution of the Muton.

If this sounds unbelieve for no other reason than it's a waste…it honestly isn't. You can't comprehend the _scale_ of this operation. For every Muton that dies in training, ten more will take its place. If the Muton manages to survive the training, they are taken somewhere and I presume they end up under one of the Collective officers. I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to.

A final irony is that the Mutons are so conditioned to this that they view it as only natural and right. They aren't beasts. I've talked with them, and they truly believe they are just inferior, deserving of whatever the Collective deems is appropriate for each of them. It's a sickening mockery of a species, punctuated by the fact that this training is overseen by none other than a Muton itself. A Sargon it's called, a Muton so brainwashed it commits these atrocities on its own.

I can't do anything here. But I can't stand by and watch this. I don't think anyone on Vitakar knows what is really done to the Mutons. Please take this to the Aui'Vitakar, make them investigate because what's happening here shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, let alone our supposed _allies_.

I've never asked for much, father, but please do this for me.

\- Runi'julon'vitiary


	21. ADVENT - Dossier: The Chronicler

ADVENT: Dossier

The Chronicler

* * *

" _Beware the power behind the throne."_

\- Anonymous

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** "The Chronicler" (Real name unknown)

 **Current Role:** Advisor to Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

 **Current Interference Level:** Unknown

 **Threat Level:** Unknown (Medium to High)

 **Usage Level:** Low

Brief Assessment: Due to the heightened profile of now-Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, I feel it prudent to examine her internal support and council. Most of the family heads of EXALT have been identified and on the surface that appears to compose all of her inner circle. However, that is not the case. There is a human male who serves as another advisor to her.

We were unable to determine his name, only his title which is "The Chronicler". As the name suggests, he appeared to fill the role of a historian within EXALT, documenting the true history of the world that would never be revealed. An apparently harmless role, and from interrogations of former EXALT personnel, it appears that Saudia also considered him a friend as well as someone to take advice from.

However, I cannot help but suspect that there is more to this "Chronicler" than meets the eye. To the best of our ability we have not been able to determine his predecessor, or how such a role was established within EXALT in the first place. In addition, several of the interrogated agents revealed that there had only been one "Chronicler" in their lifetimes; the same one that exists today.

More to the point, none can remember a time where he wasn't an elder, and interestingly didn't note him getting visibly older. I am unsure what to think about this, and we applied additional truth drugs to the captured personnel to ensure they were telling the truth, and they repeated the story so I can only assume they are telling the truth.

I am aware that Human memory can be unreliable, but something is off about him. To the best of our ability, he is still working with Saudia in ADVENT, and I have several agents attempting to locate him. I personally doubt that we are dealing with anyone who poses a large danger to us, but we _are_ contending with someone very old who is our enemy.

There are several theories I have that could explain this, but they must first be confirmed with appropriate science divisions. This is also a matter that might justify the intervention of an Ethereal, if only to withdraw the image of this Chronicler for our agents to watch out for.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _Curious. Send the captives to me. I will extract what I can for them. A mystery in the making, it seems. - Quisilia_

* * *

 _Message to the Commander of XCOM from Haley Yates_

This isn't an official document, Commander, but something I thought you should be aware of. I wouldn't suppose you are aware of much of Saudia's own internal council before ADVENT, but outside of the obvious EXALT family heads, there is one person I believe I missed. Shortly after interviewing Chancellor Vyandar for our records, I was approached by an elderly man who began making casual conversation.

He looked familiar, but I didn't place him until we began talking about specifics of ADVENT. I didn't remember his name, but I did recognize him from ADVENT meetings where he was often at Saudia's side. I assumed him to be an advisor, but now I'm not sure.

He is…odd. There is something about him that I would describe almost as _slippery_. Throughout our entire conversation, I couldn't read him whatsoever, and whenever I believed I had figured something out, he did the complete opposite. Which only leads me to believe he _knew_ I was trying to analyze him and decided to try and fool me. Can't say it wasn't successful.

Then our conversation turned very strange. At that point I believe he was simply trying to get a reaction out of me, by making oddly specific insinuations including, but not limited to: Aegis, yourself, our various contingencies and various experiments. He never _outright_ admitted it, but the fact that he could know that much is deeply concerning. When he began referencing parts of my own past unprompted, I was genuinely afraid for my safety.

The fact that he appears to know all of this, and Saudia seems not to, is something that I can't rationalize. Unless of course, that this man isn't her advisor at all and all of this is just a massive coincidence. But I don't believe in such things, Commander. I suggest you politely ask Saudia to reveal who this person is, because if he somehow got through our security, we need to fix that immediately.

* * *

 _Recorded Conversation between the Chronicler and Director Christopher Solaris of EXALT_

Christopher Solaris: "Excuse me? I don't believe we've met before. Were you recently transferred here?"

The Chronicler: _Chuckles._ "No, Director, I've been at the Bastion for nearly a week. I figured you'd come around to me eventually. I'm not surprised you weren't informed."

CS: "Oh, about what? I apologize I missed you, I'm generally informed about all new arrivals."

TC: "Likely a mistake in the records. No issue for me, I'm well aware of what the Director endures on a daily basis."

CS: "So what were you transferred here for?"

TC: "I'm the new Chronicler. My predecessor retired and I was chosen in his place. It is truly an honor to be here."

CS: "Chronicler? Interesting, I'm not sure I recall a position called that."

TC: "It's slightly obscure, at least in the grand scope of EXALT. But there has always been a Chronicler position in EXALT, Director. I'm sure it'll come to you."

CS: "Now that you mention it, I do recall something like that. It must have slipped my mind."

TC: "Happens to the best of us, Director. The true history of the world must be preserved, even if no one but us knows about it."

CS: "It occurs to me that I apparently never checked your predecessors work. If you don't mind…"

TC: "Of course, Director. I am here to help you succeed, after all."

* * *

 _Entries of the personal journal of the Chronicler_

Entry 87: The artifact is yielding no more secrets. I am at a loss as to try and figure out how it works. It is clear that I am missing something, and I do not want to expose another person to it simply to indulge my own curiosity. If nothing else, the object is _finicky_ , and there is probably a good chance that it could have killed me when I stumbled upon it instead of it granting me powers.

The academia are demanding answers as to what I'm using their money for, and controlling their minds will not work forever. Someone is eventually going to figure out something isn't right, and short of controlling the entire school board and local police, they are going to do something about it. Worse yet this is going to soon attract the attention of the church the longer I keep my silence. It was a mistake to establish myself so close to a religion.

Perhaps it is best I wipe all traces of myself and leave before people ask questions. There are other places of learning besides this one.

Entry 95: The artifact is stubbornly silent. At this point I can only resign myself to the knowledge that science has not advanced enough for me to thoroughly analyze this piece of alien tech.

 _Alien_. A foreign object. I'm not sure if it came from space or somewhere else, but I _know_ that it was not forged by Humans. No one could make something like…this. But now I do wonder if I am the first to find something like this. Am I just another one in a long line of people who have controlled this power before? Is this the explanation for the myths of old?

Humph. It would be typical to learn that, and it would make more sense that people just… _accepting_ that Gods existed above. The majority of mankind is not _entirely_ gullible, and there must have been something to demonstrate the existence of a higher power. Could it be this gift?

But the question still remains: Where did this gift come from?

Entry 105: I am unsure what to do with myself now that I have stopped researching the artifact. What exactly is there to do for a person like me besides wander the world, trying to stay out of trouble? Money and lodging is no issue, amoral as it is, it is ultimately better than attracting attention to myself working a mediocre job. So as far I as I see, there are two paths open to me:

There must have been more people like me throughout history, and perhaps they learned something I did not. They must have left notes, documents, _something_ about what they learned. Human history is vast, and I have nothing but time to hunt down these people who came before me. And right now, I must not make the same mistake for anyone who follows me.

The other options is to strengthen my powers. Practice, trial and error is the only way I will improve. I _know_ I can push myself further than simply making the people selling me trinkets give them to me for free. I know I can do more than take advantage of people. There is no need for innocent people to suffer for my sake. There are those less virtuous who are deserving of such.

…I have no idea where my journeys will take me, and I suppose it is better to be as strong as possible before embarking. In the end, I have nothing but time.

Entry 107: A destination must have a map to get there. My training is no exception. Luckily there is no shortage of vile brigands in this town. I needed but to walk down the street into the alleys to see two men assaulting some poor woman. Foolish, and I took control of their minds easily enough. I don't feel comfortable with more than one at once, so I forced one of them to slit his throat.

It is strange; having so much control over a Human life. I have been like this so long it is difficult to imagine it otherwise. But it occurred to me that he was first person I ordered to end their life, and I feel nothing. Perhaps it is because of who he was, but it feels wrong to feel nothing whatsoever. Or perhaps it is perfectly natural. I am not like other humans, and they are, objectively, inferior to me.

Writing those words concerns me. I wonder if I am unintentionally leading myself down a path of self-proclaimed godhood, starting to see other Humans as beneath me. I will have to be careful that it doesn't corrupt me. But for now, I have one lowlife chained to the tree in this wilderness, yelling at me to release him.

Time to start practice.

Entry 111: Driving a man to insanity is easy; driving him to insanity in the way you want is difficult. As I subject this lowlife to whatever I can imagine, I am careful not to press past the unseen line of no return. I wonder if I am being too sentimental here. I have seen everything in this man's mind, I've seen him hold his mother as she died and as his house burned to the ground. It is easy to see how he became the way he is, and this psychological torment is something I have been trying to utilize.

It is tricky. I can force the memory to appear in his mind, but I have yet to figure out how to manipulate it. Once that is done, I can bring it to life around him. Perhaps make him hallucinate being chased by the specter of his dead mother. The possibilities are endless.

Entry 115: The lowlife unfortunately killed himself this morning. It was expected, and I had provided the means to do so as an experiment. His mind would have fully snapped today had he refrained, but I suppose it makes no difference. I learned what I wanted to, and I suppose it is time to move on. I gleamed a hideout for bandits like him in his mind.

That will be my next step.

Entry 140: The dream came again, and I think it is tied to my growing abilities. For posterity's sake, I will write it down here. I appear in a room surrounded by water. I _think_ I am underwater, but I feel no water and can breathe easily. It is like there is a glass box around me, keeping the liquid from crushing me. The vast expanse of the ocean is intimidating, and there is no escape from the pale blue prison.

I find nothing, I can run for what feels like days without any change. But there is a feeling of being _watched_ that is present throughout the dream. I've had the exact same dream eleven times now, so I must write this down in case someone else is experiencing the same thing.

Something is watching me.

Entry 189: Sitting passively in the world is a pointless endeavor. I cannot keep watching mankind destroy itself over such petty differences. I can make a difference in this world, so why don't I? Am I afraid of what other people will say? That they will try and kill what they don't understand?

Mhmm, now that I write that, I realize that is a very real possibility. No doubt I would be considered some kind of demon or worse. Governments would probably try and weaponize me in their petty wars. The world is finally becoming more advanced, so it is not impossible for them to hurt me, and if I want to do something, it has to be done carefully.

Perhaps I am looking at this wrong. There must be others out there with similar goals, who have come to the same conclusions as me. If I find them, then I can work with them to bring it to fruition. Of course, the trouble is finding them in the first place.

Best to get started.

Entry 200: The dream now has voices in it. It is a deep rumble, speaking words in an alien language I cannot even begin to translate. But whatever was said resonated deep in my soul. The words are burned into my mind and I cannot forget them, no matter how much I wish to. But it isn't just that.

The artifact is working now. I don't know what triggered it, but it's as I first found it. A ball that has some kind of light in it, like that of the ocean, rippling on the surface. It has power, and more than that, I can feel a _presence_. I am hesitant to touch it again, as this time might kill me. I don't know what that is, but I wonder if I'm reaching a point those before me came to.

But I need answers. And now I will get them one way or another.

Entry 201: Nothing exciting happened when I touched the artifact, but whatever it's connected to definitely noticed me. It is like poking a sleeping giant. The presence must be unimaginably old, and now I appear to have a direct connection to it. Fascinating, but at least I am still alive to write about it. Maybe I'll get it to talk later.

Entry 242: The Illuminati. A group of idealistic men and women with aspirations to recreate the world in their image of perfection. A secret society that might suit my purposes well. But they are too small now to risk becoming personally involved yet. They need guidance from the shadows first, they need to be patient as their goals will not be able to come to fruition for decades at the least.

Fortunately I can certainly help with that. An outside contact will be a useful cover, as I can provide them with information and funds without them risking themselves. This will be one of the greatest undertakings of human history, so I'd best not mess it up.

Entry 260: I suppose I know the answer to if being immortal is a blessing or curse. I am not going to die, at least by natural means. I don't know if this is because of my gift, or because whatever is watching me is not allowing me to die. It's isolating, but I would not describe it as a curse. I've never had a wife, family or friends, and my sanity is probably better for it.

But it gives me a perspective on time that most people lack. Change happens quickly, and even in the past century I have seen progression at a rate that I would have thought would be unfathomable. The secret society is coming along well, planting agents around the world and establishing themselves financially. I believe the time to make my formal entrance is coming soon, but they are not quite large enough yet.

Entry 304: The words in the dream are making more sense, most are on the edge of my mind, irritatingly out of reach. I am communicating now, at least, but always in the language of whatever this entity is. I am not unconvinced that it is mixing multiple languages into its speech, as some of the words sound suspiciously like ones from languages I already know.

One that keeps repeating is _imperi-_ something, it always garbles the last part. Maybe I'm looking too deep into it, but Latin has several words that start like that. Maybe like _imperium_ and _imperator,_ depending on if I'm hearing an _i_ or _a_ before it cuts off. Cheeky bastard if it actually is speaking Latin just to screw with me. Cute.

Maybe I'll just ask it later.

Entry 316: I understood a sentence for the first time. It was clear as crystal, delivered in the ominous deep tone of whatever is watching me. _They are coming back_.

I've been puzzling over this for days. I don't see many other interpretations. Aliens have come to Earth before, that's clear. But I suppose it would be foolish to believe that they wouldn't come back eventually. And I don't think I would be getting this warning if it was going to be good. For whatever reason, this being is warning me, and that means I have to take action now. I need to somehow prepare mankind for their return.

I suppose it is time to establish myself in EXALT, or whatever name they have chosen this century. Work needs to be done. And now that I can understand what it's saying, maybe I'll press it for details. Maybe it'll finally explain what it is and what is going on.

Entry 318: I contacted it and we spoke. My purpose is now clear.


	22. ADVENT - History: The War for Oceania

ADVENT: History

The War for Oceania

* * *

" _The aliens may take our country, but we're going to make them pay dearly to keep it."_

\- Sadire Ferro, Commanding General of the Philippine Army

* * *

 **ADVENT Intelligence Report 1187**

Subject: Alien Activity in Oceania

Agent: Sarah Miller

Overview: While the aliens have taken Australia in a show of overwhelming force, they have not seemed to apply the same zeal and vigor to capturing the rest of the Oceanic nations. They have sent detachments of soldiers, but nothing we can classify as a full invasion. Why they have done this is still unknown, but several hypotheses can be drawn from what they have accomplished so far.

Their strategy of overwhelming the defenses of prominent cities appears to have been abandoned in favor of a more methodical approach. You are aware that almost all of the Oceanic nations have either converted their armies to guerilla militaries, or sent the rest to be integrated into the ADVENT military, thus it is difficult for the aliens to take any decisive battles.

The approach of taking a country city by city is seemingly the preferred one, while suffering strikes from guerilla forces along the way. Many of the aliens are not suited for the warmer and humid environments, and the Human resistance forces there are taking full advantage of that by using traps, poisons and the terrain itself to weaken the army piece by piece.

If there is any crucial information we can take away from this, it is that the aliens seem poorly prepared for asymmetrical warfare. They perform best in straight engagements, but smaller groups are something they appear to have issues with, which has led to a surprisingly effective defense of nations like Indonesia and the Philippines.

We have speculated as to why the aliens seem to favor Japan as a main staging ground against Asia, and based on what is happening in Oceania, it is not out of the question to propose that it is simply easier. The aliens know they cannot take shortcuts, such as only taking the Philippines, because we would exploit it and cut them off from two points of attack. They have to not only take that country, but Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. It would be a gauntlet that would tax their forces as they would be facing at least two major conflicts, whereas Japan only promises one if they are successful. Even then, holding Japan poses its own issues for the aliens due to the climate, terrain and potential severe weather, but ultimately it is easier to hold than the Oceanic nations.

As it stands now, they have taken most of Papua New Guinea and about half of Indonesia, and they have successfully locked down all controlled territory. They are attempting to do the same with Australia, but they are also having issues due to the size of the country and the sizable Australian force still remaining. Malaysia and the Philippines are facing short incursions, but nothing they can't reasonably handle, because for whatever reason, the aliens don't want to provoke a response from our military quite yet in that region.

Nonetheless, that is likely the next location of their conquest, especially if they take Japan. We should begin reinforcing Malaysia immediately, and deploy several Legions to the Philippines as well to help them hold out against the aliens. Should they be attacked, we also need to be prepared for strikes against Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. China is also a possible location of attack, but we can do little there save for seeing if China will ask for assistance, which at this point, I do not expect them to do.

* * *

Commander,

As you have requested additional information on the state of the Oceania nations, I have compiled what intelligence I can in conjunction with Zhang. He is working with ADVENT Intelligence and the soldiers that still remain in the countries, as well as sending agents of our own to help assist them negate the impact of the aliens.

There are four major countries (Excluding Australia) that the Collective is attempting to subjugate. They seem unwilling to devote a large portion of their forces, largely because they have correctly deduced that it would be a waste of manpower, time and resources, as most of the militaries have officially disbanded and been integrated into ADVENT, and the rest have formed into guerilla squads similar to Australia, and are proving effective against the poorly prepared aliens.

Papua New Guinea is almost completely under Collective control, which is unsurprising as they were hit shortly after Australia was subjugated. There are a few holdout guerilla forces, but both Zhang and I agree that further operations there are not conducive if we wish to hurt their operations. There is some speculation that several native primitive tribes have also encountered the aliens, but due to the vast technological difference, they are likely dead or captured. As it stands, there has been no contact with them and the established guerilla forces. Regardless, the country is clearly not an important location they hold, and the guerilla squads are best utilized elsewhere, though I admit it will be a challenge to convince them to fight elsewhere, but Zhang assures me that he is working on that.

Indonesia is under heavy assault, but this is where the heart of the war for Oceania is taking place. The guerilla strike squads are taking advantage of the islands, and fighting the aliens every step of the way in the wilderness and then back on islands they have already captured, disrupting their supply and communication lines. Overall they are drastically slowing down the Collective advance as they constantly have to retreat to earlier islands and attempt to purge the area of guerilla forces that are long gone.

Unfortunately, it appears that the aliens are growing tired of having their forces systematically picked off and isolated. We are now receiving some reports of both Dath'Haram and Andromedon reinforcements in the alien coalition. The Andromedons seems to be a different variant than any we've fought before. They appear to be a walking biological weapon, and have currently rendered the entire island of Pulau Wetar uninhabitable via some kind of toxin. No word if they have done so to other islands, but this is a clear sign that if we push enough, they will destroy entire environments to deny a strategic advantage.

The Dath'Haram are a much greater worry, however, as these Vitakara are apparently native to environments typically found in the Oceanic regions. There fortunately don't appear to be many of them, but they are making their presence felt in this war, and I would not be surprised if the Collective gradually began adding more to the mix until we either learn how to effectively stop them, or they kill any and all resistance.

There have been several incursions in the Philippines, but the aliens seem reluctant to begin an all-out assault, since they have refrained from stepping foot on the main islands, but are instead focusing on the outlying ones. The Philippines have a sizable ADVENT army, which wouldn't hold up against a prolonged assault, but would buy enough time for reinforcements as well as us to arrive. The Philippines have been instrumental in providing resources and personnel to Indonesia, since they know that the aliens seem reluctant to press the attack.

Malaysia has been similarly left alone, aside from some of the southern islands coming under assault, but similar to the Philippines, they also have a sizable ADVENT army ready and waiting, and are working to undermine the aliens as much as possible via their own special forces. They have also been providing support to Indonesia, and I will also note that both countries are receiving direct funding from ADVENT itself to support their efforts.

It is inevitable that Oceania falls, and some might say most of it has. But as long as the aliens are continually harassed and killed there, the Collective will not be able to effectively wage war from there unless the aliens begin a devoted purge, or they render the region uninhabitable. We shall see how far they can be pushed, I suppose.

\- Ariel Jackson, Central Officer of XCOM

* * *

Battlemaster,

I regret to inform you that we have had unexpected difficulty in taking the nations north of Australia. It has taken surprisingly little time for the Humans to quickly develop counter strategies to our own. Their grasp of asymmetrical warfare is something I did not account for, and thus the forces I have are insufficient for dealing with this new threat.

The Humans call the overarching strategy 'guerilla warfare' (Not to be confused with an animal species of the same name), and it eschews front-line combat in favor on concentrated strikes on isolated squads, sabotage, assassination, and trapping. Stealth is paramount for this tactic to work, and I suspect that initial inspiration was taken from intelligence agencies, as there is some overlap.

We are having an issue of being unable to adequately respond to these fast, quick and unpredictable attacks. The majority of my forces are suited for open combat against an equal or more powerful foe, not against small squads of Humans hitting the back lines. I suspect you already know this, but Mutons are insufficient trackers and perform poorly in jungle and forest environments, which the Humans thrive in.

Borelians are not well-adjusted to the climate either, as well as being similarly handicapped in regards to dealing with surprise attacks. Oyariah have performed adequately, but they are too slow to chase once the Humans retreat, and are also insufficient trackers. My Vitakarian soldiers are doing their best, despite not excelling at any particular aspect of this situation, but are nonetheless the best I have.

In addition to that, I believe that the subdued human populaces are providing shelter or protection to various groups of Humans, and we have unfortunately not have had success curbing support for them, despite enacting discipline when necessary. It might interest you to know that we have encountered some extremely primitive Humans on the island called Papua New Guinea. They were only armed with primitive spears and blowguns, which were ineffective against our own forces. I ordered them captured as I am sure our scientists will want to look at the differences between them and modern humans. And as per your instructions, I am also refraining from antagonizing the Philippines and Malaysia and their armies. Ironically, we would likely perform better against them than the guerilla forces attacking us now.

This is what I require, Battlemaster. We need to perform a complete reorganization of our forces here and save our front-line soldiers for direct conflicts with ADVENT and XCOM. At the very least I need several detachments of Dath'Haram who are familiar with similar environments and can hunt these Humans on their own terms.

Beyond that, another useful tool would be the establishment of a chryssalid hive with Sectoid Handlers. Chryssalids would be excellent for preventing a retreat, and can be released in environments before we arrive to cleanse the area of Humans. I understand your distaste for the creatures, but if we do not take measures, we will simply lose more soldiers unnecessarily.

I would also request several groups of Andromedon Contamination Operatives, perhaps for annexing some of the smaller islands to make a point to these Humans. More Andromedons in general would be useful, since they would survive ambushes far longer than Mutons would. But they are ultimately not necessary to ensure our victory.

We have limited solutions to how to solve the civilian issue, and the easiest one is to simply transfer all Humans in the cities we capture to Australia or for experimentation. Annexing the entirety of these nations was not a goal, but I believe it is necessary to deny the Humans a potential weakness to exploit.

The other solution is to consolidate several cities into one location, under the direct control of a Sargon. That would be the only way I could be assured the civilian problem is solved without removing them altogether. However, I am aware that more Sargons would have to be developed, and we would require multiple ones for a relatively small landmass.

As we are also dealing with tactics definitely inspired by intelligence work, I would also respectfully ask you to inform the Zararch about this situation and see if they can provide agents or assistance to our mission. This is a setback, Battlemaster, but the problem has been identified and all I require is the means to ensure it is fixed.

\- Runi'aream'mattis, Elevated Commander, Division of the Battlemaster


	23. Ethereals - Dossier: Quisilia

Ethereals: Dossier

Quisilia

* * *

" _If we cannot determine his existence, then it stands to reason that he actually might not exist. Unfortunately, we cannot take chances with the Ethereals."_

\- Andromedon O'Fuionn, in response to failed investigations into the identity of the Ethereal leader of the Zararch

* * *

Imperator,

I have finished my initial scouting of the city planet we detected, containing the curious aliens who have some control over the Gift. A fascinating adventure it was, much was learned and I will first say that I believe that these aliens will prove useful to us. They are abhorrent, selfish and despicable creatures, but they control a respectable amount of territory and can produce much for us through their production and scientific facilities.

For our records, I would first begin with what their planet is called, and the species. Their naming conventions are straightforward, but lacking in imagination. Their homeworld is located in the Helion System, as they have dubbed it, and the planet itself is called Helion-7, for obvious reasons I'm sure you can deduce.

What they call themselves is something I am not able to properly translate, but the closest I could deduce was 'Species 001'. They are a species with little thought outside of cold technical terms, as you can see. We will have to find an appropriate name, but until then, that is what we should put into our records.

What made gathering information something of a challenge is that this species has a poorly constructed language, which is why I suspect their documents are largely reduced to numbers and formulas. A large part is because much of their communication is accomplished through telepathy with images, emotions and single words. These aliens lack mouths, but do make a chittering sound that has no usage other than to convey an emotional state.

The species is without a doubt, engineered to be completely controlled by a select few. There are clear and established hierarchies which I will detail in a separate file, but there is only a select caste with any real power: The Hive Commanders, which I will detail later.

Despite the name, I would not consider the areas on Helion-7 "Hives" in any way, shape or form. The entire planet is mechanized and stripped of all resources, so I can only assume that is what they refer to as specific spheres of control. Perhaps a way to dole out territory.

An important thing to understand is how little threat the majority of their population poses to us. While they certainly have the ability to wield the Gift, most are so weak as to be laughable and I was able to manipulate their sight with ease. There are only a few who are psionically powerful enough to even be considered a remote threat:

There are the so-called 'Leaders' which is the closest translation I can decipher, since the literal translation is gibberish. They appear to be largely reserved for military usage, and are otherwise stuck in storage like a useful tool. Their telepathic abilities are largely for coordination, but little beyond that, but they would be useful in ground assaults.

The next one was surprisingly easy to translate: "Helion-7 Defenders". Their purpose is clear, but they are exceptionally rare and I only saw four in my entire mission. But I did infiltrate one of their breeding facilities and from the data I could gather, these aliens are exceptionally powerful, and more curiously, able to psionically link to a Hive Commander. More research will be necessary, but there are several avenues of research we could apply here.

Then are the Hive Commanders, the undisputed rulers of this alien world. These aliens are powerful, though still weaker than even the weakest of our species, but more than sufficient to completely dominate these lesser aliens. However they are exceptionally intelligent and I did not deem it wise to interrogate one because it would be able to put up a fight. But from what I gleamed, they are haughty, prideful and have an amusing superiority complex.

I do not foresee them being amenable to working with us, as they would likely see us as beneath them. At best we they would simply try and use us, an amusing thought, but one that would no doubt appear in their narrow minds. I personally recommend the Overmind make first contact and bend the minds of these creatures to our cause. They are more useful allied to us, than ignored.

\- Quisilia

* * *

REPORT: 100111100000

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 00 (IDENTITY UNKNOWN!)

KNOWN ALIASES: "QUISILIA"; "THE UNSEEN ONE";

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: INTELLIGENCE BACKGROUND (SPECULATION)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: AFFILIATED WITH THE ZARARCH (SPECULATION)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATH (SPECULATION)

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: UNKNOWN

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Despite the best efforts of our Special Operators in trying to identify this Ethereal, we have once more come up with very little. Had we not acquired conclusive evidence of an Ethereal working with the Zararch, I would recommend that we focus our resources elsewhere as this Ethereal is extremely talented at remaining undetected.

We have yet to determine how exactly this is accomplished, though if he is affiliated with the Zararch as we suspect, then it is possible he is using them to intentionally avoid us, which would imply that he knows that there is an effort to unmask him. I will reiterate that we have not had any encounters that would have compromised our mission or identities.

Alternatively, it is possible that we have encountered this Ethereal, and he is powerful enough to obscure himself from both us, and anyone else he encounters via telepathy. If this is the case, it raises serious concerns for the viability of utilizing Special Operators against psions, should the need arise. If the Ethereals have learned how to bypass our most effective unit, then they have negated our greatest advantage against them.

I have compiled several aliases that are suspected to be referring to this Ethereal. The most common is "Quisilia" a name or designation that has been used by the Zar'Chon in several reports that have been intercepted. The nature and writing within indicates that "Quisilia" is in fact, someone who the Zar'Chon answers to, and there could only be a few who would have the authority to command the Zar'Chon himself.

The most obvious explanation is that Quisilia is an Ethereal, though not necessarily the one we are hunting. Alternatively it could be a code name for another Vitakara or even Sectoid that is of a higher rank than the Zar'Chon, though that is unlikely. The other alias we have intercepted is was references to "The Unseen One" from our Special Operator monitoring the Temple Ship.

Such a description fits the profile of this Ethereal, and indicates that he is indeed an expert in subterfuge and subtlety, which again fits into what we have collected. Unfortunately, short of attempting to draw this Ethereal out or infiltrating Zararch outposts, it is unlikely we can continue to find leads on this elusive Ethereal.

RECOMMENDATION: TRANSFER OPERATORS OBSERVING ETHEREAL 00 TO ZAR'CHON OBSERVATION; SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL KNOWN AS "QUISILIA"

SECONDARY RECOMMENDATION: ASSIGN PRIORITY TO TEMPLE SHIP OBSERVERS: PHRASE: "UNSEEN ONE"; WORDS: "UNSEEN", "QUISILIA", "ZARARCH", "ZAR'CHON"

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 062; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR: DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

WAIT FOR FURTHER ORDERS

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 162**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Quisilia

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, XCOM Psychologist Haley Yates

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark purple

 _Height_ : 8'10"

 _Weight_ : 201 lbs.

 _Scars or markings_ : None

 _Physical condition_ : Exceptional

SECTION 2: Assessment

I have been asked to contribute to this document as I have personal knowledge of the Ethereals of the Collective, although Quisilia is unfortunately one of the few who I can say I know much less about than I would like to. Quisilia is very secretive, even among other Ethereals, and the number who know who he really is I estimate to be limited to the Imperator, and the Overmind.

The reason for this likely stems from his past. I am aware that he was once part of the Division of Shadows, and often times members of that Division intentionally kept their roles secret, and it appears to be a habit that he has not broken yet. I first met him soon after the Imperator convinced me to follow his plan, and we got along well, though he certainly learned more about me than I him.

The Imperator holds him in extremely high regard, and is likely privy to knowledge that even I am not aware of, and is regarded as the unofficial eyes of the Imperator, and if necessary, the assassin. Upon reflection, it was accepted among us that Sicarius was the assassin of the Imperator, but now I wonder if that was just both of them taking advantage of her skills to hide that Quisilia is one hiding in the shadows.

Quisilia has taken it upon himself to take command of the entirety of all Collective Intelligence agencies, and has co-opted the Vitakarian Zararch in pursuit of this, and also has influence over the Andromedon Special Operator which is officially under the oversight of Sicarius. As such he spends a large part of his time isolated from others of my kind and seems to prefer working directly with specific individuals he deems useful, while elevating them into positions of power.

Concerning his views on Humanity, he has taken an interest in your species beyond simple tools or pawns. He sees high potential in your species, and I know he has already begun work in determining where specific humans would be useful under his command. He does not necessarily view your species as a legitimate threat, but he has a respect for your kind that is more than most hold.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

From observing Quisilia work on multiple occasions, one thing that always stood out to me was how much he enjoyed using other alien species. He greatly enjoys toying with individuals, friend or foe, and although most of it is little more than mildly annoying incidents, he holds no mercy for anyone he deems a threat. For better or worse, Quisilia is almost as involved as the Battlemaster in the Collective, and takes threats to it seriously.

Those marked for death by Quisilia are never informed of the danger, and are personally hunted down by him personally. Quisilia was once being tracked by a group of Nulorians who had no idea who they were chasing. He responded by taking over their minds, driving them insane with hallucinations, and watched as two different Nulorian cells tore each other apart, all taking place in a Borelian wasteland where the battle was fought hand to hand, with him occasionally interfering depending on his whim.

One thing to understand about Quisilia is that he has both what you would call a sense of humor, and a flair for the dramatic. I do not know how this fascination started, but war is a theatre to him, a series of set pieces upon which he wants to control every single piece for his own amusement. Surprise and unpredictability are key, and Quisilia is unpredictable. He will occasionally help enemies, or spare the life of traitors for no other reason than he is curious about what will happen next.

I say this because it is likely that he will begin acting in ways that you do not expect, and thus are unable to properly react to. He is a master of using every tool at his disposal, and in ways that are, again, unexpected. And this is him at his least dangerous. When he is simply interested in a conflict he will make himself known to a select few; important players in the game, as it were.

But if the threat becomes escalated, he will vanish and you will never see him coming. The balancing act must be perfect, Commander, for Quisilia could single-handedly cripple the world should he desire it.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Quisilia is an exceptional telepath, as is to be expected from one from the Division of Shadows. However, I am unaware the extent of his abilities due to his imposed isolation on demonstrating, and thus I can only make educated guesses regarding both his training and what he can actually do.

What is for certain is that he can take over the minds of weaker individuals, and is able to at the very least misdirect powerful psions. Quisilia also utilizes a highly unique form of infiltration, which is to simply purge the perception of himself from individuals he encounters. In essence, people can be looking directly at him and see nothing. To the best of my knowledge, no other Ethereal has this potential with the exception of the Imperator and possibly the Overmind.

The extent of this talent is also unknown. At the very least he can affect dozens of individuals in close proximity, and possible more than that. A weakness of this strategy is that he will still be seen by cameras and other recording devices, as he cannot purge his perception from those. The issue is that he is likely aware of it, and as a result will take precautions to not be seen on camera.

He also has some knowledge about the creation of illusions and hallucinations, though far weaker compared to the abilities of Nebulan or Isomnum. I believe these are contingencies for him, a final crutch to fall back on should his plans go awry. But he is not above using them for his own amusement, and is highly interested in the various different psyches of aliens.

Most of his abilities are not nearly as effective against psions, and I do not believe we have to fear him coming here without our knowledge. I or Patricia would sense him, and he is not a front-line fighter, and a team of psions allied against him would likely emerge victorious. However, the rest of the world would not be able to stop.

If Quisilia wanted it, he could execute the entirety of the ADVENT hierarchy, or simply listen in on their plans all without them the wiser. Unfortunately, I can think of little we can do to prevent this short of giving ADVENT leaders personal psion bodyguards, but there are risks involved with that as well. Nonetheless, Quisilia is a danger that needs to be negated before he cripples this war for good.


	24. ADVENT - History:The Battle of the USA I

ADVENT: History

The First Battle of the United States of America

* * *

" _God may be dead, but demons still roam this world."_

\- Anonymous ADVENT Soldier

* * *

After-Action Report

Operation: Judgement Day

 _Personnel:_

Tiger 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Patricia Trask

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 13

Tiger 2: Specialist Anius Creed

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 24

Tiger 3: Specialist Mordecai Korhn

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 49

Tiger 4: Specialist Kim Yi

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 18

Tiger 5: Specialist Joseph Vondoltoran

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 2

Tiger 6: Specialist Liliyane Stark

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 4

Tiger 7: Specialist Rosario De Leon

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 4 Days)

 **Kills:** 14

Tiger 8: Specialist Iaroslav Kozlov

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 3 Days)

 **Kills:** 17

Tiger 9: MEC Soldier Sung Cho

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 44

Ranger 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Specialist Zara Venator

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 31

Ranger 2: Specialist Sierra Morrow

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 27

Ranger 3: Specialist Tamara Vasilisa

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 16

Ranger 4: Psion Matthew Hawkins

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 40

Ranger 5: Specialist Nati Avraham

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 34

Ranger 6: Psion Karen Dais

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 25

Ranger 7: Specialist Charlie Jones

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 6 Days)

 **Kills:** 12

Ranger 8: Specialist Mark Castle

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 2

Ranger 9: MEC Soldier Franklin West

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 78

Mariner 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Specialist Carmelita Alba

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 72

Mariner 2: Specialist Lesedi Iminathi

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 3 Days)

 **Kills:** 20

Mariner 3: Specialist Chan Jin-Taek

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 4 Days)

 **Kills:** 28

Mariner 4: Specialist Oliver Ilari

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 15

Mariner 5: Specialist Jesenia Santiago

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 4

Mariner 6: Psion Nataliya Chaykovskaya

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 17

Mariner 7: Specialist Catherine Gossenlin

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 5

Mariner 8: Specialist Anna Pavlova

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 6 Days)

 **Kills:** 26

Mariner 9: MEC Soldier Amahle Mosa

 **Status:** Offline

 **Kills:** 57

Pilot 1: Jason Olgard – Call sign: "Big Sky"

Pilot 2: Patrick Nokia – Call sign: "Lightning Sky"

Pilot 3: Barney Kimon – Call sign: "Gray Sky"

Pilot 4: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

 _Artifacts Recovered:_

Note: Numbers are subject to change as more corpses, artifacts and technology is recovered and negotiated over.

20x Mechanical wrecks

201x Assorted Alien Corpses (Exact counts still to be determined)

2x MELD Canisters

300+x Alien Weapon Fragments (Numbers may change)

151x Alien Alloys (Numbers may change)

* * *

COMBAT REPORT TO ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE COMMAND

GROUND COMMANDER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

DESIGNATED RECIPIENTS: THE BATTLEMASTER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE; ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

MANUAL REPORT:

After overviewing our results, I can say that overall, the offensive was a success. XCOM and ADVENT were not fully prepared for simultaneous attacks in multiple coastal cities, and allowing the majority of our forces to deploy and secure land before engaging hostile forces reduced our casualties significantly. The tactics used in combating XCOM were largely successful, with the exception of Portland though we allowed room in our assault for a single retreat.

We continue holding ground in Seattle, pushing the ADVENT line back block by block. It will be a tedious process and we will undoubtably lose thousands of units before effectively securing the city, but we were not pushed back completely, and I can confirm that the countermeasures used against the Psion Patricia Trask were successful and negated her being a significant presence in the battle.

XCOM did contribute significantly however, and were instrumental in ensuring that ADVENT didn't lose the city, although with them now gone, the city will fall eventually. Several XCOM soldiers were taken out during the conflict. I estimate that XCOM will modify their tactics if they engage again. We may not see Patricia against Andromedon forces for some time until XCOM figures out what we did, and develops a way to counter it.

Los Angeles was taken successfully with Disciple-7 outflanking and baiting the ADVENT forces into traps and poor positioning. I was hesitant at the promotion of a Sargon to such a high level of responsibility, but he has proven himself in his handling of this attack. Despite taking significant casualties, the majority of them were Mutons and replaceable, and in return there were multiple XCOM operatives neutralized including a psion and MEC.

ADVENT nearly destroyed one of our Gateway Transports, but were forced to retreat before too much damage was inflicted. Time should have been taken to set up defenses before revealing the location, and we can no longer rely on that tactic working as ADVENT will now be aware and watching for it being implemented. Greater care should be taken before expending our most valuable units on potentially risky strategies.

Portland was a forced retreat, but I largely attribute that to the inability of the Vitakara to counter specialized XCOM forces such as psions and MECs. The limited Sectoid Leaders appears to help, but were ultimately too few to stop them completely. It reinforces my assertion that Irinena is not well-suited for large-scale tactics, and should stick to her specialty of managing strike forces. The Lurainian are also ill-suited for open combat and should be used to their maximum potential in special operations.

Nevertheless, Irinena was able to extract a high number of ADVENT casualties, and was able to preserve a large part of her fighting force. She is currently performing much better with keeping ADVENT pinned within the city and not allowing them to retake more ground west. She would be well-suited to managing stateside counter-operations.

San Francisco was a clear victory, and ADVENT and XCOM are now well aware of your capabilities, Battlemaster. I will not go into detail as you know the details of your attack intimately. Despite this being largely a success, there are several important notes we should take.

XCOM appears to have enhanced their genetically modified soldiers. I am unsure as to how, but they are reportedly far more resilient and mobile. Some were taking direct plasma shots with little effect and had little fear of harm. Disciple-7 reported that a number of his soldiers died to a toxin inserted by a stinger-like appendage attached to one of the XCOM soldiers. If they are beginning to extensively modify themselves to this degree, we should watch carefully.

This also confirms that XCOM has awakened new Psions, as the majority of the ones that appeared were not specified as such until they began fighting. And they appeared to have more training and control than they should have, which is likely the result of both Aegis' and Patricia's training. They should be made priority targets in each conflict going forth.

END REPORT

* * *

Run

That was my only thought as that "battle" progressed, if you could even call it that. Fuck it, no, it was a _slaughter_ , there are no other ways you can describe what happened there. And yeah, I ran away before the official retreat was called. Is it cowardly? Maybe to anyone else, but it swear on my life it was a matter of _survival_.

Anyone who knows even a little bit about me knows I don't back down from a fight. I give it my all and usually come out on top. But I'm also not an idiot. I know when I'm outmatched and staying would be suicide. Is it cowardly to run if you know you'll die otherwise? Maybe, but I don't think so. There isn't anything _valorous_ about staying to die. There's nothing _heroic_ about going out in a blaze of glory and there's definitely nothing _honorable_ about facing a literal demon alone.

ADVENT apparently doesn't hold my running away against me since I'm back with them, I'm not a _deserter_. But I'm never going to be able to forget what I saw there. At least I'm not the only one. So many of us are going to have PTSD from that battle alone. Just _being_ there is hard enough.

I don't know what that… _thing_ …was that we fought, but I'm not even sure it's mortal. _Nothing could kill it_. I saw _rockets_ hit the damn thing and it just walked on. It stood against hundreds, no, _thousands_ of gauss weapons and didn't even flinch. Tank rounds only seemed to amuse it and we might as well have been wearing paper for how much good it did us.

Who the fuck fights with a _sword_ anyway?

That guy, apparently. I thought the XCOM MECs were intimidating, but it's nothing compared to a twelve-foot, four-armed, armored alien holding a greatsword coming at you. Sounds ridiculous, I know, and I'd be laughing if the whole thing wasn't actually happening. Didn't help that it seemed to teleport everywhere. One minute it was chopping up and entire squad, then a few seconds later it would vanish and appear by another squad. By the end I think it was getting bored, or just showing off. I heard from some of the other surviving soldiers.

He'd close a hand and heads would explode, he would pick soldiers up with his free hands, and teleport away one by one. He'd throw soldiers into helicopter blades and slam their heads on his crossguard. He was utterly brutal and terrifying and by the end they said he was covered in so much blood and gore he looked like something out of a slaughterhouse.

I really hope XCOM knows how to kill that thing, because I don't think that we can.

\- Jack Carpenter, ADVENT Soldier

* * *

I'm not sure what will happen to us now. It's almost-no, it _is_ a miracle that we're all still alive and unharmed. ADVENT was trying to evacuate everyone as best they could, but when the shooting started in the distance, they pretty much just told us to bar the doors and pray no one came through. Gave me a pistol, for whatever good it would do.

I didn't even know how to work one the things, so I just set it to the side away from the kids.

The kids were scared though, not the younger ones, thankfully. They knew something was wrong, but not exactly what and stuck close to their friends who actually tried to downplay what was going on. I've never been more proud of them than I was then, even though the older ones were terrified. They knew what was happening and were just hugging their brothers and sisters close and trying to keep them calm.

Some of the teenagers tried to arm themselves with baseball bats, pipes, in a futile effort to defend each other in case the fighting came to them. One asked for the gun and I refused. I knew he didn't know how to use it either, but it was a comfort to him for whatever reason. As it dragged on though, things were not sounding good.

Amy, Jason and I were exchanging worried glances as we heard shouting and screaming getting closer and we could only raise the TV volume so much before we began freaking the younger kids out. But then everything stopped and we wondered if we were safe.

We couldn't have been more wrong. I remember the alien charged through the door shattering it into wooden splinters. It was _massive_. It had four arms, some kind of armor and most terrifying of all, held a bloodstained _sword_ of all things in one of its hands. It stared at me through its helmet and I was waiting for it to attack and kill me.

Amy shouted at the kids to run, but she suddenly grabbed her throat and passed out. I think the alien did something to her, but he just stood there, looking down at us and the terrified kids who were looking up at him waiting to die. I wanted to shout at them to run, _I_ wanted to run, but I didn't and couldn't for whatever reason.

Maybe I realized it would be futile, or maybe it was something the alien did. But for whatever reason, he did nothing. He just looked at me and said something like "Keep the children here" in a booming and echoing voice that left no choice but obedience. I'm not sure I could have disobeyed if I tried. I just remember nodding and he turned around and…left.

I don't know why the alien spared us. But I am glad he didn't kill the children. Now we can only wait and hope that our fate won't be execution or worse. ADVENT must have lost, and we can only hope that the aliens are more merciful than we've seen.

\- Charlie Anton, Director of the San Francisco Orphanage for Homeless Children


	25. Andromedons - Unit: Battlefield Engineer

Andromedons: Unit

Battlefield Engineer

* * *

" _Don't wound Andromedons, kill them outright. Otherwise they'll just get fixed by those red-tinted bastards."_

\- Fakhr al-Din, XCOM soldier

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy AND02**

Species: Andromedon

Unit Identity: "Battlefield Engineer"

Codename: Comstock

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

Suit Disassembly Overseer: Head of XCOM Engineering Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"Physically, this Andromedon is identical to the ones we extracted from the Soldier-variant suits, which leads me to theorize that they have a non-natural way of reproduction much like the Sectoids, or perhaps the ancient Ethereals. However, unlike the Soldiers, these designated "Battlefield Engineers" have far more cybernetic enhancement than others."

"The extent of this cybernetic enhancement is unknown, save for the fact that it is all concentrated in the brain and there are several visible ports that could connect to external sources, similar to how our own MECs link with their suits. While it does appear that these Andromedons _can_ connect to their suits, none of the corpses we recovered actually were."

"However, they did have other implants of unknown function attached, which we are still figuring out. Shen has speculated that it may be a way of storing specific knowledge, or controlling the drones that fly over them. Disassembly is still proceeding."

"These Andromedons have been observed performing a purely supportive role, and are generally not seen on the front lines, though when pressed, they are present and supporting the aliens with their significant mechanical skills. On its own, this Andromedon does not pose a threat, but from experience, it appears that only one Battlefield Engineer can ensure that the aliens win, if for no other reason than their suits can be repaired indefinitely, which our own soldiers cannot replicate on our own."

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Raymond Shen_

"Compared to the suits of the Andromedon Soldiers, they seem advanced to an entirely new level. On the outside, they appear little different with the exception of the red-tinted helmet and places for storing tools and parts, but internally, it is one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology I have ever seen."

"In the right hands, these suits have the capability to be as mobile and precise as our own MECs, and every single function is designed to potentially be accessed by the pilot. Indeed, there appear to be means for the Andromedon to physically connect and control the suit, though oddly enough, that has not been something we've observed in the pilots we've recovered."

"Another interesting note is the drone that flies overhead. I theorize it is to assist in repairs, but there have been reports of Andromedons using the drone to attack or harass, so it clearly can be modified to have some offensive capabilities. However, unlike the Soldiers, there only appears to be non-weaponized attachments such as welders and assisting appendages on the armor, no chemical dispenses or rocket launchers, which I'm sure will come to the relief of our soldiers."

Report:

Now that the suit has been entirely disassembled, as have the drones and implants found in the Andromedon pilots themselves, we can make far stronger theories about the exact level of threat they pose to us.

The implants appear to be a mix of signal emitters and data storage caches. Shen has theorized that the caches might hold technical information or precise details that might otherwise be forgotten by the pilot. This would imply that these Battlefield Engineers actually have limited applicability, and have to prepare for each battle. It is also curious that they would rely on such measures, unless their memory is worse than we originally believed?

Regardless, the other main implant is without a doubt used to control the drone, through a means that Dr. Shen is still working on. But it appears to give the Andromedon complete control over it. The drone itself also appears to be completely unique to each Battlefield Engineer, with a range of functions that do not conform to an understandable standard.

Some are purely for assisting in repair, others have miniature plasma cannons built into them and are used offensively. It is impossible to know for certain until actually seeing the drone in action. In all respects, they hold the same strengths and weaknesses as the suit of the Soldier, but is not as offensively capable.

It is likely that they can be overcome with telepathy, but it would not a stretch to wonder if the Andromedons could enhance the implants to slave the brain to specific commands if the pilot was compromised. A more crude application of the Manchurian Program, I presume. More research is required, and preferably a live specimen to experiment upon.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes_

 _There is little I can add to this that would be of interest to you, Dr. Vahlen. You correctly and accurately noted the role of the Battlefield Engineers and their importance to Andromedon combat. Andromedons take casualties seriously, and thus the Battlefield Engineer is arguably the most important unit in their arsenal. An army that cannot die is one that will eventually win._

 _Concerning their implants, it is more a matter of efficiency than poor memory. On their own Andromedons are highly intelligent, especially Battlefield Engineers, however having the ability to recall the exact blueprints on a specific suit could save precious time in repairing it than relying solely on a fallible memory._

 _While this doesn't entirely relate to the subject at hand, you did comment on the origins of Andromedons, so I can answer that all modern Andromedons are grown in tanks. Their system is similar to Imperial breeding, but the creation of batches of Andromedons is discussed on a Union level, at least regarding the exchange of genetic material and research. All Unions have their own breeding facilities, but it would be a mistake to call all of them clones, as they make a point not to do so and consider each Andromedon a true individual._

 _Indeed, it is one reason they consider themselves superior to the Sectoids, and yet another reason to dislike the Hive Commanders._

* * *

Collective Species Report 00AF

Subject: Andromedon Technical Interest

Report Author: Zar'vizor'yaharam

Zar'Chon,

I do not like to bring attention or cast doubt upon our allies, but nonetheless I feel it appropriate to bring some matters to your attention, which is namely the Andromedon interest in Collective equipment. This is not specifically related to Vitakara technology, but Sectoid as well, and potentially Ethereal (Which includes the Gateways-although they won't be able to figure out much there).

Presumably, it is for their Battlefield Engineers so that they can more efficiently repair any damaged equipment that might be suffered in a battle, but if that were the case, they could have simply gone through J'Loran who would almost certainly be willing to provide them with what they wanted. But instead they appear to be attempting to gather this information on their own, manually.

They haven't attempted any unauthorized hacking or access, but they have instead made requests for inspection of various spacecraft and technology, and have been observed performing some kind of scan on it. It might be simple diagnostic checks, but it is also entirely possible that they are attempting to build their own schematics of Collective technology from scratch.

Their reasoning could be genuinely to improve the efficiency of their Battlefield Engineers, but considering that J'Loran seems unaware of this, and the Andromedon obsession with contingency plans, I do not think it appropriate to simply ignore this if they are gathering information on us so blatantly. Part of me questions this because it seems so obvious…but I'm not sure chances can be taken, especially with such a species.

I recommend you forward my findings to J'Loran and the Battlemaster. If any Andromedon can figure out what the actual goal is, it would be him. Names and Suit IDs of identified Andromedons have also been disclosed in this message.

* * *

"Fighting Andromedons is like fighting a cockroach that runs away and heals itself every time it scratches its armor. I would almost find it funny how squeamish these aliens are if they didn't seem to be so good at killing us. Seriously, it seems as if even the paint is scratched, they immediately run away to get fixed up by those Andromedons in the back."

"Cowards. But smart cowards, if that makes any sense. Guess we know their secret weapon now, and apparently without these repair Andromedons, they won't be able to fight nearly as well. I wonder what they'll do when they realize they can't take stupid risks. Maybe not stand out in the open? Eh, probably not. They seem a special bunch. Almost too arrogant for their own good.

Makes it all the more satisfying when one of them blows up. I hope there's a special place in hell for these death-defying cowardly aliens. The irony would be amazing."

\- Samuel Yi, ADVENT Officer


	26. Andromedons - Dossier: J'Loran

Andromedons: Dossier

Collective Andromedon Commander J'Loran

* * *

" _We face a crucial choice and I will not allow our species make the wrong one."_

\- Collective Andromedon Commander J'Loran

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** J'Loran, Formerly of Union Haruma

 **Current Role:** Collective Andromedon Commander

 **Current Interference Level:** Low

 **Threat Level:** Medium

 **Usage Level:** Low

 **RESTRICTION: Overseer of the Assembly Aui'sareesh'golon**

Brief Assessment: Overseer, you are aware that my loyalty is to the Collective first, and then to the Aui'Vitakar, but nonetheless, that does not dissuade me from watching for threats to our way of life and species. Thus, I feel obligated to warn you to tread carefully in your relations with the Collective, and Andromedons in particular.

The Battlemaster has recently begun reorganizing the Collective military into his own personal Division, in essence building it from nothing, and that includes his inner circle of officers. While small, the choices are particularly warranting some interest, largely the appointment of the Andromedon J'Loran to such a role.

If the respected Assembly is unaware of the new Collective Andromedon Commander, then I will summarize his history as best as I was able to learn from the limited Andromedon records we were able to access. J'Loran originally came from Union Haruma, which is one of the smaller and atypical of the Andromedon Unions, primarily focusing on chemical and bioengineering, but they are ultimately unimportant to J'Loran himself.

J'Loran entered the Andromedon military specializing in biological warfare, so it is no surprise that he was assigned to the Contamination Operatives and by the end of his first term, was one of the ranking soldiers in that division. His methods were often very decisive and precise, with some ulterior motive beyond the denial of enemy ground. He's personally been involved in terraforming worlds to suit Andromedon physiology, which has always required the ultimate destruction of the current ecosystem, and J'Loran specializes in such endeavors.

Putting him in charge of the most powerful Collective Andromedon army is up for debate, but what I want to draw your attention to is his motives and attitudes towards the Vitakara. For reasons I have yet to determine, he does not seem to approve of our species, and the most speculated reason is that he views us as emotionally inhibited, that is, too empathetic. Andromedon history is filled with constant war, the Ethereals were almost wiped out, the Sectoids are drones to the Hive Commanders and the Mutons were barely beyond tribes when the Battlemaster subdued them.

Contrast that to our own species, where our own history is relatively peaceful, and has seen no interspecies conflict in thousands of years. Such a concept is likely difficult for him to grasp, and due to our prominence in the Collective, it is likely he feels like it is unearned, perhaps because our species was saved by the Ethereals themselves.

Another factor to consider is that he is a true Collective loyalist, though I cannot help but wonder if this is partially due to the influence of the Battlemaster. Regardless, as a rule he tends to disapprove of species that refuse to fully commit to the Collective, which admittedly does include his own species. He was one of the loudest voices pushing for the Federation to join with the Collective more firmly, so the fact that the Aui'Vitakar is largely autonomous, and the Runianarch and Lurainian answer to them is almost a threat in his eyes, despite how closely you've worked with the Ethereals before.

Nevertheless, the appointment of such an individual by the Battlemaster raises some concerns, and while I doubt the Battlemaster is truly considering annexing the Aui'Vitakar, the fact that he has one who will not hesitate to carry it out is telling in it of itself. Tread carefully with Ethereal interactions, Overseer, and I would suggest you being intertwining Vitakara and Andromedon resources and trade. Colonization also needs to be expanded. The Andromedons are a very practical species, Overseer, and the more dangerous and valuable we are to them, the safer our species will be until I can determine what the ultimate goal of the Battlemaster is here.

Because it is not simply filling a role, J'Loran is a contingency plan, and I do not like what that implies.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 1988**

Subject: J'Loran

Current Occupation: Collective Andromedon Commander, Division of the Battlemaster

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask

 _Approved by:_ The Commander

Section 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Andromedon)

 _Eye color:_ Unknown

 _Skin color:_ Brown

 _Height_ : 8'11' (Suit) (Estimated)

 _Weight_ : Unknown

 _Distinguishing Features:_ J'Loran appears to wear a heavily modified Andromedon soldier's suit, specifically with the addition of heavy chemical dispensers on the arms, and a micro-missile launcher on the left shoulder. The helmet is the same yellow, but there is some kind of symbol etched into it which we have not been able to translate. It isn't Ethereal Script, so we can likely assume it is an Andromedon equivalent, his union name, perhaps?

 _Physical Condition:_ Unknown (Suit negates this factor)

 _Union of Origin:_ Haruma (Suspected)

SECTION 2: Psychological Assessment

This is a clever little alien, I'll give him that much. Aegis was unfortunately not able to help much in identifying useful information since he rarely interfered in Collective military matters, much less those under the Battlemaster. But what he _was_ able to tell me was that J'Loran is a loyalist to an almost absurd degree, which he suspects is because of the Battlemaster. He also appears to hold some disgust for all species not affiliated with the Collective (Which ironically, includes some of his own species).

Aegis described him as a 'machine' which matches up to how he behaved when I fought him. He appears to identify problems, and counter them. I try and take control of aliens, he controls them right back. Him having the foresight to do that is respectable, despite how irritating it was. He appears to have some skill at specifically identifying weaknesses in opponents and negating their strengths.

Aegis also told me that he is apparently both terrified and hates psionics, which is why he goes to such lengths to avoid being controlled. In seemingly making himself immune to my own powers, it involved him cybernetically enslaving his brain to a series of pre-programmed instructions if it detected psionic meddling. Clever, but it also has the downside of making him less efficient on the battlefield, a fact which I was unaware of at the time.

How this is possible is something both Aegis and I don't know, although he suspects it is based off the technology used to create the Andromedon Special Operators (Which thankfully aren't in use anymore, otherwise we might have issues), although how and why he was able to discover this and get it authorized by the Federation raises some questions.

SECTION 3: Threat Assessment

Of many of the aliens I've faced, this is one of the first that gave me a significant amount of trouble, and now he knows it. J'Loran is competent, smart and more importantly, knows how to utilize his forces and counter our own. That potentially means that our psions will be much less effective when facing armies directly under him, because if he can negate my telepathic effect, he likely has plans to disrupt all forms of psionics.

His suit itself seems designed for front-line combat, and like most Andromedons, we'll likely have difficulty taking it down without a liberal usage of explosives and concentrated fire. J'Loran is probably able to take out an entire ADVENT squad on his own, and might be able to fight a poorly prepared XCOM squad to a standstill.

What is also difficult to contend with is that J'Loran is well aware of the danger an XCOM soldier poses, and will concentrate an overwhelming amount of resources on just one soldier, even if it means that more of his own soldiers will die. This alien cares about results, and in his mind, every dead XCOM soldier increases his chances of victory.

He isn't wrong, and I have to respect him for that.

The one advantage we do hold over him is that he is unlikely to be able to predict with exact certainty who he will be facing. He can adapt well, but he may be faced with a substandard force and that might prove fatal to him. Now that we know how he protects himself from telepathy, we might be able to exploit that with our own computer hackers, and perhaps take control of him or at least his suit.

J'Loran has his weaknesses, but we have to approach any conflict with him carefully, else we will lose over and over again. I recommend we build a dedicated squad specifically for taking him out, because we can't rely on every conflict going as well as Seattle, and that ended in a _draw_.

* * *

 _Address to the Andromedon Federation by Terraforming Overseer J'Loran_

"Chief Overseer, Federation representatives, I appreciate that you have allowed me to provide my input in light of the recent contact with this Ethereal Collective. After consideration and speaking with their leaders, as well as analyzing their military forces, I believe it is in the best interests of the Andromedon Federation to ally with them."

"I have not been party to the discussions held privately with the Ethereals, but I can say for certain that they are not our enemy unless we make them one. We have been running on our own for too long, ignoring the fact that we are not, nor ever have been, alone in this galaxy. We know that we cannot stand on our own against the uncontrollable forces of this galaxy and to pretend otherwise is foolish and petty."

"We have an opportunity now to not only ensure the continued survival of our species, but expand in ways that would be impossible otherwise. The powers these aliens wield are unlike anything I have ever seen, which no doubt some will see as a threat, but which I see as an opportunity. We gain nothing by refusing to ally, and everything to lose by ignoring, or worse, going to war with them."

"The time of our isolation must end, and we have survived an attempt on our entire species. We must work to ensure we are never in that position again, and to do that, we must find _allies_. This Collective is composed of two separate species in addition to these Ethereals, and while our own military is a force to be reckoned with, their combined might is not something we can stop."

"But another question we must ask ourselves is what the purpose of this Collective is? After speaking with several of these Ethereals, simple conquest is not something I believe they want. Nor do I believe this Collective is a simple progression of the result of species meeting each other. They have a purpose for their Collective, and unless we want to be ignorant as to what that is, we should make efforts to at least understand the answer."

"While I am aware my past and Union calls some of my statements into question, I know war, I know militaries, I know hostile aliens. And so when I say that the Ethereals are preparing for something…I believe it and I suspect that this body knows better than me what that could entail. Our species stands at a crossroads here, one that will define the path we take for centuries to come. We cannot afford to make the wrong decision here. Keep that in mind when discussing this topic, because the Federation will not allow you to forget it."

 _Pause (Unidentifiable voice)._ _"What do you mean by that?"_

"I mean that if you make the wrong decision, you will reignite the Union Wars. And I believe that no one here will consider that a good thing. You have the eyes of our species on you. Choose your words carefully."

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 110111110000

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

RESTRICTION: THE BATTLEMASTER

UNITS(S) OF INTEREST: XCOM PSIONS

SPECIES: HUMAN

NOTE: WEAPON TECH SET TO (TECH_LEVEL=BEAM || TECH_LEVEL=GAUSS)

IDENTIFIED PSIONIC SPECIALIZATIONS:

SPECIALIZATION 1: OFFENSIVE/ATTACK

ABILITIES (MANUAL COMMENT): We have seen psions of this specialization utilize the disruptive energy of psionics to manipulate it into ripping enemies apart on an individual or area level. Some also have the ability to concentrate energy in their hands and fire concentrated bursts or beams of pure psionic energy that has been noted to rip through armor of Muton Elites.

The range of these abilities appears to be limited, though this might simply be due to inexperience, not an ingrained limit of their psionic potential. But there have not been observed displays of human-created psionic rifts that have affected more than four enemies. It should also be noted that usage of such unstable psionic energy visibly scars their arms, although doesn't cause permanent damage.

The only known human psion wielding these kind of abilities was the now-deceased Annette Durand, who was killed by the Ravaged One, though not before killing a large number of Collective soldiers. If XCOM has more psions of this specialization, we will not know until they awaken more. Nevertheless, the overall tactics for neutralization will not change.

NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): Mobility is not a strength of these psions, and they continuously require a period of time to gather their power before unleashing it. Thus, the obvious counter is the usage of highly agile and mobile units to continuously force them to move. Any Berserker unit or Heavy Floater will suffice. Seeker units might also prove useful for disruption, but could easily be destroyed by more powerful psions.

While psions do not require the usage of limbs to utilize their powers, the truth is that most rely on them as appropriate directors of power. Psions of this specialization are likely resistant to pain due to the nature of their abilities, but they can be surgically negated nonetheless. Psions will need to expose themselves to use their powers, and should a killing blow not be possible, a strike that neutralizes the arms of these psions is equivalent to taking the weapon away from a soldier; in essence, rendering it powerless.

A more traditional defense is the usage of Sectoid Leaders to enact psionic shields to absorb psionic attacks and thus negate their power over ordinary soldiers. It is recommended that Leaders be supplemented with additional forces, or used in conjunction with the tactics listed above due to the fragility of these units.

SPECIALIZATION 2: DEFENSIVE

ABILITIES (MANUAL COMMENT): Psions of this specialization have straightforward abilities, namely enacting purple-tinted bubble and shields that absorb plasma fire, psionic attacks and more. These shields and bubbles can be large enough to protect entire squads, or even individual soldiers. The unfortunate truth is that even a weak barrier is incredibly resilient and cannot be disrupted easily.

In addition to these defensive abilities, the shields have been seen being used offensively, acting as an equivalent to a stasis ward. Protecting the one trapped inside from harm, but effectively negating them altogether (This can also be used on friendly units, specifically wounded ones). An additional note that will not apply to our soldiers, but nonetheless be essential for our psions, these defensive psions have stronger minds than typical psions, though not on the level of telepaths.

The only identified XCOM psion in operation is Iosif Bronis, who is still active and presumably training more psions as well as improving his own abilities. He participated in killing both the Hive Commander in the Earth Sectoid Hive and the one sent to assault the Citadel. He is not to be underestimated and poses a clear and present threat to our offenses. Said Tariq, one of the EXALT "Furies", has also been identified as one of these psions, though field data on him is not available

NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): The most obvious tactic is overwhelming firepower, but tests with Ethereal Aegis have revealed the general folly of relying on such a tactic. Unless we have a gauge on the approximate power level of the psion, concentrated fire does very little as the defensive psions are specifically trained for such attacks.

The hard truth is that it is extremely difficult to reliably kill these psions. They do not require much time to utilize their powers, and can trap mobile units in stasis fields, negating that strategy. Thus the most appropriate strategy is to force the psion to divide their concentration. For every Berserker they trap in stasis, that is time they are not shielding allied soldiers.

In order to properly combat these psions, we must deliberately sacrifice them. We must strike in all places, and more to the point, _kill_ opposing soldiers the psion is not protecting. Traditional standoffs are not useful in accomplishing this, so we must adapt. I recommend we convert a portion of our Floater force into suicide bombers to fly into ADVENT positions that are not being protected by the psion, and repeat this tactic, striking wherever they are not protecting. A psion that cannot reliably defend is useless, and continuous attacks will strain their concentration, especially if the attacks are successful and they are continuously besieged by Berserker and Heavy Floater harassment.

In the end, the most effective way of negating this psion is not killing it, but making it ineffectual and causing it to overexert itself.

SPECIALIZATION 3: TELEPATHY

ABILITIES (MANUAL COMMENT): These psions are potentially the most dangerous out of them all. They have the capability to dominate and control the minds of our soldiers, either dropping dozens of units with a single thought or worse, ordering them to turn on their own brethren. They appear to have easily dominated every species encountered so far, with the exception of Ethereals and Hive Commanders, but it is a small comfort when they can turn an entire team of Andromedons against their subordinates.

They also pose a much greater threat off the battlefield, as they no longer have any reason to employ traditional interrogation techniques as they can simply read the minds of our agents. All psions can sense emotions, as you know, but only a few can actually read minds, and these psions are among them. It also gives them unstoppable political and international power, should they choose to utilize it. Had XCOM wanted it, I imagine that they could have simply forced the leaders of the world to support them, and why they have not done so is questionable, but perhaps they feel it is too risky.

Naturally, the most infamous Human psion, Patricia Trask, is a telepath. She was the primary reason why XCOM was able to defeat the Ravaged One and his forces when he attacked the Citadel, and she is only growing stronger. Andromedons, Mutons, every Collective unit we have used is powerless against her and that is what makes her the most dangerous Human on Earth. We also have confirmation that both Moira Vahlen and the Fury Fatima Tariq (Another EXALT psion) are telepaths, but their power level appears to not be as extensive.

NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): The only way to reliably stop a psion is to either disrupt or prevent their control over the minds of organics. However, the only way that is possible is to cybernetically alter the brains of soldiers to allow them to be controlled remotely. Technology that has only recently been developed for Mutons, and not at all for Vitakara or Sectoids.

Short of psionically strengthening a mind, there is no defense other than the psion overexerting themselves. Despite the controversial nature of such a tactic, it must be done if we are ever able to even hope to defeat not just Patricia, but any other telepath XCOM awakens. To do this I have begun converting all Muton forces under my command to be cybernetically enslaved to an Andromedon-controlled network which will force them to obey simple commands.

I also have access to all suit overrides of my own Andromedon soldiers which will negate control over them directly. I suspect the Vitakara will have issues with such a measure, so I will simply advise not to use them if telepaths are likely to be encountered, and the same with Sectoids with the exception of Hive Commanders.

There are very few solutions for telepaths, and we must use each and every one, regardless of cost.

SPECIALIZATION 4: TELEKINESIS

ABILITIES (MANUAL COMMENT): Their psions in this specialization have been observed to do exactly as you would expect. Telekinetics is an aspect with which you are intimately familiar, so I will not rehash the specifics, only the scale. In truth, it is much like your own application, very small-scale and direct.

There is little that can be done to effectively _stop_ them from applying crushing force to our soldiers, aside from some psionic shields which the majority of our soldiers do not possess. In addition they can create telekinetic fields which stop solid projectiles, which includes our own grenades and missiles. Do note that they cannot stop plasma or beam weapons.

As far as we know, the only known telekinetic psions are the Human identified as Matthew Hawkins, who was one of the so-called "Furies" from EXALT. The Commander himself is also identified as using basic telekinesis, though he doesn't appear to be nearly as powerful as Matthew. The psion proved devastating to our forces in Japan who had no answer for his abilities.

NEUTRALIZATION (MANUAL COMMENT): These psions rely on line of sight to be truly effective, so thus they must be isolated and flanked as quickly as possible. Floaters are especially useful in this regard, and utilizing quick units such as Chryssalids and Berserkers may have the attentional impact of focusing his attention or distracting him from flanking units.

Similar to attack psions, debilitating his arms would have largely the same effect as neutralizing him altogether. Psionic shields can also be used to protect exposed units, or even to prevent crushing from such actions, though the amount of psions powerful enough to resist one of these psions is limited. Heavier units stand the best chance against psions.

Cyberdisks would be particularly useful, but largely for support as the telekinetic would have the ability to stop the projectiles with a telekinetic field. Drones are durable and small, and could provide harassment. Muton Elites are one of the most durable of the species and would suffice well. Sectopods are perhaps the best counter, as only truly powerful telekinetics could deal with them, and their weapons can't be blocked by the psion himself.

In dealing with telekinetics, unit composition is the key to victory, not necessarily the tactics employed.


	27. Ethereals - Dossier: The Battlemaster

Ethereals: Dossier

The Battlemaster

* * *

" _You cannot kill the Battlemaster, you can only slow him down."_

\- Zar'nartha'intha

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** "The Battlemaster" (Real name unknown)

 **Current Role:** Commander of the Ethereal Collective Military

 **Current Interference Level:** Low

 **Threat Level:** Low

 **Usage Level:** Low

Brief Assessment: The Battlemaster, as his title states, is in fact surprisingly public for an Ethereal. If there is one of their kind most know about, it is him. He very rarely interacts with non-military personnel, but does not make any attempt whatsoever to hide himself and is frequently seen, especially within the specific division he commands.

But despite his publicity, there is very little we know about him personally. His name is completely unknown, and as far as we know, he hasn't shared it with anyone. He keeps professional relationships with his command staff, who we have identified as J'Loran, Lura'irinena'borelia of the Lurainian, and most recently, the Sargon identified as Disciple-7. He has also acquainted himself with virtually every single prominent military figure in the Runianarch, Lurainian, Zararch, Andromedon Federation Military and most, if not all, Hive Commanders.

It would not be a stretch to assume he knows not just the Collective Military, but _all_ militaries inside and out. Interviews with those who have worked under him reveal a tactician and strategist that is unmatched in just how much he _knows_. I understand that this does not necessarily translate into results, but anyone who memorizes every single Collective Division, troop movements and favored training regiments is someone worth watching.

Of all the Ethereals, the Battlemaster has shown the most initiative in openly working with outside species and does not seem to have any issues working with them, provided they follow his orders. His willingness to work with does not necessarily mean he holds positive views on the species. While it isn't said openly, it is suspected that he dislikes the Sectoids and does not entirely trust the Andromedons. But this is rumor I am unable to confirm.

In terms of his actual strategies and tactics, that is something we are still unsure on. The only recorded instance of the Battlemaster performing a sanctioned military operation was against the Muton species shortly after their discovery. Of course, we know this 'operation' was the Battlemaster going down onto the planet and personally subjugating the species. We can make some theories regarding his mindset, but without more neutral data, it is impossible to accurately predict his strategies and tactics.

First: The Battlemaster is _methodical_. It took nearly six months for him to fully subjugate the Mutons, when it could have been accomplished in perhaps half the time, especially if we had utilized more traditional propaganda methods and used the destruction of larger tribes to intimidate smaller ones into submission. But no, the Battlemaster wanted to personally subjugate _every_ tribe on his own, and he did so. The length of a campaign appears to mean nothing to him, but his victory is absolute.

Second: The Battlemaster is _honorable_. A trait that I was surprised to actually observe. He may be at a gross advantage, but he made an attempt at giving the Mutons a fair fight. There was no reason to plant caches of advanced technology near the appropriate tribes, but he did so anyway, and allowed them time to experiment. A questionable decision, but I cannot dispute that he didn't give them a chance. This implies that he may be…less amenable to the more underhanded tactics employed in war, and instead insist that it be waged on within his own rigid ruleset. I suppose it largely depends on if he outranks other Ethereals who might take issue with his straightforward approach. He also does not seem to care about civilian casualties, but will avoid targeting heavily populated areas, and specifically orders that civilians not be killed unless they attack or assist those against him or his forces.

Third: The Battlemaster is _powerful_. You might feel that is obvious, but feel I need to once again state that he _subjugated an entire species on his own_. Such a feat should be impossible, yet the Battlemaster did it with ease. I assume you have seen the footage of him during the Muton subjugation and how he took on armies of thousands on his own. You cannot simply dismiss it because it was against "primitives" as he fights with only his sword and psionics. Why he handicaps himself so is a mystery, but it appears not to have hindered him in the least.

Now imagine what he could do with an entire army at his command.

I do not exaggerate when I say that the Battlemaster alone may be more powerful than the Vitakara, Andromedon and Sectoid armies _combined_. He is also exceptionally loyal to the Collective, and I can only imagine he deals with traitors like he does with enemies: Termination with absolute prejudice. Be careful when dealing with the Battlemaster, Zar'Chon, because while he will never stab you in the back, he will execute you for all to see.

But stay on his good side and you have the key to defeating any enemy.

\- Zar'sargin'mattis

* * *

REPORT: 001011000101

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 03 (THE BATTLEMASTER)

KNOWN ALIASES: "THE BATTLEMASTER"; "COMMANDER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE MILITARY"; "BATTLEMASTER"

CURRENT POSITION: COMMANDER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE MILITARY; COMMANDER OF THE DIVISION OF THE BATTLEMASTER

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: MASTER TACTICIAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: MASTER SWORDSMAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUBJUGATED MUTON SPECIES WITH NO OUTSIDE HELP

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEKINESIS; UNIDENTIFIED PERFORMANCE ENHANCING ABILITIES

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): LOW

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Battlemaster has been identified as one of the most prominent Ethereals in the entire Collective, and is heavily involved in the Collective military and all relations with Collective species militaries. The Battlemaster appears entirely focused on securing and improving the defenses of the Ethereal Collective, and appears to hold no political or social stances, at least not publically.

Observations and interactions with this Ethereal are straightforward. The Battlemaster expects loyalty and obedience and rewards subordinates with the same loyalty and respect afforded to him. This has resulted in many of the subordinates under him, including Andromedons assigned specifically to his division, being heavily loyal to the Ethereal Collective and the Battlemaster personally.

This may be possibly due to psionic influence, although the Battlemaster has not been observed performing feats of telepathy, but it may also be simply due to how involved the Battlemaster is, to a degree that it is not hard to imagine why he is afforded such respect, even among those who do not fully trust the Ethereals.

Observation of limited combat footage of the Battlemaster reveals an archaic fighting style using a physical greatsword in conjunction with telekinesis and psionically-induced physical feats that would not be possible normally. The fighting style appeared at first to be random, but further analysis indicates that the Battlemaster used techniques that seem to specifically target Muton weaknesses.

Simulations and further analysis reveal that fighting style applied to other species would not be nearly as effective, which produces a theory that the Battlemaster developed the style himself, and quite possibly has dozens that he can switch to at will, and we cannot discount that he has prepared for the possibility of facing Andromedon soldiers.

The Battlemaster is also suspected of being genetically modified to a degree, though it is estimated that the modifications are internal, perhaps to enhance stamina and speed. His height is likely also a product of genetic engineering, though this cannot be proven.

The Battlemaster presents a clear and present threat to the Andromedon Federation, should he become an enemy. It is difficult to produce accurate contingencies without additional combat data, but all analysis indicates very few weaknesses that can be exploited. The metal his armor and sword are forged from is not on any records, and is significantly stronger than any that is being produced within the Collective. It is unlikely that Andromedon suits will be able to reliably stand up against a direct assault.

However, the Battlemaster is predictable and can be manipulated. He has a clear set of internal guidelines centered around traditional "honorable" combat. These can be subverted to our advantage, and we can use this to control where and when combat occurs. He will also not employ subterfuge, allowing us to exploit it with our own operatives.

Speed is a major contributor to his battlefield presence, so anything that can be used to counter or slow him down will assist in his ultimate termination. Cooling agents would be exceptionally useful in this regard, and it is worth considering converting a portion of Contamination Operatives to utilize this, as well as standard Soldiers.

Despite this, as of this moment, the Battlemaster does not pose a threat, and this is not expected to change unless intentionally provoked or given reason to change his mind. Exercise caution when dealing with him

RECOMMENDATION: IDENTIFY USEFUL COOLING OR FLASH-FREEZING AGENTS AND BEGIN RESEARCH FOR INCORPORATION INTO SUIT SYSTEMS; DO NOT ANTAGONIZE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE UNTIL THIS TASK IS COMPLETE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 101; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

 _Recorded Conversation between the Battlemaster and Sargon Desolan-7_

The Battlemaster: "Do you know why you're here?"

Desolan-7: "Based on this Sargon's actions, casualties, and involvement of yourself; all probability points to execution or reassignment."

TB: "I have not decided your fate yet. But this situation warranted my attention."

D7: "I await your instructions, Battlemaster."

TB: "I will recount the events as I was informed, inform me of their accuracy. Andromedon C'Tran constructed a war game scenario and placed you as the opposing force commander."

D7: "That is correct. I obeyed as was required."

TB: "Why did he want to participate against a Sargon?"

D7: "He did not provide a reason. I speculate it was because he had little knowledge as to my intellectual capabilities, and assumed the intelligence of a Sargon was equivalent to a Centurion or Soldier. I attempted to inform him of my enhanced capabilities, but he either did not believe me or ignored me. I had no choice but to follow his orders."

TB: "I see. And with an inferior force, you managed to kill him and his entire team, including a Berserker Mongo not to mention a functioning Contamination Operative."

D7: "Correct. He ordered a fight to the death and I obeyed."

TB: "Curious. Is that common?"

D7: "Extremely, Battlemaster. Mutons are expendable and can easily be replaced, and it allows commanding Vitakara and Andromedons hone their skills utilizing Muton forces. However, my estimates conclude that baseline Muton intellect does not provide enough of a challenge to allow for significant improvement and serves little practical purpose other than to boost the self-esteem of officers. However, some officers do specify to not kill them should they lose the war game, but that rarely happens and as a result I am not surprised that Andromedon C'Tran neglected to clarify his orders."

TB: "Explain how you managed to take down his own army."

D7: "Muton soldiers are easily outmaneuvered and focus on one target at the exclusion of all else, with a substandard leader. After Andromedon C'Tran issued the order, I briefly recalled all previous war games with him and noted his strategies. He had a tendency to rapidly advance if winning, so I set up a trap and initially sent out an inferior force to face his squads of soldiers, then quickly retreated and lured him into a grenade crossfire with my own Grenadiers."

TB: "Clever. You sacrificed your soldiers to exploit his weakness."

D7: "I deemed the cost acceptable. I neutralized the Mongo next, ordering my soldiers to target its legs and joints to put it out of commission. Once that was accomplished, anti-personnel grenades inserted into the mouth made short work of the Berserker. At this point my force outnumbered his own and I moved to flank his remaining forces, pulling back and switching targets for my soldiers to confuse his own."

TB: "And you took down C'Tran."

D7: "Andromedon Contamination Operative suits have approximately six weak points, as identified by your own analysis. I ordered his chemical tanks targeted, neutralizing his primary weapons and next targeted the joints with high-explosive plasma grenades. Concentrated fire on the helmet broke it and killed the Andromedon, and with his movement disabled, there was little the suit could do when the computer systems took over. Suit control was destroyed with a surgically planted high-explosive plasma grenade."

TB: "How much combat experience do you have?"

D7: "My purpose is administrative duties of War Camp Desolan-7, and I have had no formal combat experience before this incident. However, I have attempted to study all war games that take place under my jurisdiction and have observed your own tactics when you neutralized the Muton species."

TB: "C'Tran was a fool and the Collective will not suffer from his loss. However, it would be a waste for you to remain here when your skills are arguably superior to many of my own subordinates."

D7: "I am ordered to remain here, Battlemaster. No Sargon has ever been given a different position."

TB: "Consider that changed. You will transfer to my command effective immediately. Another Sargon can take your place."

D7: "Understood, Battlemaster. Then I must request a designation change, as it no longer reflects my current position."

TB: "If you insist. You will be working and learning from me. Is there a word that you would ascribe to that?"

D7: "Several, Battlemaster. Recalling now…Disciple is an appropriate description."

TB: "Disciple-7 then. Make your arrangements to leave and report to my overseer as soon as possible. Dismissed."

Disciple-7: "Yes, Battlemaster."

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 100**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Battlemaster

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, XCOM Psychologist Haley Yates

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color:_ Solid orange

 _Skin color:_ Dark purple

 _Height:_ 12'3"

 _Weight:_ 301 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : Completely armored in silver battle armor that covers arms, torso, legs and head. Wears red cape from shoulders. Only carries a greatsword into battle.

 _Physical Condition:_ Exceptional

SECTION 2: Assessment

The Battlemaster is one that I have, and still do to an extent, consider a friend. During the height of the Ethereal Empire, and especially during the War against the Synthesized, the combination of an Aegis and Battlemaster was a combination that was very nearly impossible to beat. I personally worked very closely with the Battlemaster of the Sigma Sector, who is now the Battlemaster of the Ethereal Collective.

Even among the Battlemasters he was something of a prodigy, despite not being a natural birth, but he was one of the last to reach the rank itself. He made it his personal goal to be the best that he could, and I would agree that he succeeded in that regard. The Imperator ultimately chose him because before the Synthesized, he'd known that the Battlemaster of the Sigma Sector was up for consideration to become the Grandmaster of the Battlemasters should the current one retire.

I am unaware as to how the Imperator convinced him to join, but the Imperator convinced him after I approved of the choice. Right now he is completely focused on preparing for the return of the Synthesized and as a result is heavily involved in almost every aspect of the Ethereal Collective, as well as being exceptionally loyal to the Imperator, but more importantly, the mission for which he was recruited.

The Battlemaster has a very personal stake in the future war, because he told me once that part of his motivation is vengeance for the deaths of two Battlemasters who had once been his Disciples. I know nothing about them, aside from the fact that the Battlemaster cared enough about them to ultimately plan to avenge them. I do not know if he had more disciples than that, but I suspect not.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

The Battlemaster is…straightforward. Were circumstances different, I would imagine that you would get along well with him, Commander. You are similar in many aspects. You expect loyalty and give it in return, you respect and make an effort to ensure your soldiers are taken care of and you are fiercely protective of the ones you care about.

However, the Battlemaster does not have your subtlety, nor harsh practicality. I would not say that the Battlemaster is incapable of lying, but on pure principle he disliked the underhanded and deceptive work of intelligence gathering and utterly despises political machinations, even if he can understand them. He will grudgingly accept information from people like Quisilia and the Zar'Chon, but whenever he has the opportunity, he will do what he wants.

He does not approve of the concept of "surprise attacks" or "ambushes". When the Battlemaster attacks, _everyone_ knows about it, by design. He sees no honor in beating a foe that was unfairly weakened, and will automatically dismiss any kind of information that gives him personally an advantage.

He also has a tendency to take far longer with operations than some feel is necessary. He desires complete and utter victory, and that includes the subjugation of every city, town, base and farm that he sees on a map. He will not advance until all previous territory is fully secured, which often times gives opportunity for his enemies to prepare, which is something he approves of.

It might surprise you to know that the Battlemaster does not approve of telepathy. Physical psionic abilities are permitted in his mindset because the opponent has a chance, no matter how small, to fight back. Powerful telepathic psions cannot be stopped by ordinary people and thus he does not approve. He will accept help and knows the roles such powers play, but he will generally not appoint telepaths in division military, even if they are arguably needed.

The Battlemaster also will make an attempt to avoid civilian casualties. Or at the very least, he will not order their intentional deaths. Children in particular he will go to some lengths to avoid, and I have some suspicions as to why, though it may be simply the cultural remnants of our Empire where children were precious beyond compare.

He has actually developed some concern for Human children soon after he arrived at Earth. The concept of orphans is one he doesn't fully grasp, I believe, and has not been seen in any other race. Andromedons barely have a period of childhood and all are raised communally. Vitakara orphans are rare and always quickly adopted by another family within days. Mutons are not considered sentient enough for him to care and Sectoids have no children whatsoever. So the knowledge that there are millions of Human children without parents or anyone who cares about them, and that most Humans don't seem to care either way, is something he finds hard to grasp. He considers your entire process of child adoption akin to slave trading and finds the idea of paying money to legally adopt barbaric.

I of course can see the reasons behind your adoption process, even if there are significant drawbacks. But beside that, what you might be able to take away from that is that the Battlemaster, in many ways, is an idealist. He believes he is doing the right thing, and tends to always assume the best of both Ethereals and his subordinates. If shown otherwise he will take violent steps, but otherwise he will attempt to investigate the problem himself before assuming the worst.

It then says something that he despises the Hive Commanders, as he sees very little of value in what they offer, but will not do anything because the Imperator has declared them more useful alive than extinct. But if you will notice, he will rarely allow Sectoids or their technology into his personal Division, even if other Divisions employ them frequently. He is also suspicious of the Andromedons, and even the Vitakara to an extent due to their own espionage activities, but not nearly enough for him to ignore their loyal soldiers.

As for your own species…he developed a grudging respect for you since you've survived so long. This is likely why he's taken a personal interest, since he now sees an opponent that is worth his time to subdue. He is not simply doing it because of the Imperator's orders, but because he _wants_ someone to challenge him. He respects you personally, Commander, even if he finds your methods distasteful.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

I am afraid that the Battlemaster is impossible to kill with what weapons you have now. Battlemasters were created to be invincible, and for most purposes, they are. During the War with the Synthesized, it often took multiple Director Flagships and their forces to just kill one. Battlemasters have hardened skin similar to mine, an immunity to diseases and toxins (Your stinger modification will likely be ineffective), an internal regeneration modification to fix internal injuries in minutes, bone and muscle modifications that make him faster and stronger than a MEC, and eyesight that can see clearly across a battlefield.

That is assuming that you manage to pierce his armor, which was forged in a process that was known only to the Battlemasters. He has not allowed me, or perhaps anyone, to know the composition of metals. Perhaps because it would be impossible to remake, or because there is a weakness he does not wish known. Regardless, the metal both his armor and sword are forged out of is harder than any in existence.

In practical terms, this means that every single ballistic weapon, regardless of power, will not be able to pierce it. Explosives will likely have the same effect. It might be weakened over time, but likely not quickly enough to stop him. This will also allow his greatsword to cut through weak armor with ease since his sword does not dull and is honed to a razor edge.

Psionically, his powers are rather limited, but still significant. He is a master of telekinesis and incorporates it into his style, and it is a common sight to see him throw his sword into enemies or targets while he kills enemies with his hands before recalling it to his hand. His telekinesis is not nearly as powerful as Caelior's, but the ability to crush the skulls of fifteen soldiers simultaneously is not to be scoffed at.

His more devastating ability is a psionic charge, which is I believe an application of telekinesis and psionic waves. No one else has been able to master it, and as far as I know, only the Battlemasters knew the technique. But it allows him to nearly teleport from one point to another. It is not true teleportation of course, but rather him psionically enhancing his speed to give that illusion. Because of this it is almost impossible to outflank, shoot, or trap him.

His weaknesses are few, if any. Slowing him down by employing cooling agents might delay him temporarily, as would the application of stasis fields. But they would not hold him forever, and the Battlemaster is not helpless even in stasis. Psionic attacks are likely the best form of attack, but the effect of even those is not known. He is immune to telepathy altogether, although is not capable of utilizing it himself.

I wish I could convey better news, Commander, but this is the hard truth. The chances of XCOM, or any Human, managing to kill the Battlemaster is very small. Thus, there will need to be additional strategies in place when he is confronted.


	28. Miscellaneous - Aliens and the Internet

_A/N: I have no idea if this is any good or not, this is probably going to do very well or crash and burn. First time doing a primarily comedy piece, so it should be interesting. Feedback is appreciated as always._

 _The alternative title to this could also be: "In which Quisilia trolls the human race."_

 _\- Xabiar_

* * *

Miscellaneous

Aliens and the Internet

* * *

" _Quisilia, to borrow a human expression, what the fuck are you doing?"_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

Commander,

To be blunt, I've seen a lot of strange things since joining XCOM. However, to some extent they made sense (As much as possible, anyway). But I have to say that documenting the suspected alien activity on the Internet was one of the most surreal experiences I've ever had. I'm still not convinced that _all_ of them are linked directly to aliens, but there are definitely some.

What I can't wrap my head around is that there seems to be no purpose to them other than to…just exist. It's not even propaganda for the most part, just…I hate to use these words in a professional document, but it really appears to be dedicated trolling and shitposting, with a liberal application of memes and gifs for good measure.

Then you have the weird, and oddly sincere messages from who I can only suspect to be regular aliens who don't grasp how the Internet works, or that everyone can see what they write. They seem to not be able to distinguish between parody and sincerity. On the complete opposite end there are suspected aliens who are posting on scientific and engineering forums holding serious discussions on quantum physics and stuff I can't even comprehend. And these people have no idea who they're talking to. I'm quite sure some Ethereal has written a full-length paper on some obscure scientific topic in response to some comment. Make of that what you will.

Then there are strangely mundane users who don't seem to want to make that much of an impact. There are two blogs we suspect are run by aliens, but again, aren't propaganda…sort of, but both deal with alien activity, interestingly enough. One is on alien physiology and how to properly treat wounded aliens (I presume this is to help human doctors who've been conscripted by the aliens?) and one specifically providing direction to civilians on what to do to stay alive if their town/city/home is invaded.

Rather considerate, truth be told, and the writing seems oddly sincere.

What has both me and Zhang baffled is that there seems to be zero attempt made to hide the fact that they are, in fact, aliens. Quisilia in particular seems to take a lot of pleasure in revealing to random users that he is, in fact, an alien, and he is quite rightfully mocked initially. Although he is sort of becoming a sensation now, and is slowly starting to become recognized in quite a few social media sites. I'm not sure how concerning it is that he is gaining an absurd number of followers a day, and can only hope that this is due to the novelty of everything and not him gaining a _fanbase_ of all things.

What makes this situation even more amusing/absurd is that the only semi-attempts made to use propaganda have come from the Zar'Chon's own accounts (They are literally named "Zar'Chon"), and have all been semi-sabotaged by one of Quisilia's accounts making some smart comment. I'm pretty sure the Zar'Chon is fed up with him now since he recently blocked all of Quisilia's activity on Twitter.

For an Ethereal who is supposedly some sort of intelligence genius, Quisilia is _really, really_ bad at keeping a low profile.

Here are the accounts we suspect of alien usage, separated by type:

Twitter:

 **Quisilia - TheGreatQ** (Yes, he used his actual name. Idiot.)

 **The Zar'Chon - ZararchLeader** (Zar'Chon Ravarian. Given that the Zar'Chon seems to take his job seriously, I'm not unconvinced that Quisilia set him up without any input. But it appears to be legitimate based on posts and links to Quisilia's account.)

 **Sana - HealingSister** (Twitter account linked to the two blogs I mentioned earlier. Also connected to Quisilia.)

 **The Archivist - EtherealSecrets** (Name is suspicious and is again linked to Quisilia, but has only posted and commented on historical articles from various points of human history. May be innocent.)

 **The Battlemaster - CollectiveBattlemaster** (The Battlemaster. Confirmed with interactions with Quisilia and his apparent lack of comprehension regarding the Internet in general.)

 **Caelior - TheLittleStorm** (Caelior. Appears to be legitimate _and_ have been set up by Quisilia given that Caelior has some rather strong words to Quisilia's account regarding his handle. All public of course, because these aliens don't know how to internet apparently.)

 **Imperator - UberEthereal** (Included for posterity. Possibly nothing because there has been no activity whatsoever. However it is linked to Quisilia and was created the same day as his own account.)

Facebook (This is rather sparse. Aliens don't like it for whatever reason):

 **Quisilia** (Again, using his name and uses the account primarily for posting sarcastic status updates and commenting on various alien things (Or deriding, depending on how it's going). Also comments on every ADVENT-affiliated page and has all of them as friends for some odd reason)

Reddit:

 **TheGreaterQ** – (Quisilia, if you actually couldn't figure it out. Wasn't especially difficult since he likes introducing himself to anyone who asks. This is the poster of the now infamous "IAMA Alien Invading your planet! Ask Me Anything!" He seems to have a high opinion of himself. Typically posts sarcastic comments in thread dealing with the invasion. Also frequents meme, alien and conspiracy subreddits, as well as the XCOM fan subreddit that has popped up recently. Also apparently likes cute animals given how much he comments in r/aww)

 **Ligna0110** – (Unknown, probably Ethereal. Takes a much more serious approach, and has never revealed any extraterrestrial origins. However, it is linked to several confirmed alien profiles and has made several posts on the Vitakara subreddit (I'll cover that in a moment). Typically posts in medical subreddits and related. Very well-written and highly intelligent from the postings. Curious for sure.)

 **FibonacciNull** – (Unknown, but suspected to be an engineer given their extremely detailed postings on engineering subreddits. Also replied in detail to some comment asking how alien propulsion systems worked. The level of detail could only have come from someone who knew the system inside and out, and ADVENT has assured me that the poster is not them, and they clearly aren't from XCOM.)

 **GeneCommander19** – (This _might_ be a Sectoid, possibly a Hive Commander. This seems extremely out of character for any of them, but the account here has posted in smaller subreddits dealing specifically with genetic modification and transhumanism. The detailed posts are a far cry from the stuff that's usually posted, but it lacks a certain…detachment that I would expect from a Sectoid, which means it might be another alien altogether, possibly an Ethereal. Has admitted to experimenting on Humans, and while this _might_ be some mad scientist freak, they also mentioned experiments with splicing genes into alien life forms. I can't say this is _confirmed_ , but the chances of it not being linked somehow are low.)

 **xxBringer0fTerrorxx** – (Looks like a joke, but has posted that he's an alien looking for extreme Human music. Literally. He's only posted in various kinds of metal and rock subreddits and appears to emulate an edgy teenager with his melodrama. It _might_ be fake, but given the over-the-top nature of it, I'm half-suspecting it's another account run by Quisilia.)

 **SicariusWanderer** – (I'm almost hesitant to include this one because…it actually is pretty touching. Unlike most of the other accounts made in the past few months, this one has existed for at least a year. She, for the user has stated as much, has exclusively posted in subreddits dealing with various types of mental and physical abuse. Whoever is behind this account seemingly has no other motive than to help random internet strangers deal with the psychological trauma and offer advice to people in bad situations. She's very eloquent and I would say gentle in her responses. So to see it suddenly be linked to other suspected alien accounts is…surprising. I'm not sure if it's related to the _Ethereal_ identified as Sicarius, but it seems the most likely. She is still pretty active, even now that the war is fully in motion. I'm keeping an eye on it, but in terms of malicious accounts, I think taking action against this one is unnecessary.)

 **The Vitakara Subreddit** – (r/vitakara, if you want to look at it yourself. They apparently haven't figured out the 'private' function of subreddits, or maybe they don't care. But it's strange how many Vitakara are on the site in general. From what we learned in Australia, I was under the impression that Internet activity was forbidden, but either these Vitakara are in violation of that, or more likely, it was set up by command to them to have discussions. Much of the topics are largely exclusive to them, such as properly adapting to various climates, discussions of off world sites, and that is what we've been able to translate. They write exclusively in Ethereal Script, which I suppose is smart, even if it's getting quite a bit of attention now. But there is absolutely no topics on more sensitive topics, and the subreddit itself is heavily monitored. Non-approved accounts are forbidden from posting, and due to the accounts themselves not really posting anywhere else, it is possible they've restricted what the Vitakara can actually access (Although this isn't always true. Never forget the very confused group of Vitakara posting in r/aliens thinking it had been made just for them). The administrators of the site are working with ADVENT to monitor the subreddit, but have taken no actions on it yet.)

Miscellaneous:

 **Various scientific and engineering forums** – (There are several suspicious posters that frequent several forums devoted to serious scientific and engineering discussion. I suspect it might be linked to the accounts I mentioned earlier. Discussion is far too high-level for me to comprehend. Have forwarded the links to Vahlen and Shen. Maybe they can make some sense of it. But the ones dealing with alien technology warrant a closer look.)

 **4chan** – (It's impossible to confirm anything on that piece of crap. But there was a rather interesting thread with a poster that sounded a _lot_ like Quisilia, which was confirmed at the end when he flat out said he was having his agents find the locations of their homes and was going to "do something". I do think even Quisilia has his limit. However, his insult game is on-point)

 **Tumblr** – (Account name is "Swordmaster199" and was mostly focused on metalwork and dueling history. And yes, this does sound like a very odd place for the Ethereal you are no doubt connecting this with. Nothing seemed odd about it until Quisilia (Again using his name like an idiot. Don't ask what insane crap _he's_ been reblogging) commented about incorporating some technique into his training. Red flag raised, and now we're watching it. However, there hasn't been any activity for a while and we don't know why. Maybe he has better things to do.)

 **Instagram** – (Yes, Quisilia has an account here (What a shock!), that largely consists of posting images from the front lines, but from the alien side. It's legitimately interesting, and Quisilia actually doesn't post smart comments with the images. His images are actually being used by quite a few news sites and he apparently doesn't care. The other interesting one is an account called "CogCodex" which is posting images that I can only assume are from other worlds. They _appear_ to be legitimate, but there is seemingly no reason for this to exist, and no idea what alien could be connected to it. It is rather beautiful, I will admit.)

I'm going to forward this to Aegis as well, Commander, he might be able to confirm which Ethereals are behind these, or at least allow us to get a better idea. How we deal with this though…I really don't know. I'll leave that to your own judgement.

\- Ariel Jackson, Central Officer of XCOM Analysis and Communications

* * *

 _Message to Sana'Ligna from Quisilia on CODEX encrypted network_

 **SUBJECT: Your own blog!**

Sana! Been a while and I know we've both been busy with our own operations relating to Earth, but with things proceeding rather well, I wanted to bring to your attention something I think you might be interested in. You've developed something of a fascination with these Humans, if your requests and experimental documents are anything to go by. I approve! They are a fascinating species for sure, and I know another way you might want to interact with them.

They have an open communications network they call the "Internet" that is filled with what I can say is the essence of Humanity. If you can image something about the Humans, you can probably find it there. But what I mean to say is that if you want to reach the Humans in a way that won't compromise your identity, that is the way to do it.

Despite you not exactly approving of the approach the Imperator has ordered, there are ways you can mitigate the damage that might be caused by our invasion. The humans are going to naturally have little clue how to deal with us, so perhaps you could intervene that way? Well, what you do is completely up to you, that is the beauty of the Internet after all, but I have taken the liberty of creating a blog for you. If you want a specific tutorial, I can send one over, but it is rather intuitive. You can write whatever you want on it and then anyone can read it!

Useful, yes? I thought so. Now, because the Internet _is_ so massive, it might take time to develop an audience, and how Humans typically advertise their various sites is through social media. I've created a Twitter account for you to get started, but I'll also link a few more ones you can investigate on your own.

Good luck!

\- Quisilia

 **Re: SUBJECT: Your own blog!**

Quisilia,

I appreciate you taking the time to inform me of this, as I was unaware of the implications of such a platform. I had learned the name from Humans I've conversed with, but never considered it important. However, in light of this new information I believe I will indeed investigate this "blog" and see what I can do to reach these humans before the Battlemaster's brutes irreparably tarnish their image of us.

I am curious, what other ways can I spread this across their Internet?

 **Re: Re: SUBJECT: Your own blog!**

Sana! I'm pleased you are open to using the Internet in a useful way. Sadly, some of the others see it as a pointless waste of time. Ah well, onto your question. Well, the websites that might give you the most traction would be Facebook, Reddit and perhaps Tumblr (Although you'll have to get authorization for the last one, since the Battlemaster barred it from our networks.)

I'll leave it up to you to decide which ones to use, this is your blog after all!

\- Quisilia

Blog _: "Aliens, Cooperation, and You"_

Post _: "What to do during an attack"_

 _Flagged by ADVENT Intelligence for review_

Combat is a stressful situation for all living beings, but even Human soldiers suffer from various mental illnesses due to the trauma and stress of combat, which I am sadly aware of. But I am also aware that it can be overwhelming for the average Human citizen who is caught up in a war between two sides and has no control over what happens.

However, even during those stressful times there are guidelines and rules that can and should be followed in order to keep not only yourself safe, but also the ones you care about. Above all you must maintain a clear head, otherwise you will unfortunately make rash decisions that could potentially cost you your life.

First: _Stay put_. Do not move from your shelter under any circumstances. Ethereal Collective soldiers will not fire upon a building unless it is empty or occupied by enemy soldiers. If you are out in the open, get to an intact structure as soon as possible to minimize your chances of being mistakenly targeted by Collective soldiers. In battle, they must make split decisions that unfortunately leave little room for critical thought.

If the structure you are in is occupied by ADVENT soldiers, it is advised that you vacate to another structure free of them, otherwise you might be targeted by Collective soldiers whose only directive is the elimination of opposition. If the soldiers try to stop you, attempt to leave in any way you can unless it will lead to bodily harm.

If there is no possible way to leave, move to a sheltered corner far from the soldiers and stay down for the duration of the battle. Immediately comply with any directions Collective soldiers give.

Second: _Do not attack alien soldiers_. There is a standing order to not intentionally fire on civilians unless they fight back. Breaking this rule will mark you as a hostile soldier and you will be targeted and potentially killed. Attempt to override the impulse to defend yourself and your family, as you have nothing to fear from the aliens unless you give them a reason too. Ignoring propaganda is difficult, but strive to make an effort for it could potentially cost your life and that of your family.

Third: _Cooperate_. There are orders to not hurt civilians in captured territories, and despite what you may have heard, civilians are treated normally. There will be additional rules and curfews imposed that you may not be used to, but they are sadly necessary in this war. You will likely interact with Vitakarians on a daily basis, as they have a similar aesthetic to your own species.

But under no circumstances should you defy an order from an alien unless your very life is in danger. There can be no protection for those that break established rules, and the commanding Sargon will make it very clear what is expected of you. Follow the rules, and you have no reason to fear the aliens.

Until next time! :)

\- Sana

* * *

SUBMISSION: To r/aliens [Notable posts]

 **[912] IAMA Alien Invading Your World! Ask Me Anything!**

[-] **Check121** 1078 points 23 hours ago

This seems to be in extremely bad taste.

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 101 points 23 hours ago

|This is no trick, I assure you. I just thought some humans might be interested in knowing more about the ones who are taking over their planet.

||[-] **nbone190** 500 points 23 hours ago

||Uh huh, and I'm the president of the USA

||[-] **asgard601** 560 points 23 hours ago

||K, I'll play your little game. So…why the fuck are you attacking us?

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 213 points 23 hours ago

|||An excellent question! The short version is that we see great potential in your species and want to help you achieve that. Unfortunately, our leader determined that you wouldn't be willing to live under alien rule through peace. So there must be war for now, but I'm sure that it'll be over soon!

|||| [-] **00goUSA** 120 points 22 hours ago

||||I mean, he's not wrong. No way in hell I'd like living under alien rule.

|||| [-] **jsrra** 101 points 22 hours ago

||||Riight…suure. You seem totally legit.

[-] **alienhu110** 208 points 23 hours ago

Cute, well ok. So what kind of alien are you?

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 54 points 23 hours ago

|I am an Ethereal! One of the oldest and most powerful species in the galaxy. Frankly, I am much more impressive than you.

|| [-] **alienhu110** 60 points 23 hours ago

|| Stab, stab my heart. Well, guess I should surrender now. Oh Ethereal, I bow to your superior intellect.

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 22 points 23 hours ago

|||Please, I know you are being sarcastic. How could I possibly hope to compete with your own level of wit?

|||| [-] **alienhu110** 45 points 23 hours ago

||||lol, you're moderately entertaining, I'll give you that.

[-] **gopher15** 100 points 22 hours ago

Guys this is a TROLL. Downvote him and move on!

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 115 points 21 hours ago

|Guys this is a TROLL. Downvote and move on!

|| [-] **gopher15** 46 points 21 hours ago

|| fuck me, this is ridiculous

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 53 points 21 hours ago

||| I'd rather not. I am personally not a fan of gophers.

[-] **flowertrek** 451 points 22 hours ago

Well, I for one welcome our new alien overlords.

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 510 points 22 hours ago

| Thank you u/flowertrek, your name will go into the records as one of the most intelligent humans on this planet.

|| [-] **flowertrek** 322 points 21 hours ago

|| *bows* It is truly an honor, oh wise alien master.

[-] **throwaway111** 46 points 14 hours ago

Guys, I think this might be legit. He was in the xcom subreddit earlier saying the same thing. I'm not sure it's fake.

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 101 points 23 hours ago

|^ Listen to the man!

[-] **Marine227** 1019 points 17 hours ago

Welcome to earth, bitch! Be prepared to get your ass kicked back to Mars!

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 99 points 16 hours ago

| lol, k.

[-] **yogo17** 627 points 18 hours ago

Ooh, I know how to tell if you're real! Are there any hot alien babes you can tell us about?

| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 1011 points 23 hours ago

| That depends on your definition of, ah, 'hot'. But based on my observations, you humans are willing to fuck anything. I'd check out the Vitakarian females if I were you, provided they don't kill you first.

|| **hirlan** 1301 points 22 hours ago

|| I don't know if I like how seriously he answered that.

||| **marauderUni** 613 points, 21 hours ago

||| Eh, he isn't wrong though. We humans would probably fuck everything. Hey, u/TheGreaterQ, you got any pics

|||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 782 points 21 hours ago

|||| Here. _[Embedded is a high-quality picture of a Vitakarian female in Runianarch battle armor surrounded by other various Vitakara races]_

||||| **fred99** 892 points 20 hours ago

||||| Ok this is creepy. That looks fucking real.

||||| **danny123** 720 points 20 hours ago

||||| uh…guys, I think those are real.

|||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 900 points 19 hours ago

|||||| That's what I've been trying to tell you! I was under the impression that you were a fairly intelligent species. But I think I've figured you out! You like proof! Ok, I can work with that. Give me a minute to get some pictures.

||||||| [-] **fred99** 619 points 19 hours ago

||||||| Guys, I have a bad feeling about this. This isn't funny anymore buddy.

|||||||| [-] **rsephjr** 510 points 19 hours ago

|||||||| Yeah, it was a semi-funny prank earlier. Bad taste, but funny. Now I'm legit not feeling well.

||||||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 2918 points 17 hours ago

||||||||| Ah, here we go! Sorry for the wait! Wanted to get some excellent images for you. Like this one _[Embedded is an image of Vitakara soldiers escorting humans through a devastated town]_ and this one _[Embedded is an image of the Battlemaster killing several ADVENT soldiers]_ ah, you know what, here's an album of proof for you! _[Embedded is an album of various images showing human subjugation under Collective control]_

|||||||||| [-] hero82w 3012 points 16 hours ago

|||||||||| holy shit

|||||||||| [-] **gdaymt12** 2190 points 16 hours ago

|||||||||| Reported to ADVENT alien bitch

|||||||||| [-] **nwor** 1928 points 16 hours ago

|||||||||| the fuck? Please tell me this is fake

|||||||||| [-] **miracles22** 1422 points 16 hours ago

|||||||||| I'm about to freak out

||||||||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ [S]** 2180 points 17 hours ago

||||||||||| Don't freak out human, take this as a warning. ADVENT, XCOM, they will not be able to defend you. Not forever. Each and every one of you will become loyal citizens of the Ethereal Collective. Perhaps it took you a while to figure out the truth, but no matter. We reward loyalty, but fight us and you will die.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see what's new in r/aww. This thread became depressing rather fast. Good day, humans! Be sure to always welcome your new alien overlords!

* * *

 **CODEX Archive: User::Identification = "The Battlemaster"**

Tumblr account linked: Swordmaster199 [Creator: Quisilia]

Account accessed: 17 Times

Searches while accessed:

 _Earth historical melee combat_

[Reconfigured parameters]: _melee combat_

[Reconfigured parameters]: _medieval combat_

[Reconfigured parameters]: _knights_

 _Followed 4 accounts_

[New search]: _medieval art_

 _Followed 2 accounts_

[New search]: _knight art_

[Reconfigured parameters]: _fantasy art_

[Reconfigured parameters]: _elves_

 _Logs off account. Accesses Google_

[New search]: What are elves?

[New search]: Who created elves?

[New search]: lord of the rings

 _Movie downloaded: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy_

 _6 Hour delay before reaccessing network_

[New search]: Why do elves not miss?

[New search]: good fantasy movies

 _Reaccessed Tumblr account_

[New search]: lord of the rings art

[Reconfigured parameters]: Nazgul armor design

 _No activity for approximately 3.2 days_

 _Reaccessed Tumblr account_

[New search]: aliens

[Reconfigured parameters]: sectoids

[Reconfigured parameters]: Vitakara

[Reconfigured parameters]: real life aliens

 _No account activity for 3 hours_

[New search]: Xenophilia

 _Accesses Google_

[New search]: human mental disorders

[Reconfigured parameters]: human mental sexual disorders

[New search]: What is a furry?

[New search]: What is a vore?

 _Forwards results to Sana'Ligna_

 _Accesses Tumblr_

[New search]: furry

[New search]: alien furry

 _Closes window 3.4 seconds after opening_

 _Logs out of account_

 _Proclamation issued 2 hours later_

NOTICE: Human website with domain name tumblr .com is restricted from further access. Authorization: The Battlemaster

 _Forwards website to Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary with further instructions for removal_

* * *

CODEX Archive: Accounts [Site]: Netflix

 _Account owner:_ Archivist Cogitian

 _Recent activity:_

 **Live Free or Die Hard**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 5m

 _Rating:_ 3/5 Stars

 **Saving Private Ryan**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 45m

 _Rating:_ 5/5 Stars

 **Predestination**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 37min

 _Rating:_ 1/5 Stars

 **2012**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 30m

 _Rating:_ 2/5 Stars

 **White House Down**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 14m

 _Rating:_ 5/5 Stars

 **Olympus Has Fallen**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 58m

 _Rating:_ 4/5

 **London Has Fallen**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 30m

 _Rating:_ 1/5

 **The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 23m

 _Rating:_ 2/5

 **District 9**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 48m

 _Rating:_ 4/5

 **Alien**

 _Time watched:_ 1h 51m

 _Rating:_ 3/5

 **Aliens**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 30m

 _Rating:_ 3/5

 **Titanic**

 _Time watched:_ 2h 10m

 _Rating:_ 1/5

* * *

Top-rated threads in r/vitakara (Translated from Ethereal Script)

 _Marked for observation by ADVENT Intelligence_

[24k] [Borelians] How to keep temperature stable in humid areas?

[20k] [General] Official Australia Communication Thread [Sticky]

[19.3k] [General] Official Oceania Communication Thread [Sticky]

[16.1k] [General] What happened in Japan?

[17.6k] [Cobrarians] Why do the humans keep referring to us as reptiles?

[12k] [General] How to reliably ensure human cooperation?

[14.8k] [General] Human environment appreciation thread

[21.5k] [General] Condensed guide to human culture

[22k] [Vitakarians] Why are humans so similar to us?

[13.2k] [General] I found a cat. Why will it not leave me alone?

[23.9k] [General] WARNING! Avoid bees and snakes at all cost (Images inside)

[10.1k] [Dath'Haram] How to properly navigate Earth jungles

 _Additional r/vitakara stats_

Moderators: u/RunianarchObserver; u/LurainianObserver; u/ZararchObserver

 _Note:_ Total of thirty moderators, all the same usernames with different numbers at the end. Fifteen ZararchObservers, ten RunianarchObservers and five LurainianObservers

Users: 1,672,101 members

Times reaching r/all since creation: 89

Daily visitors (Average): 1,000,000+

Average threads created per day: 56

Average comments per thread: 66

Average upvotes per thread: 9k

Average downvotes per thread: 0 (Note: Only subscribed members can up/downvote)

* * *

 _Logged Twitter action between Quisilia, The Zar'Chon and The Battlemaster_

 **The Battlemaster** CollectiveBattlemaster – Sep 11, 2016

I fail to see the point of this, Quisilia. What exactly am I supposed to with this?

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

I know 'fun' is not something you usually grasp but…think of it as a documentation of your greatest feats! #archive #fun #dense

 **The Battlemaster** CollectiveBattlemaster - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

And how exactly am I supposed to do that?

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

Well, write something at the end of each battle you have. Like "Great victory today! Killed dozens of weak XCOM soldiers!" #victory #aw yis #winning #xcom

 **The Battlemaster** CollectiveBattlemaster

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

That seems to be in extremely poor taste. And highly insulting to those that died in battle. They do not deserve to be mocked.

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

#sigh Always you and your honor. Or you can use it for regular stuff like "Just finished a great workout! Stronger than ever!" #bodybuilding #personal #strength #awesome

 **The Battlemaster** CollectiveBattlemaster - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

Why would I want to give people that information? You are aware that such knowledge could be used against me?

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

#sigh #sigh Or you could just use if for memes. Like this one: #fml

 _Links to Picard double facepalm_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

That's also how I feel right about now by the way. #dense #sigh #hopeful

 **The Battlemaster** CollectiveBattlemaster - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

Is that supposed to be funny? And why are you using the '#'?

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

Twitter is clearly the wrong site for you #shrug #betterlucknexttime #therewasanattempt

 **The Zar'Chon** ZararchLeader - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to CollectiveBattlemaster_

Great job, both of you. You just confirmed _another_ account to XCOM, Quisilia, I hope you're happy.

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Sep 11, 2016

 _Replying to ZararchLeader_

Have a sense of adventure, Zar'Chon, there is nothing XCOM can gain from this. #smart #fun #usehashtags #xcom

 _ZarachLeader has blocked TheGreatQ_

 _CollectiveBattlemaster has blocked TheGreatQ_


	29. ADVENT - Dossier: Nicole Treduant

ADVENT: Dossier

Nicole Treduant, 45th President of the United States of America

* * *

" _People wonder why Treduant is so popular; it's actually pretty simple: She keeps her promises."_

\- Anonymous American citizen

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 1776**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Nicole Treduant

Current Occupation: President/Head of State of the United States of America

Threat Level: Minimal

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved By: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ Black

 _Eye color_ : Brown

 _Skin color_ : White

 _Height_ : 6'0"

 _Weight_ : 167 lbs.

 _Age_ : 46

 _Scars or markings_ : None

 _Physical Condition_ : Keeps in shape thanks to previous military service, but far below peak performance.

 _Nation of Birth_ : United States of America

 _State of Birth_ : Wisconsin

SECTION 2: Assessment

Nicole Treduant is an interesting woman to say the least. I had personally found her mindset rather fascinating, but further investigation has left me very impressed with her accomplishments. From our previous discussions, I deduced that you were rather unfamiliar with the current political landscape in the United States due to your years locked up, and I suppose at this point you were only concerned about if America would continue providing support.

Let us just say that the landscape is _very_ different after the War on Terror and your subsequent capture, and while you likely attributed it to said war (And a good portion of it was), a surprising portion was shaped by the Madam President herself, as well as being influenced by EXALT to some degree, as Zhang has showed me.

While the political landscape is largely irrelevant now with ADVENT in control, it isn't gone completely and I intend for this to provide some insight into the current administration and congress, as well as a detailed look into the President herself. I suppose it would do good to start at the very beginning.

 **Childhood** : Nicole had a rather unremarkable childhood, from what I can gather. She was born and raised in Wisconsin to two very loving parents, her mother was a Senator for a time, and her father was private security, so it stands to reason that those were definite influences in her decision to go into the military, and afterwards government.

She was a good student, by all accounts. Not a prodigy by any means, but always ranked in the top ten students in her class. In high school she was heavily involved in government clubs and was an active follower of politics, and her mother personally mentored her in the various aspects of government during that time.

Nicole then pursued a political science degree, achieved it in three years, and promptly enlisted in the Marine Corps, which came as a surprise to many of the people that knew her, as most assumed she would follow in her mother's footsteps and enter politics. Knowing certain aspects now, I am convinced she planned this out well ahead of time, perhaps even before attending college.

 **Military Service** : You will be interested to know that Nicole did indeed see action during the War on Terror. Nothing particularly _major_ , but she participated in the Battle of Syria and was recognized for her performance afterwards. Much like her schooling, she wasn't a military prodigy, and appeared to never intend to reach a rank of significant command.

However, the soldiers under her command were some of the more efficient in the entire Corps. Nicole ran a very tight ship, much like she does today, and spent a good portion of the time also befriending other officers and caught the attention of some higher officials, though didn't attract more attention beyond that.

Given how she exited the service immediately after four years, I am almost wondering if this was a long stunt to make her more politically viable in her future endeavors. Given what she did next, I do not think this is far-fetched.

 **Governor** : The first thing Nicole did _immediately_ after exiting the service was prepare her run for governor. She spent a full two years preparing for it, using her military and political connections to assemble a team that was more suited for a presidential run than for governorship. From the beginning it was apparent that Nicole was determined to not be an ordinary politician.

She was planning on running as a Republican, but her cabinet had exactly _no_ people connected to the RNC leadership or donors, instead it was comprised of economists, owners of small businesses, former union reps and former military and intelligence personnel. If that sounds like overkill, it probably was. But Nicole was much like you, Commander, thinking ahead.

Before any campaigning had _actually_ begun, Nicole was actively forging relationships with everyone that she deemed mattered. Police Commissioners, Unions, veterans, mayors, senators, representatives and even went so far as to speak to supporters of the current governor to win them over. It wasn't entirely successful, but Nicole proved herself _extremely_ persuasive, and had essentially locked up entire sections of votes before campaigning had officially begun.

So when campaigning officially kicked off, it was a show of support that has yet to be duplicated. The current governor was already rather unpopular, and Nicole portrayed herself as everything he was not: Young, charismatic, eloquent and had a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve. She promised to 'get things done' and set out to make it a reality from day one.

Honestly, it is impressive just how much she prepared for this. From the _very first day_ she had an entire website and agenda, complete with _legitimate_ legislation she said she planned to introduce into the state congress. It made her competition look almost like a joke from the start, and when state senators and representatives from _both_ sides began endorsing her, it was rather clear who was going to win.

Now, you are probably asking how she could have possibly accomplished something like that, given the bitter hatred both sides publically have for each other, but it's rather simple. Nicole never once said she was a Republican. She _ran_ as a Republican, but anyone even taking a cursory look at her agenda could clearly see that there were some stark differences between her agenda and the regular Republican platform.

Economically, she was an odd hybrid. She promised to audit and cut waste out of every single branch, but in an interesting twist, also promised to put any money from the waste back into the department it had come out of. It was how she convinced the Teachers Union to back her, since she promised that any money saved would go directly to increasing teacher salaries.

She kept this promise, by the way.

After firing most of the education board.

She also planned to remove a number of "superfluous" regulations on businesses, and also promised cuts to small businesses. Standard Republic promise, but in yet another twist, she also stated that taxes would be moderately increased on larger businesses. Same with people – middle-class and below would receive tax cuts, the upper class would receive slightly higher taxes.

You can imagine how well that went with the Republican leadership, but I'll cover that in a moment, suffice to say they really didn't do anything.

She also did something similar to welfare programs in the state. Many Republicans simply threaten to cut funding or end the program altogether (A truly terrible solution that doesn't solve anything). Treduant didn't do this, but promised the same level of scrutiny for the programs, as well as a number of additional restrictions (IDs, expiration dates, limits on what it could be used for, etc.) with the promise that no funding would be cut.

If Treduant is starting to sound more like an independent candidate, it is likely by design. Were it not for her stances on crime and the police, she could have _almost_ run as a Democrat with similar results. Like most of her campaign, I do believe this her manipulating traditional systems as usual. As a whole, Democrats are not as united as Republicans, and typically have multiple schisms between various sects. "Ideological standards" is an excuse typically employed, and while a Democrat voter might refuse to vote for one of their own party because they cannot ideologically support them, the inverse is very true.

 _Republicans fall in line_ as the saying goes. And fairly accurate, I've found. Simply put, Treduant deliberately exploited this and pushed a more left-wing agenda than was typical, knowing that Republicans would vote for her no matter what.

Finishing up on her stances, the final one that without a doubt secured the Republican vote was her views on crime and the Police. She promised to increase their funding and to let them do their jobs without fear of unjust public reprisal. This of course came with a price, since Treduant also turned this to her advantage to appeal to liberal and third-party voters by adding the inclusion of body cameras to the increased funding and also declaring that unjustified action would be punished by the state attorney.

If _that_ wasn't enough, Treduant also released a list of people currently in the executive branch, which would later be referred to as "Treduant's Hit List", which listed all the people she intended to replace, as well as page-long reasons for why they were incompetent (And she also included their replacements). The sheer gall she had to even consider this is astounding.

I do not I need to elaborate on the campaign itself. Nicole ultimately won in a landslide and became governor of Wisconsin. Since she had everything prepared, bills were immediately introduced and true to her word, she began a purge of the executive branch and installed her own people who immediately began conducting audits of their respective departments.

Within six months there had been eight major pieces of legislation signed into law by Treduant, and the government was running like a well-oiled machine. The next few years saw a remarkable increase in the quality of life for the citizens. Teachers were happy, the police were happy, congress was (mostly) happy and the citizens were happy.

Treduant's first major test came when footage of several police officers shooting an unarmed black man surfaced, and true to her word, she immediately ordered an investigation and thanks to the body cameras installed, it confirmed the initial video. She then sicced the state attorney on the former policemen in question and I believe they now currently reside in jail.

This was only one way Treduant steadily gained public approval. Over the years she gained an almost ruthless reputation in government, and had no qualms about firing people for sheer incompetence. If it was found someone was taking bribes, she put them in jail. If someone accused of improper conduct or found with illegal drugs, she would investigate and would prosecute if guilty.

Now, this was about the time where the state legislature was starting to get nervous. Politicians are corrupt, it isn't a secret, and here they were faced with someone who had no issue prosecuting not only prominent officials, but also her _own party_ , which is anathema to any party, regardless of affiliation.

At this point she got the full attention of the RNC which had mostly let her do her own thing because, hey, it was another Republican in charge and that's all they care about. The revelation that they were dealing with someone who actually wasn't a complete partisan thrall was apparently alarming, if the emails Zhang forwarded are to be believed.

The RNC disliked Treduant long before now, it seems.

I didn't mention it earlier, but funding for her campaign was a surprising non-issue for her. She didn't have many donors and relied almost exclusively on individual donations and endorsements from various public figures. It appears that the donors behind her opponent declared him a lost cause almost immediately and moved on to better territory. So she entered office without many ties to the RNC or major donors.

So I find it rather amusing that the RNC practically threatened in all but words that if she kept the scrutiny on the Wisconsin GOP, then there might be issues with finding support for her reelection. She responded first by sending the donation numbers from her campaign, a list of her accomplishments so far – and a list of GOP members that were later investigated for illegal fraud, including the current senator, along with a message "Good luck".

The email communications between RNC members after that are rather amusing, but they internally fumed and quietly blacklisted her if she ever applied for support. In the meantime, just past the middle of her term, Treduant was already preparing for her eventual presidential run. She was not only grooming an eventual replacement, but selecting a presidential cabinet for her campaign _years_ ahead of time.

She kept the state running smoothly, but was laying the groundwork for her run well before anyone else. Nicole was already planting the idea of running for president in the media and from various talks, so when she announced she would run, almost no one was surprised, and the RNC was prepared-or so they thought.

 **President** : For all intents and purposes, Treduant was an outsider. She might have run as a Republican, but she was an independent through and through, with no modern ideology truly suiting her. There were quite a few primary contenders for her to deal with, and going in many of them had an advantage. Several were part of old GOP families, dynasties of political influence with millions of dollars at their disposal.

However, Treduant had _enormous_ public support and was the highest-ranked governor in the country, and had attracted national attention well before her decision to run. Upon her announcement, she finally let the country see her vision for America with prepared legislation and her agenda posted from day one.

Essentially, everything she had done in Wisconsin, she wanted to apply to the entire country. She touted her accomplishments as successes, displayed her lack of partisanship by pointing to the Republicans and Democrats she'd purged from her administration and promised to devote the same level of attention to Congress and the multiple federal agencies.

Now this is where it gets interesting, Commander, Treduant knew that she would have to have some large donors behind her, but in the end, most of them really weren't that well-known or influential. The RNC stubbornly refused to support her literally until she received the nomination, but we're getting ahead of the story here.

However, she _did_ receive the endorsement of Matthew Solaris, and while _he_ personally didn't donate to her, a lot of things suddenly seemed to go her way. Primary opponents were embroiled in scandals, money was cut off from them, and Treduant was somehow untouched by anything. It does seem that initially EXALT wanted her in charge, though for what reason I can't say, as she is not exactly prone to manipulation.

I can definitely say that Treduant received a pounding in the primaries. Attack ad after attack ad was aired attacking her various 'liberal' stances. One of the things attacked mercilessly was her faith, or lack thereof. In contrast to literally every other candidate, Treduant was a self-proclaimed atheist. She wasn't very public, but did confirm it once and that was all it took.

In the end, it was a largely failed attempt to discredit her, which more or less ended when she held a televised town hall devoted exclusively to addressing the topic where she rather effortlessly fended off probing questions from various audience members. I'm impressed she kept her cool then, since some of the stuff asked was rather asinine, but she put her debating skills to use and the result was that the right was actually shaken by the event and that 'issue' eventually died down soon after.

Attacks on Treduant were difficult because she rarely fell on one side or the other. If someone made an ad stating that she supported raising taxes on the wealthy, she responded by releasing ads that showed (with proof) that she cut taxes for the middle class and that the ones under the tax hikes were still doing perfectly fine.

Treduant knew how to play the game well, and once more rode a wave of public support to secure the nomination to the continued disgust of the RNC. Upon that, Treduant began campaigning in solid democratic states as there was almost no way any Republican was going to vote for the opposition.

What did somewhat hurt Treduant were her stances on social issues, or lack thereof. Around this time identity politics was actually becoming prominent, and most fell along the lines you would imagine. But Treduant never once commented on them. She ignored issues relating to women, such as abortion rights or pay (Actually, at one point she stated that the latter was a myth).

She said that such topics would be up to the states, and never brought it up again. The fact that she was a woman was also never mentioned by her, and most of the media, believe it or not (With the exclusion of right-wing stations, who were happy to parade around a woman that was 'on their side'). Surprising, but not unwelcome.

On other similar topics such as gay rights and racial profiling, she flatly stated she didn't care about the former, and only said she would work towards a bipartisan solution to the latter. That didn't exactly endear her to several special-interest groups, but it hardly damaged her image. She also attracted the ire of anti-war groups with her stated vision of upgrading the military and declaring her intention to make America the most powerful nation in the world militarily.

She actually challenged some of her detractors to debates, and was the clear winner each time. Eventually people started to stop openly questioning her since they feared they might be challenged to actually back up their claims. Some did it better than others, but in general Nicole knew exactly what she was doing.

Ultimately, as you know, she won and has made massive improvements to the executive branch, military and judicial branch. However, during her run she definitely made enemies of both the RNC and DNC, neither of whom truly supported her hybrid of ideologies. It made getting legislation passed difficult, to say the least.

It certainly wasn't for lack of trying, and now-President Treduant once more sought to turn that to her advantage by publically shaming congress. She was and is one of the most involved Presidents in relation to the common citizen as well as many in the media. She holds press briefings biweekly, and town halls monthly and regularly published legislation she introduced into congress which was stopped.

She also returned to publishing her 'hit-list' of people actively opposing her measures for no reason, turning the public against them. Her transparency regarding her administration is one reason why she enjoyed (Until making the USA join ADVENT) approval ratings in the high eighties, while congress never passes single digits.

In this time she forged _very_ strong relations with all branches of the military, the CIA, FBI and NSA to a rather surprising degree. There was speculation that she was going to have them investigate someone, and everyone suspected it would be a congressman opposed to her. But to the surprise of everyone, it was the Vice President who was being investigated on bribery charges and was later revealed to have taken money from various foreign nations, most notably China.

Safe to say Treduant prosecuted him in a military court for treason and he's now serving time. Probably for life. Needless to say this drastically hurt the Republican image, and the Democrats were concerned she didn't use civilian courts, and were already uncomfortable with how she had drastically expanded all intelligence and military branches. To them, it looked like she was preparing for war and they were already exasperated at her due to their agenda being completely stalled thanks to her.

So in short, Nicole Treduant is handicapped by a deeply split congress, united in their dislike of her, while simultaneously being one of the most popular presidents ever. I don't think I need to go into more detail, Commander, as you can no doubt surmise her mindset and personality from her tale. ADVENT has a major asset here, and I don't think we should let her go to waste.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

If nothing else, Nicole has patience and the foresight to seemingly develop plans that take entire years to fully come together, but otherwise seem almost foolproof and the long-term outlook she holds makes it sometimes difficult for opponents to openly stop, and at the same time gives her plenty of time to adapt to changes that may arise.

She has a meticulous and methodical mind similar to yours, Commander, and has a single-minded drive to complete her goals at the exclusion of all else. When she develops a plan, she sticks to it until completion, and appears to account for most, if not all, obstacles in her way. She also applies this same level of attention to personal opponents or general opposition, specifically targeting their weakest points and destroying them utterly, or at the very least making it impossible for them to effectively counter her own points.

I would not describe her as completely vindictive, but most certainly ruthless as she doesn't simply seek to discredit ideas, but discredit opponents entirely in the court of public opinion. She is not above exploiting groupthink mentality in order to appeal to a wider range of people, allowing her to get away with positions that would be unthinkable were she anyone else.

However, she holds a rather clear set of morals and principles that temper the extent of her influence. For better or worse, she is essentially incorruptible. She dislikes the game of politics, and will do everything possible to undermine and negate it, even if she has to participate herself. She despises lawbreakers and incompetence, hence why she is rather infamous for firing or dismissing people who don't perform to her standards.

I would not class her as an American supremacist, but her views on what role America should take in the world is essentially that of a world military and police. She wants America to surpass every nation by a large margin and remove any sort of obstacle to American interests. She will work with other nations, but will always angle for results that primarily benefit America.

I can't say for certain what her views are now, but her views on military usage are far more ethical than anyone in ADVENT currently. She didn't support any sort of attacks on civilians, is against enhanced interrogation techniques and has staunchly promoted diplomatic solutions as opposed to military ones. You said that she would have executed you, had she been president at the time of your capture, and I can safely say I believe her.

However, Treduant has a much different view on intelligence agencies and usage. She appears to think open war is too crude and prone to error, and has invested heavily in experimental technology and intelligence equipment. I believe this is to limit the impact of operations, since she has stated more than once that she fully intends to bring the guilty to justice, but not at the expense of innocent deaths.

She doesn't like you, Commander. Keep that in mind when you interact with her. With people like Stein and Saudia in charge, there is also a good chance friction might develop in response to more controversial decisions that might have to be made. I believe she will support fighting the aliens to the end, but afterwards she might attempt to enact changes.

I would forward this to Saudia, just so she knows what she is dealing with.


	30. ADVENT - Dossier: Elizabeth Falka

ADVENT: Dossier

ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka

* * *

" _Anyone who could successfully infiltrate America, China, Russia and North Korea at the same time is not someone to be dismissed."_

\- Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

* * *

Director,

As requested, I have put together a brief list of our planted agents around the world, so you have a complete picture of our reach before we begin contacting the aliens. Keep in mind that many of these agents are under deep cover and any actions regarding them will take some time to enact. At the moment, the primary operation is, as always, intelligence gathering with steady advancement of agents in political, military and intelligence circles.

This will be broken down by continent:

 **North America** : An easy start, and we have, of course, Matthew and the entire Solaris family spreading their influence in American politics, and I predict that within five years he will become the primary voice of the gun lobby, barring significant obstacles. Elsewhere in America we have several mid-ranking agents in the NSA, FBI and Marine Corps. There is one high-ranking member of the CIA, and of course we have agents planted in various corporations, SuperPACs and additional special interest groups. Local media has also been targeted, and there are some hosts and editors under our influence.

To the south, Mexico has been completely compromised politically, and we have enough blackmail on the entire legislature to force whatever we want, should it become needed. However, the military is our weak point here, and we only have several officers planted. They will rise, but not for several years at least. In conjunction with Darian's plan for the cartels, we have successfully planted high-ranking agents within them and are beginning phase 2 of his initiative.

Canada is irrelevant, and their so-called "intelligence" agency is not only compromised by _our_ agents (One of whom is a trusted friend of the Director himself), but by Chinese and North Korean agents as well, and those are who I can identify. Based on intel from America, I believe they have also successfully penetrated CSIS as well. They are not a concern and if we really wanted to, we could utterly cripple their ability to predict outside threats.

 **South America** : Every major nation's government is in some way connected to the cartels and large sums of illegal money. Brazil in particular could be completely collapsed, should we require it. However, Darian's operation to subvert the cartels is going exceptionally well, and within a few years (And planting of certain information), I believe we can break the hold these cartels hold both on the populace, and government itself.

Similar to Mexico, there are few highly-placed agents within the various militaries, but there are a decent number of talented operatives who are seeded throughout. Outside of these two groups, there is little point in investing agents elsewhere in the continent.

 **Africa** : This is your domain, Director, and Egypt is truly the only place where I have devoted significant effort. Quite simply, there is very little worth in investing in much of Africa as it is far behind the rest of the world in terms of development, but I have taken the opportunity to place agents that are running many start-ups and relief projects there. If something ever happens, we'll know about it.

I have several agents watching Saudi Arabia, though only for the purposes of removing any of the leadership that remains. Given how reduced in power the Saudis are, I don't expect they will try anything. But any wrong moves and they have the green light to execute any of the remaining royal family.

 **Europe** : Ah, plenty to do here. I have taken a similar approach to here as America, seeding agents in all aspects of European society, media, military and politics. This has resulted in knowing about major events well before they are publicized and access to information regarding what these nations are doing behind the scenes.

Russia has also successfully been penetrated, although Savvin is extremely paranoid, which has resulted in almost no agents with access directly to the government, not to mention intelligence. I have to admire him for that, but we have several mid-ranking agents in the military itself. However, information coming out of Russia is not as much as I would like.

Israel is extremely tight, and the amount of successfully planted agents is minimal, and unfortunately not in valuable places. That might change in the coming years, but Israel and the Mossad are something we cannot rush.

 **Asia** : I will focus on the large players here. In China we have very few, but highly placed agents, whose primary goal is strictly information gathering. Should they do anything else, they will be compromised and likely killed. This means, in essence, that we have access to information, but very little ability to interfere directly in the country itself. They are smart, but have their weaknesses. They should not be able to surprise us.

South Korea is also seeded with our agents in all aspects of the country, though none high-ranking, sadly, but more than enough to enact changes as we wish. North Korea on the other hand is an almost complete unknown. It makes the Mossad look like a cakewalk by comparison. I have one agent in the entire country, information is scarce and the Supreme Leader apparently keeps a _very_ close watch on every aspect of his country.

This is concerning because Gwan is smart, and if he's allowed to just do whatever he wants, it might lead to trouble later. A man like that has plans, and we need to know what these plans are. The problem, of course, is that infiltration is almost impossible, and actually getting _important_ intel even more so.

 **Australia** : Similar operations to America and Europe, although much like Canada, there isn't really anything that warrants our attention. The most important part of the country is the Venator soldiers, and there is a very low chance they'll ever be discovered, and I have agents in place to make sure that doesn't happen.

\- Elizabeth Falka, Spymaster of EXALT

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** Elizabeth Falka

 **Current Role:** Director of ADVENT Intelligence

 **Current Interference Level:** High

 **Threat Level:** High

 **Usage Level:** Low

Brief Assessment: While most of EXALT's leadership and personnel have been regulated to lesser tasks in order to blend in with the rest of ADVENT, the former Spymaster of EXALT is one of the few Saudia has placed in a notable position of power. I suspect due to the sensitive nature of the work of ADVENT Intelligence, Saudia would deem it worth the risk to put someone in charge that she can trust.

It also helps that Elizabeth Falka earned her name of Spymaster. Interrogation of former EXALT personnel leave me with a newfound respect for the entire family, and Director Falka in particular. She was tasked with spreading EXALT's influence across the world, and in truth, managed to do an excellent job of doing such.

She successfully infiltrated every major country in the world, and not simply in military or government positions. There are a surprising amount of ordinary citizens that are actually EXALT sleeper agents in disguise. Details on the family reveal that the children born to Falka family members are trained from birth to be spies and fill whatever position is required.

The issue is that these people are still out there, which means there are likely former EXALT sleepers in civilian populations of major cities, and short of interrogating each one (Preferably with psionic assistance), we are unlikely to determine their allegiance as their identities will be foolproof, and every single Falka agent, "civilian" or not, has been able to withstand every interrogation technique short of psionic interrogation and truth drugs, the latter of which they resist with surprising vigor.

This also includes threats to family members or friends.

Elizabeth herself is also something of a family woman, much to my surprise. She has a husband and two children, and parents whom she supposedly keeps in contact with. By all accounts she is rather protective of them, although I would expect her to not break should she be presented with a choice. However, it is still a weakness we can exploit.

Elizabeth has also shown that she is more than willing to cause major changes if necessary. We know for a fact that she was behind the collapse of Brazil and the current conflict in the Middle East, and may also doubtlessly have additional contingencies and agents planted. They were able to discover the location of the Citadel via one of their own agents in the Council, which we were unable to determine.

What I find interesting is how she will react to a threat like us. Infiltration will be difficult and she cannot rely on traditional methods to disrupt our operations. I am very curious to see how she will adapt and utilize ADVENT against us.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 172**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : Brown

 _Eye color_ : Blue

 _Skin color_ : White

 _Height_ : 5'11"

 _Weight_ : 156 lbs.

 _Age_ : 38

 _Scars or markings_ : None

 _Physical Condition_ : Above average, though less than a trained soldier.

 _Nation of Birth_ : England

SECTION 2: Assessment

Despite her work in infiltrating countries all across the world, I do have to admire her work from a purely professional standpoint. She has successfully mastered the art of planting thousands of sleeper agents all across the world to fulfill certain tasks. We have certainly seen what her work can accomplish with the engineered collapse of Brazil, and the method by which it was done suggests that they have had such information for years.

Elizabeth appears not to balk at using blackmail, and seems to prefer slowly collecting information that she can utilize later. She tends to perform this on people of note, and instead of directly using agents, she feeds information to an associate or rival who she can easily predict, and thus achieve the desired result without any risk of EXALT being exposed.

A complicated, but necessary precaution for a woman in her position. Now without having to worry about being exposed, I expect she will expand her reach as far as possible, and is no doubt planning to exploit each and every country, none of whom currently (With the possible exception of China) have an answer to the combined power of ADVENT Intelligence.

I have personally interacted with her several times, and she has proven to be a very professional and excellent colleague, who appeared to hold some respect for XCOM Intelligence in particular. I sincerely doubt that she poses an immediate threat, as she knows very well that her continued existence is due to us, and she is unlikely to risk that.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Saudia has described her as 'always in motion', which translates to that she always has to be doing something, such as constantly pacing, fiddling with objects in her hand and moving between three documents at the same time. While not confirmed, it is possible that she has some form of ADHD as it would explain this irregular behavior. Then again, it may simply be a personality quirk.

Much like most in EXALT, she is very organized and analytical in her decisions, and also is capable of very long-term plans that won't come to fruition for years. I would compare it to Nicole Treduant, except applied on a much larger scale. The scope of her plans is impressive, to say the least, with a very thin margin for error.

Unlike most in her position, she is surprisingly…sentimental, and that is a possible weakness to exploit. She dislikes putting agents in danger, and is paranoid of placing them in positions where they can't handle the pressure. It is why her plans take years to start bearing results, because most operatives start out very low, and gradually rank up over a period of years. With that said, it ultimately makes agents far more useful in the end.

Her family in particular is a curious point, and I am surprised someone in her position would become so attached. She has a husband and two children, both boys, and maintains good relationships with her immediate family. While I doubt she would break under pressure from threats to her husband (Who is also an agent), her children are the clearest vulnerability, and would likely be an excellent key in ensuring her cooperation.

However, I sincerely doubt Elizabeth would ever force our hand in that way. She is manipulative, methodical and unfailingly professional. She is _not_ an idiot, and should not be treated as such, nor as a mindless lacky. Someone in her position doesn't get there without proving they will do whatever is needed, and she is no exception.

In short, Commander, I believe she will be a useful ally in fighting the aliens.


	31. Vitakara - Organizations:The Aui'Vitakar

Vitakara: Organizations

The Aui'Vitakar

* * *

" _It would be a mistake to call them figureheads, but the Aui'Vitakar know who is really in charge."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **XCOM File V880**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: The Aui'Vitakar

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Approved By: The Commander

 _Preliminary Note_ : All information contained within this document is based upon the descriptions and knowledge from Nartha and the current Vitakara captives. As such, much is speculative and subject to change upon further encounters with this individual or others.

SECTION 1: Overview

The Aui'Vitakar is the closest thing to the species-wide government of the Vitakara. The only disqualifying aspect of their government is that they do not have control over the Zararch or law enforcement of any kind. Nevertheless, they are the official voice of the Vitakara, at least the civilians and are a rather important political power.

It is extremely likely that the Aui'Vitakar is now aware of Earth, as we have clearly encountered Runianarch and Lurainian soldiers in the field, both of whom are under the official authority of the Aui'Vitakar. In terms of how the legislature is composed, it is a curious composition of the United States and former United Nations Structure.

Each race is afforded the same number of representatives, but how said representatives are chosen varies heavily between races and their local governments. The Aui'Vitakar makes decisions that generally affect supply, trade, intergalactic travel, diplomacy and any matter that affects the species as a whole. They rarely interfere in local governments, provided they are not doing anything illegal.

SECTION 2: Representatives

As mentioned earlier, each race has an equal number of representatives, fifty per race, adding up to a combined total of three hundred. They all converge in the Assembly Chambers, where they introduce, debate and pass legislation. Generally, the motivations of the representatives can be readily determined by their race. Vitakarians, Dath'Haram and occasionally the Cobrarians tend to represent specific blocs of their race since they were elected democratically. Oyariah, Sar'Manda, Borelians and sometimes the Cobrarians again are generally little more than mouthpieces for the local government.

Conduct between the representatives is surprisingly cordial. Nartha was clear to emphasize that, unlike Human politicians, Vitakara representatives really do have an interest in working together for the good of their people. Duplicity and dishonesty is the highest scandal to them, and offending representatives are usually turned over to the Zararch as punishment.

Despite the oddly honest nature of the Aui'Vitakar, there are definite disagreements between some of the races, but not on anything we would consider _major_. Those largely relate to trade and resource investment for various projects. But again, many disagreements are solved through compromise and construction of a better deal that benefits all parties.

Some specific issues such as healthcare, employment and crime have near-unanimous support from all races, and problems are solved within days. It is rather impressive, to be honest. Issues that affect specific races are rarely introduced unless there it is a clear positive, such as the introduction of scientific projects that would allow Oyariah and Sar'Manda to live above ground, and in rare cases, heavily moderated and localized genetic modification (Still a touchy subject for many of them).

SECTION 3: Authority and Limitations

On the surface, the Aui'Vitakar seems like something out of a utopia. The ultimate pinnacle of a democratic government that truly works for the betterment of all.

That appears to be all by design, and purposefully allowed by the Ethereals to keep the Vitakara complacent. The Aui'Vitakar have shaped Vitakar into a utopia, as well as many sectioned colonies, and provide whatever their citizens need. According to Nartha, they don't use currency like we do, everything is determined by resource cost. Things like utilities, food, drink and clothing are provided for free and most Vitakara are free to choose which job they want (In theory, there are social pressures and stigmas that vary from race to race).

But the Aui'Vitakar have absolutely no power or influence beyond their planet. On paper they have control of the Runianarch and Lurainian, but in practice those are also directly controlled by the Ethereals and are branches of their power, much like the Zararch is. _This is unknown even to most Zararch agents_. Nartha himself didn't know, and I learned from interrogating several of Vahlen's Vitakarian helpers.

Naturally, the Aui'Vitakar have been instructed to keep this quiet, and the Zararch is the public force that works for the Collective. But every aspect of the Vitakara military is directly under the control of the Ethereals, which means the Aui'Vitakar is completely helpless against pretty much anything. Most Vitakara know nothing about this arrangement aside from high-ranking Lurainian and Runianarch officers.

The Aui'Vitakar additionally, and secretly, works with the Zararch to help identify potential dissenters in the population, thanks to a planet-wide surveillance system which every citizen just accepts because they trust the Aui'Vitakar. Although this does not extend to the Oyariah and Sar'Manda territories, but largely because the Oyariah are fanatically loyal, and the Sar'Manda could care less about anything above water. In truth, the Aui'Vitakar only provides logs and information on each citizen, but is nonetheless complicit in the slow culling of the Vitakara.

What the Zararch does with this information varies. Usually those identified as potential issues are approached over a period of years, in attempts to groom them to take a position in the military. This has the effect of weeding out the more violent and dangerous Vitakara and turning them into a weapon for the Ethereals.

Clever. ADVENT could find some use in that.

In short, the Aui'Vitakar is little more than a front to keep the population in a complacent and easily controlled state. They are not complete puppets, but they know that the moment they even display a hint of curiosity, defiance or concern, they will be removed and replaced without question.

And everyone will shrug and go about their day.

* * *

REPORT: 100111110101

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE AUI'VITAKAR

SPECIES: VITAKARA

GOVERNMENT TYPE: REPUBLIC

MEMBER COUNT: 300

LEADER: OVERSEER OF THE ASSEMBLY

CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY

VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: UNKNOWN – REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: HIGH

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: UNKNOWN – REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ZARARCH INDEPENDENT OF AUI'VITAKAR

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL INFLUENCE OVER AUI'VITAKAR POLICY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: OPERATIONS/INFLUENCE CONTAINED TO VITAKAR AND COLONY PLANETS

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: There is something off about the Aui'Vitakar, but we have yet to be able to determine what that is. The attitudes of this government are…suspiciously benign. They fit no logical format, and appear to give the illusion of appearing to actually and genuinely care about advancing the Vitakara species.

However, while penetration of government facilities is impossible due to the Zararch completely securing any vulnerabilities, and watching every Aui'Vitakar representative makes interrogation impossible without attracting attention. The citizens are soft and weak, yet their militaries are not insignificant and the Zararch are always watching.

It is concerning.

Without knowing just how much influence the Zararch has over the Aui'Vitakar, or the Ethereals for that matter, it is difficult to determine the extent to which the Aui'Vitakar has influence. They do not appear to be purely puppets, but do act as though they have limits. All activity is restricted to Vitakar, and the occasional colony. But the majority of Collective-Aui'Vitakar relations is conducted through the Zararch.

It is difficult to tap into the criminal element, as there is almost no crime whatsoever, save for the terrorist organization known as the Nulorian. The motivations of such a group appear to be small and petty, revenge or vengeance for people killed. But there might be something more that has not been identified yet. Perhaps it warrants contact with them if we wish to begin conducting operations against the Aui'Vitakar. A Vitakarian front will serve far better in removing suspicion than one with obvious Andromedon influence.

However, I would recommend we also focus our attention to the forces that are even stranger and more unknown than the Aui'Vitakar. The Oyariah fanaticism concerning with the Ethereals is suspicious, yet infiltration of their underground cities is surprisingly difficult, and requires further planning. Furthermore, attempted penetration of the Sar'Manda Empire resulted in the sudden destruction of Special Operator 091. A loss of that magnitude without warning warrants further and careful investigation.

This planet and species is not benign or unimportant. It is a planet of lies and finding that answers will not be easy.

RECOMMENDATION: MAKE CONTACT WITH NULORIAN; BEGIN PENETRATION OF OYARIAH HEGEMONY; BEGIN PENETRATION AND THREAT ASSESSMENT OF SAR'MANDA EMPIRE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 011; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR: DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

* * *

Operation: Black and White

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'mallin'horst

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

As requested, I have put together the current compilation of Aui'Vitakar political policies and racial objectives that the observers and handlers have been able to gather. I can understand why you have raised observation on some of them, due to the significant uptick of troubling activity, but everything remains well under control. The Aui'Vitakar have not, and will not, pose any issues to the Ethereal Collective or Zararch.

That being said, the fact that some of them are becoming so brazen in their questions, perhaps a warning to the local governments is needed to keep their focus on our species, not what lies beyond it. So without wasting more time, here are where the current races stand:

 **The United Vitakarian Republic:** As always, it is difficult to fully form an agenda for what the Republic wants to accomplish in the Aui'Vitakar, and varies by elected representative. Republican representatives generally represent their constituents to the best of their degrees, which leads me believe that there are certain districts that are wanting answers regarding the war with the Humans, and the representatives are merely following through.

That is a systemic problem then, and one the Republic will need to address if that is the case. I have already ordered agents to begin investigation of the respective districts. Outside of that alteration, the Republic seems focused on trade, research and benign projects for Vitakar. They are pushing for a new colony as well, but that is not in conflict with any operations, so in most respects, they are clean.

In short, the Republic is more of the same and I note no major changes in their agenda.

 **The Borelian Authoritative Council:** The Borelians are not happy, and I cannot entirely blame them. We should expect that a militant species is going to demand answers should a war suddenly happens and they have little to no knowledge at all. The issue, of course, is that it does appear like there is unanimous consent within the Council and they are not going to back down anytime soon, and their military has no doubt made contingency plans should we act to silence their government.

It is a tricky situation, but not an uncontrollable one. For now, they are not making this public, but it is likely that should things proceed without answers, they will go public and outside the Sar'Manda, Borelia is one area where our reach is much shorter. It might be worth letting the current Chief Diplomat know of the current status so he can placate the Council, unless you would prefer direct action against the Borelians.

I would not recommend that.

 **The Council of Dath'Haram:** Nothing of interest to really note here. As usual, the Dath'Haram are more concerned with improving the Vitakara than anything else. The war is not a concern for them, and even the representatives flagged for review only appear to be doing it out of curiosity than anything else. In fact, the Dath'Haram Council has privately told the rest of the representatives that this concern doesn't affect the Vitakara species and they need to focus on their own.

Naturally, this went over _very_ well with the Borelians and Cobrarian. Speaking of which…

 **The Cobrarian Hierarchy:** We might have an issue here. You do recall that almost their entire legislature is under review, so I won't repeat it. But that many Cobrarians compromised definitely means that the Hierarchy wants answers, and intends to get them one way or another. This might be a desperate political move to force the Aui'Vitakar to intervene in their little cultural crisis, in a "help us and we'll shut up about this" kind of deal.

It's a mildly clever one at that. The Hierarchy isn't stupid, and they've no doubt learned we keep an eye on them, so this is something of a dare to try and remove their representatives without anyone asking questions. So I would say it's almost more of an engineered message to _us_. I highly doubt you're going to halt that current operation, since it's been a resounding success so far, but perhaps you could dial the rhetoric back and make the exodus seem a little less extreme.

Though I doubt the reptiles would be happy with that. Perhaps they need a lesson in humility?

 **The Oyariah Hegemony:** Entering their underground cities is bizarre, and it strikes me just how much different they are to the rest of us. They pose no threat, but I'm seeing things down there that are _definitely_ not standard Vitakara, or even Collective tech. Their religious fervor for the Elders has actually gotten more extreme if you can believe it.

Here's some examples of the stuff they're saying to the population:

"Those who cannot understand the wisdom of the Elders, and who raise their hand in defiance must be purged from the galaxy!"

"The enemies seeking to undermine our faith are everywhere, be vigilant, for the ones bearing the face of friends will come with lies falling from their lips."

"The taint of disbelief is strong enough to affect those in our own species, those who are blinded to the truth cannot be allowed to lead us!"

I have recordings if you wish. It is…unsettling. And the one "with the face of friends" could be a reference to the Humans since they are similar to the Vitakarians. Which would beg the question of just _how_ the Hegemony knew about this. And if you want my opinion, that last sentence definitely seems to refer to the Aui'Vitakar if they…defect? Question? I'm not entirely sure, but while we don't have to worry about their loyalty…they are definitely being used.

If the Ethereals are behind this, perhaps you should suggest to them to tone down the rhetoric unless they want a civil war.

 **The Sar'Manda Empire:** You would think that an Empire that spans the entirety of Vitakar's oceans would have a weak point, yes?

No.

The damn fish (I do like these Human words) are just as secretive and isolated as always, and as usual they are _not_ complementary to outsiders. The only way I was entering their cities was officially, and I would be watched the entire time and learn nothing. Their representatives are equally as stonewalling, and don't seem to have any interest in the Aui'Vitakar other than a formality. They never introduce legislature, and only vote when it actually affects them.

They definitely aren't a threat since they clearly don't care about anyone but themselves. But at the same time, I think we've made a mistake writing them off. We have _no_ eyes in the Empire whatsoever and _that is a problem_. Outside of the handlers for their representatives, I'm not sure why we haven't had more Sar'Manda agents infiltrating down there.

We don't have numbers on their military, tech level, motivations or really anything of use. If I'm going off just what I've seen, they are easily equal in power to the entire Aui'Vitakar combined since their Empire spans the entire _ocean_. I don't know what they're doing, but I only see us continuing to ignore the Sar'Manda as ending in a way we do not like.

Think on it at least. We can always threaten an Ethereal visit if they're uncooperative.


	32. Ethereals - Dossier: Revelean

Ethereals: Dossier

Revelean

* * *

" _Every species is flawed clay, incapable of reaching their true potential. It must be broken, molded and sculpted by those who have achieved the pinnacle of their intellect. Fortunately I am one such sculptor, and there are many species ready to be uplifted by my hand."_

\- Ethereal Revelean

* * *

 **CODEX File 0192**

 _Subject_ : Humanity

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

This new species… _humanity_. Of all the species encountered so far, only the Vitakara are greater in genetic mutability. Such a species is fascinating, and the knowledge that they have yet to tap into their true potential is truly inspiring. Their constraints are obvious, and they are a crude, depraved and ultimately self-destructive species.

Such traits must be weeded out, of course, so their true calling can be determined. I find myself curious what role they will fulfill in our Collective. They are capable of intelligence, as XCOM has shown, as well as bravery, tactical insight and some have the ability to cast aside petty morality in favor of practicality.

The Gift, however, complicates investigation. I must examine more of them, determine the causes for why they are receptive to the power…yes, that must be the first thing to be determined. When I can determine that, I can sculpt this species into the image I so desire. But what shall that image be?

I suppose it is irrelevant at this point. The Humans will require some genetic cleansing after they are conquered, and it will take several generations to begin to see superior results, but considering how often the aliens breed, I expect their numbers to be replenished in short order. The disparity in the species in intelligence and reasoning is frustrating, but it will become stabilized once I successfully dismantle the Human mindset.

Sana'Ligna should be able to help with that, though she is unfortunately squeamish when making the necessary decisions. Interactions and observation are all well and good, yet there is nothing more solid than the brain of the subject exposed to you, waiting and ready for you to improve it. I expect many of these sorry iterations of Humans will have to be sacrificed, but progress cannot be stopped, and the successful uplifting of the Human race will without a doubt establish our power as the dominant force in the galaxy.

The Synthesized were clever, they believed they won. But I know how they work now, and I know exactly how to defeat them

* * *

REPORT: 111101110011

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 04 (REVELEAN)

KNOWN ALIASES: "REVELEAN" "GENETICIST REVELEAN"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN (SPECULATED TO BE IN CHARGE OF MULTIPLE ETHEREAL GENETIC PROJECTS)

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXPERT GENETICIST

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PRIMARY ARCHITECT OF VITAKARA GENETIC PLAGUE CURE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: RARELY SEEN PUBLICALLY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION (SUSPECTED)

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED MEDIUM TO HIGH

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: There is almost nothing publically known about the Ethereal self-identified as Revelean. He initially appeared briefly upon first contact with the Vitakara, where he promised to help cure the genetic plague that was assailing the species. He never made another public appearance, instead relying on the Ethereal Sana'Ligna to distribute the cure he developed. It is speculated that Sana'Ligna also had some hand in its creation, given her own medical skills, but Revelean was without a doubt the primary creator.

Unfortunately, attempts to learn more about Revelean have resulted in nothing that can be accepted as hard evidence. Much of this will be speculation and educated guessing, as I have dismissed the possibility of Revelean simply vanishing or pursuing benign projects. He was able to cure a genetic disease afflicting an entire species in a matter of months, which indicates that he has a mastery over even alien genetics to a degree that potentially poses a threat.

There is the possibility that the genetic plague that assailed the Vitakara was not, in fact, a consequence of self-destructive genetic modification, but perhaps engineered by Revelean himself and introduced so the Ethereals could arrive as saviors. It would explain how a cure was able to be developed so quickly, and Revelean certainly has the capacity to create such a plague. However, there is little to suggest this was actually the case, and either possibility means we are dealing with an Ethereal who does not need weapons to defeat his opponents.

His areas of operation are suspected to be the Ethereal Blacksites, although which one of the three we have discovered, and what exactly he is doing there remain a mystery. Infiltration is impossible, even with Special Operators, and we know that the Ethereals are not tolerant of us attempting to pry the secrets of the Blacksites from them, but we can make some deductions from the Special Operators monitoring the known Blacksites.

There are entire ships filled with what are assumed to be test subjects sent to all the identified Blacksites, with Sectoid, Vitakara, Andromedon and Human signatures detected. Why the Ethereals need so many test subjects remains a mystery, but it can likely be safely assumed that Revelean is involved in one, or all of these projects and if Andromedons are also being sent there…the implications are unpleasant for our species.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; SEED CAPTIVES WITH CYBERNETIC MODIFICATION TO PIERCE BLACKSITE SECURITY; BEGIN INVESTIGATION INTO ANDROMEDON ABDUCTIONS

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 130; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

CONTINUING OBSERVATION

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 0090**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, XCOM Psychologist Haley Yates

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Neutral Purple

 _Height_ : 8'5"

 _Weight_ : 211 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : Wears Ethereal-tailored scientific gear, helm is formed around the skull, covers the mouth and has attachments allowing enhanced vision for both eyes. Wears no armor or protective gear.

 _Physical Condition_ : Moderate (For an Ethereal)

SECTION 2: Assessment

Revelean is what you would call, our "lead scientist." His position is comparable to Dr. Vahlen's in that he is responsible for nearly every scientific achievement in the Collective. Much of the advances in weaponry, genetics and research are directly because of him. Yet that is rather trivial for him, and much of his time is devoted to his own projects.

Revelean was a prominent military geneticist in the days of the Empire, and specialized in xenogenetics which was what I believe attracted the Imperator's attention, and he immediately agreed to join as he also realized that the Synthesized could not be beaten with what remained of the Empire. To be honest, I do not think Revelean mourns the death of the Empire.

He knows he is immortal, and fully believes that one day he will bring back the Ethereals as he is one of the few who has the knowledge to do so. I would be very surprised if he is not growing new Ethereals now, or at least attempting to, I would not know as Revelean didn't inform me of many of his projects. He sees this as a fresh start; a way to help shape a new empire in his own image.

Revelean had issues with some of the military policy in the Empire, specifically that which mandated the extinction of any species opposed to the Empire. He does not believe that species are beyond salvation, and advocated for diplomatic relationships with various alien civilizations for the sole purpose of eventually uplifting them.

Revelean believes that every species is initially imperfect. He believes they are flawed and lack a specific role in the galaxy, and sees himself as the one who can discern their true purpose from their genetics and uplift them into superior versions of themselves-brought to fruition by himself, as he believes that few others can understand like he can.

He sees all those who are not Ethereals as potential tools, barely sentient beings. Even those he considers uplifted are viewed as little better than pets in his eyes. I know that some consider Dr. Vahlen and even you, Commander, as _extreme_. Revelean makes your experiments look benign by comparison.

Revelean is perfectly willing to sacrifice a million innocent victims for even just the slightest progress in his plans. He subjects his test subjects to painful deaths such as being flayed alive, immolated, frozen or worse just to acquire data. He performs autopsies on species in his leisure time, and turns others into genetic abominations in pursuit of his goals.

His curiosity is only matched by his drive to, in his mind, discover the ultimate secret and place of each species. He has plans, approved by the Imperator, for every species encountered…except yours. He is still undecided about your own, and I would not like to be subjected to the results. It is important to understand that, should the Imperator succeed in winning this war, the species you are familiar with will likely not be recognizable within a century as Revelean prepares the species for the process of "Ascension".

What this entails, I do not know, but I do know that billions will die, and Revelean will consider it nothing more than a culling of the inferior from the superior. You doubtless are curious what his plans could be, and I can only relay what I have heard from the Battlemaster and Sana'Ligna. Not even many of the other Ethereals know his true plans, as there are those who would oppose such an operation.

The Mutons will be shock troopers, only grown via tanks as he views natural reproduction as a waste of time and unnecessary. Each individual one would be the size of a Muton Elite, have skin that regenerates and is impenetrable, and be able to process battlefield information and deduce logical and practical plans in seconds. He also wants to create some low-level telepathy between individual Mutons similar to Sectoids to increase their effectiveness, similar to a Hive Mind. The current fact that Mutons are incapable of psionics does not seem to dissuade him in the least.

The Sargon is the template for this project. Image an entire army as smart as them and able to telepathically communicate with each other. All of them incapable of betrayal.

The Muton Elites, Praetorians, Sargons, all of these are the result of Revelean's experiments and all are devoted to one specific goal, which he grows closer towards every year. He has yet to achieve a specimen he deems complete, but out of all his projects, he is getting very close.

He has an equally disturbing plan for the Vitakara. Struck by their genetic adaptability, he plans to convert the entire species into a single race capable of shapeshifting, creating the ultimate soldiers and spies. I suspect Dr. Vahlen will snort at such a notion, but it is indeed possible for such a creature to be created-because it already _exists_.

The Sectoids once discovered a planet with a species of shapeshifting aliens, which could indeed transform into whatever they desired. They were non-sentient creatures, so their usefulness was limited at best, yet the Imperator allowed the Sectoids to try and uplift them and turn them into something useful. They failed, of course, and I do not know the full details of the project, yet I do know that the Cyberdisks were a result of the failed attempt.

But Revelean took several of the Faceless creatures and was attempting to find some way to utilize them until the Vitakara were discovered, and then determined that was the Vitakara's role and the Faceless was just another tool he could use to achieve that. As far as I know, this project is far from complete, but do not forget his ultimate plan.

I suspect the Vitakara would not take it well.

He intends for the Sectoids to be the primary scientists and researchers of the galaxy, and completely in the thrall of the Ethereals. He sees no purpose for the current Sectoid society, as much of their work can be done through automation, and only believes the Hive Commanders are worth salvaging. Should his plan come to fruition, I am under the impression that the Hive Commanders would be the standard Sectoid template, grown of course.

To what end, I do not know, but Revelean does not see them as psionic warriors, or if he does, I have not seen plans which take their use of psionics into account. But the possibility of Sectoids composed of nothing more than Hive Commanders is one I doubt you would be pleased by.

The Andromedons I am unsure of. The species is in a slightly different situation than the others, due to them being a force in their own right and some of their people are not convinced that we are friendly. But Revelean certainly has plans for them, yet I do not know their specifics.

Revelean is a telepath of some power, but he is weak enough that I suspect Patricia would be able to eventually overpower him. That is not his strength, yet his powers are more far-reaching than simple psionics. I am aware that there is speculation that Revelean was responsible for the Vitakara genetic plague, and I can plainly dispute that. Some don't believe that it was possible to cure in months, but Revelean has encountered genetic breakdowns far more severe than that even within the Ethereals. The Vitakara plague was barely a problem for him.

But if Revelean truly wanted it, he could kill every single species in the galaxy with similar genetic plagues. He has the power, and if pressed, he will use it. But he sees such acts as wasteful. He cares nothing for individual species, their cultures, peoples and individually.

To him, all beings are tools and pawns and if he cannot rebuild a species in the image he considers _perfect_ , then he will wipe them from the galaxy.

The plans of Revelean are abhorrent, and I will fight to ensure they do not come to fruition. You may read this and believe he is simply insane, and that is a dangerous thought to have about him, Commander. The Creator is insane, but she will never achieve more than creating a freak show.

Revelean is perfectly sane and capable of carrying out each act I describe.

That should terrify you.


	33. Ethereals - Locations: Blacksites

Ethereals: Locations

Blacksites

* * *

" _Investigating the Blacksites is a good way to learn there are things worse than death."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **XCOM File B555**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Ethereal Blacksites

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

SECTION 1: Overview

The Blacksites are, outside the Temple Ship, the most secure locations within the Ethereal Collective. Most of the Collective has no idea they exist and for good reason. Not every Blacksite is malicious in intent, but some of them contain horrors the likes of which would force the Andromedons and Sectoids to declare war on us.

Some of them are so secret that not even every Ethereal knows what happens on them. I suspect there are several I personally am not aware of, though I am aware of the major ones, specifically those run by Revelean, Fectorian, Sana'Ligna and the Creator. However, not all of them are used for horrific experiments, but are generally considered the "Headquarters" of each Ethereal.

I myself had a Blacksite, but it was not used for nefarious purposes, largely monitoring the various species and leaders and ensuring that their military forces were sufficient, as well as monitoring the inner-galactic species in the event that we were discovered. My purpose was to protect and defend the Collective, and I structured my Blacksite to accomplish that.

I will say what I know of the following Blacksites, but it will likely not be as expansive as you would like as some of them I know only by reputation among the Ethereals. But I should emphasize that the Blacksites are one of the aspects of the Collective that are heavily protected by the Ethereals. Aliens are simply not allowed in…and if they are, they are either returned as messages or find themselves wishing they were dead.

SECTION 2: Known Blacksites

 **Revelean's Blacksite – "** _ **The Forge"**_ **:** This is where Revelean conducts his experiments on the various species, and if you are curious as to what that could be, it is detailed in the report I wrote concerning him, suffice to say that those in his Blacksite are subjected to experiments that make Vahlen look merciful by comparison.

The specific nature of the experiments, such as techniques and methods, I cannot comment on as I have never set foot in that abominable place, nor did Revelean wish me to. Even knowing a portion of his ambition put us at odds and it was decided we worked better apart. However, Sana'Ligna did once describe the station to me.

It is one of the largest Blacksites, largely because Revelean has multiple levels on it, one level per species and he rotates between all of them regularly. He appears to decorate his Blacksite with chemically preserved statues, though for what reason I cannot determine outside of a sick curiosity and appreciation of alien physiology.

 _The Forge_ is almost the largest receiver of alien test subjects, sometimes Revelean goes through as many as one thousand a month, though this is admittedly rare. The average tends to fall around three hundred to five hundred test subjects of various species, Humanity now included. I expect further shipments will contain primarily Humans, as your species has certainly captured his attention.

 **Fectorian's Blacksite – "** _ **The Hall of Steel"**_ : I have personally been to Fectorian's "Hall of Steel" as the grandiose title implies, and while it is nowhere as reprehensible as the _Forge_ , it is hardly what you would consider pleasant. Fectorian's own plans for the species are arguably as twisted as Revelean's, but at least he prefers to keep the body count to a minimum. As with Revelean, there is a report I wrote on him for further details. I will focus on the Blacksite.

Fectorian is the one who conceptualized the Floaters, Mutons cast off and abandoned which he felt was a waste of resources and devoted to saving. The _Hall of Steel_ is the primary center for cybernetic and vehicle research. Fectorian does not work alone either, many of his assistants are former successful test subjects, cybernetically modified far more than Fectorian himself and help him with his own projects.

At least half of the projects at this Blacksite are…benign, compared to most. They are largely ship, weapon and armor designs which go through endless testing and analysis. Every current weapon in the Ethereal Collective was not only refined by Fectorian, but I know that he is always trying to improve the current designs, though with how many projects he often undertakes, progress is incrementally slow.

As far as I know, the _Hall of Steel_ is the largest Blacksite because of the construction involved for the larger projects. Each level contains a different type of project, for example, weapon research would be a level, as would armor research. However, I must describe the less pleasant aspects of this Blacksite now.

The other half of his research consists of his cybernetic experiments on various species, which usually kills or cripples the victims involved, and test subjects are forced to undergo extensive cybernetic replacement that often drives them insane if not killing them outright. Perhaps the one dark secret very few in the Collective know is that utterly crippled soldiers are not sent back to their families or homeworlds, they are sent to the _Hall of Steel._

No one receives an honorable discharge because of an injury. Paraplegics, paralysis, loss of limbs, brain damage, all of these are qualifiers for being sent to Fectorian. Their friends and family are simply told they died and the crippled soldier is sent to become one of Fectorian's test subjects, and if they are lucky, they will die quickly.

I have spoken to some of the survivors. Their minds have been warped by Fectorian to feel nothing but gratitude at their "enhancement", but they spend their lives in constant agony. They feel no fear, no hate, no emotion, nothing but pain.

 **Sana'Ligna's Blacksite –** _ **"Sanctuary"**_ **:** Ah, Sana, the one bright spot as always in the dark and practical galaxy we live in. I will not dispute that Sana'Ligna runs her own experiments on various alien species, but there is a clear difference in both her motives and methods. For the most part, she rarely inflicts physical pain, and even if she does, she always heals it quickly and wipes the subject's mind of what occurred.

Her motives for such are that she does genuinely want to help the various species, although she was forbidden from anything involving the Mutons long ago for obvious reasons. But nonetheless she is committed to helping the ones she can. Many of her own experiments are psychological and help her gain a better understanding of the species in question from a medical perspective, which she will then share with the medical professionals within the species.

Unsurprisingly, this has made her a rather well-liked Ethereal when she makes a rare appearance on their worlds. She is actually rather well-liked by the Andromedons and the Vitakara have nothing but praise for her actions thanks to her involvement in curing them of their genetic plague. All of this is possible from her research on _Sanctuary_.

She also conducts the majority of the Collective's medical research in _Sanctuary_ , which is why disease is something that is virtually eradicated and our medical technology allows soldiers to survive life-threatening injuries. She is why no wounded soldier has to face implant or organ rejection.

Her processes to accomplish this can seem harsh, such as exposing her own test subjects to diseases in order to cure them, but she always makes sure to keep them alive and cure them of any trauma afterwards. Frankly, it is insulting to compare that to the work Fectorian and Revelean engage in without any remorse.

And also unlike them, test subjects sent to _Sanctuary_ are not killed. Sana'Ligna always inserts them back into the Collective, their minds with false memories and no recollection of their time with her. Sometimes they are put in the Zararch, the Lurainian or simply placed on an unknown colony. But it is a rather happy ending which could turn out much worse.

 **The Creator's Blacksite –** _ **"Hell"**_ **:** No, Commander, the name of the Blacksite is not actually _hell_ , but it is the closest translation to the word Quisilia used to describe it to me. In essence, the word implies " _A prison where great suffering takes place and people wish to die_." Roughly. It is an appropriate word to apply, yes?

I have never been there. Many Ethereals have not, and barely more actually know what actually is in the mad fortress of the Creator. Perhaps it is because of that that even those who do know are reluctant to speak about what they saw. I did not know, and I had no desire to know as anything involved with the Mad Ethereal is best forgotten.

I am not unconvinced that this is not the Imperator perpetually preparing for the moment to kill her. The Blacksite's location is actually known by most Ethereals…and is a one-way trip unless specifically planned. The Blacksite appears to fulfill two functions: That of a research station, and that of a prison.

Why a prison? Because it orbits the Dead World. I know that it houses beings that may potentially be useful, but are too dangerous to use openly. Like I said, perhaps the location is a contingency if the Creator ever snaps completely.

But as for what goes on there? Rumors and speculation abound. Whispers of unthinkable experiments that make Revelean look tame by comparison. Muton-chryssalid hybrids; Vitakarians giving birth to Andromedon children; placing minds of various species into different alien bodies; fringe science even by our standards.

Anything that enters the Creator's deranged mind has a place at the Blacksite you should call _Hell_. Think of the most depraved experiment you can, and the Creator has done worse there. I need no proof when even Quisilia's voice shakes when he refuses to talk about what he saw. I need no convincing when the Battlemaster returns from the Dead World, his sword bloody and holding the head of some monstrosity he is no doubt going to give to the Imperator in an attempt to convince him to keep her in check.

The Creator is a genius, perhaps even smarter than Revelean. But she is mad and that Blacksite is a manifestation of her warped and twisted will.

Should we survive to that point, I will personally and happily remove that blight from the face of the galaxy.

* * *

 _Report was found on the body of a gibbering and insane Zararch agent, delivered in a coffin-like box to Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary._

Operation: _Failure_

Division: _The Blinded and Shackled_

Report Author: _The Lady of Life_

Authorization: _A fool_

Dear, dear Zar'Chon, I am most displeased at having to write this. After listening to the lovely Quisilia go on and on about how useful and helpful you are to him, you have the nerve to send your agents to _spy_ on me. Dear Zar'Chon, you do so amuse me here. As if an insignificant creature like you could hope to comprehend exactly what I am hoping to achieve. The thought alone is amusing.

I do wonder what went on in your underdeveloped brain when you ordered your pitiful agent to infiltrate my station. What did you hope to achieve? Did you want to know what was so secret even Quisilia wouldn't tell you? Were you looking for weaknesses to turn against us? Or was this a proposal given to you by the shortsighted fool Battlemaster!?

Ah-no matter, I confess, you are so dreadfully _boring_ as I look upon your little profile. So polite. So professional. So…gah, _predictable_. Your mind is a sad little box, rigid in your beliefs, unlikely to grasp anything beyond your warped sense of reality. You live in such a sad state, in a place where things obey set rules, where you can see patterns and act on them.

Well here, dear Zar'Chon, there are no such petty rules on reality. Mere mortal beings cannot comprehend what they can't understand. Simply put, you are too primitive to fully open your mind to the realization that the galaxy operates on no rules, and those are only placed on the weak-willed and stupid.

If you could only see the work here, see the dead rising and watching the impossible come to life. I am the architect of reality here, I am responsible for making the impossible come to life, did you know I killed your little agent fifteen times before I sent him back? Impossible you say? Ha! The mere fact you had to ask that question indicates just how little you truly know.

Oh, your brain will grasp and reach for trying to rationalize that statement for months. You will never stop thinking about it until the day you die because you do not _understand_. Even if you saw it with your own eyes you would go mad upon seeing what you deem abominations and horrors. You would tear your eyes out when you saw nightmares you only saw in dreams. Ah, it would be glorious to see such a mind as yours reduced to little more than mush as the knowledge that reality now bends to me becomes clear.

Gah, but then Quisilia would be displeased, and I do dislike making him angry. Consider this a message, little Zar'Chon, a warning if you prefer.

Have the arrogance to send your pawns at me again, and I will accept nothing less than an apology – _in person_.

Think on that, dear Zar'Chon. Though I do hope you'll be a fool one more time.

:}

 _Addendum – Quisilia: Apologies for the state of your agent, Zar'Chon, but you should know by now that there are some things even you should not investigate._

* * *

 _Report was delivered to Chief Overseer Chernior personally by an Andromedon Special Operator before it left and committed suicide in an industrial building, presumably upon orders from an outside party. The explosion was deemed an accident._

REPpORT: 29&#% & *(**

tARGeT 0F INNTTERESTTT: ASJDSNULLNULLNULLWENULLNULL

OWNNERSSSS: ASADSNULLNULLARENULLNULL

THREAT LLeVEEL: OMEGAOMEGAOMEGEAWATCHINGOMEGAOMEGAOMEGA

MmmANUaaL CCCOMMENT: T-t-this is a surpri-ri-rise, Chief Overse-e-er. Even I-I-I did not expect you to be quite-te-te so arrogant as to be-believe that you could investigate-te so brazenly the ones you c-c-claim to call allies-s. To do so-o-o in such a manner implies that you are n-n-not entirely convinced of our authenticity-y-y.

A-a-allow me to c-c-correct that m-m-misconception. You truly have no idea w-w-what you are looking for. You p-play with toys we have _gifted_ your scientist-st-sts, and yet you seek to t-t-turn them on us as w-w-we were nothing more like another petty union you were so-o-o fond-d-d of destroying back in the Union-on W-w-wars-s-s.

Your Special-l-l O-o-operators are pale imitations of what we seek to create-e-e. You believe that they can st-st-stand against the m-m-might of the G-G-Gift, but you truly know nothing of what we-e-e are capable of. I-I-I took control of this little c-c-crude soldier with hardly any effort-t-t. Imagine, Chief O-o-overseer, if I decided to respond in a more v-v-violent fashion?

I-I-I know where you are at all times-s-s, there ar-ar-are secrets that you will never un-uncover, and those that you do w-will c-c-cost you your life-fe. Do you b-believe that you can simply u-use your little toys without-t-t c-c-consequence? That their conditioning m-makes you im-m-mune to reprisal or p-p-punishment?

Wro-o-ong, Overseer. I-I have been tolerant, Sic-c-carius has been un-n-derstanding-ing. Yet we all have l-limits-s-s.

Your Sp-special O-Operators do not-t belong to you-ou. They-y n-never-r did.

Go-oo-d day. Enjoy-y the fireworks-s.

RECooMENDDATIONN: ERRORERRORERRORRUNERRORERRORLITTLEERRORERRORERRORANDROMEDONERROERROR

REPPOrt C0Mmpiiler: SCREAMINGSCREAMINGSCREAMINGCOMPROMISEDCOMPROMISED

END REEP0Rt

EEXECUTE FiiNAL DIRRECTIVE

* * *

 **CODEX File 0292 – Project: Vitakarian Cybernetic Enhancement**

 _Subject_ : Recent Setbacks

 _Author_ : Lead Engineer Fectorian

I would have thought that a race as adaptable as Vitakarians would provide little or no problems with accepting cybernetic enhancement. As much as Revelean goes on about how they're the best thing since MELD, I must admit I am disappointed. The problem is that the Vitakarians are _too_ adaptable, of all things.

It is constantly irritating hear screaming and have to go check, and sure enough, the Vitakarian somehow grew out of, or weakened the arm enough to where the cybernetic enhancement no longer functions and of course there is a mess. Never a dull moment. Their adaptability makes them a dream for Revelean, but it makes it a constant challenge for me.

Well, I never turn down a challenge.

This is not an unsolvable problem. Already I have several possible prototypes that might be useful in keeping these subjects alive a little longer-of course it is mostly limbs-and will hopefully be able to dynamically adapt to the body as it changes. Who could have thought cybernetic enhancement could be so complicated?

That was a joke, and directed at you if you're reading this, Quisilia, I'd like you to remember this in the future the next time you request a cybernetic suit. Returning to the subject at hand, it seems like limbs are mostly affected, though depending on the strenuous activity, some of the brain enhancements have caused hemorrhages and killed several more subjects.

Another irritating loss.

They can be enhanced, I retain that stance, but it is going to require a lot more work than I anticipated. However, I will have to pause this project before I use up all my Vitakarian subjects, as I need several of them for specialized Vitakarian spacecraft and weapon testing. Hmph. They should count themselves lucky their bodies are causing me trouble.

Worst case scenario, I send them back to Sana and she moans about it and I get her to tell me her opinion. She's a pain sometimes, but I know when a problem is beyond me, and she would probably be able to figure out some way to stop their body from freaking out. Actual worst case, I get Revelean to develop some way to freeze the genetic malleability.

I'd prefer to avoid that. The last thing I need is him lording his prowess over me.


	34. ADVENT-History: The Battle of The USA II

ADVENT: History

The Second Battle of the United States of America

 _Or_

The Paris Massacre

* * *

" _This was not a good day."_

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

After-Action Report

Operation: Holy Fire

 _Personnel_

Dodger 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Templar Iosif Bronis

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 0

Dodger 2: Templar Carmelita Alba

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 2

Dodger 3: Templar Karen Dais

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 1

Dodger 4: Engineer Nuan Kun

 **Status:** GravelyWounded (Estimated 14-21 Days)

 **Kills:** 6

Dodger 5: Sniper Cassandra Rivera

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 28

Dodger 6: Sniper Esinam Afolabi

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 22

Dodger 7: Infantry Antoni Jimenez

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 4

Dodger 8: Infantry Aya Eisha

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 12

Marlin 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Overseer Anius Creed

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 18

Marlin 2: Psion Matthew Hawkins

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 38

Marlin 3: Psion Allison Monder

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 4

Marlin 4: Sniper Lesedi Iminathi

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 16

Marlin 5: Infantry Oliver Ilari

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 10

Marlin 6: Scout Shun Anwei

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 5

Marlin 7: Rocketeer Nio Lim

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 12

Marlin 8: Rocketeer Jose Losa

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 4 Days)

 **Kills:** 7

Marlin 9: MEC Pilot Gloria Page

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 27

Rocky 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Patricia Trask

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** Unknown Number of Psionically Induced Casualties

Rocky 2: Templar Chan Jin-Taek

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 32

Rocky 3: Medic Blake Harkin

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 12

Rocky 4: Scout Jamali Muhammad

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 17

Rocky 5: Rocketeer Fakhr al Din

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 15

Rocky 6: Scout Liliyane Stark

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 3 Days)

 **Kills:** 13

Rocky 7: Infantry Iida Keyoko

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 22

Rocky 8: Medic Catherine Gosselin

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 5

Rocky 9: MEC Pilot Franklin West

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 62

Pilot 1: Jason Olgard – Call sign: "Big Sky"

Pilot 2: Patrick Nokia – Call sign: "Lightning Sky"

Pilot 3: Barney Kimon – Call sign: "Gray Sky"

Pilot 4: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

 _Artifacts Recovered:_

Note: Numbers are subject to change as more corpses, artifacts and technology are recovered and negotiated over.

421x Assorted Alien Corpses (Exact counts to be determined)

\- 1x Unidentified Alien Wreck

\- 4x MELD Canisters

\- 300+x Weapon Fragments (Numbers may change)

\- 300+x Alien Alloys (Numbers may change)

\- 1x Intact Gateway

\- 1x Gateway Transport

* * *

"As strange as it may be to realize, after seeing Las Vegas destroyed, my initial response was 'Holy [Censored] that economy is doomed.' Not the overall economy, although every single economist worth their salt probably went into shock at the implications produced by destroying Las Vegas. I'd personally expected it to be slowly reduced to nothing after ADVENT ordered the city evacuated. You should have seen how furious some of the CEOs and businesses were."

"But this is a lot worse that anyone is really recognizing now. Yeah, it's [Censored] awful that Vegas is destroyed (Although some are probably happy), a great infamous American icon gone because some alien was jealous of the fancy buildings. Whatever, that isn't the point. The point is that Vegas made _money_."

"I'm talking billions of dollars here. The Nevada economy was so reliant upon the city it's not even close to funny. Hundreds of thousands of people are now out of jobs, and thousands more are suffering severely because Vegas was a primary source of income for them. [Censored], all those gambling addiction helpers are probably suffering now because Vegas is gone."

"Whatever alien decided to hit there was very, very smart. Take away the cultural significance. It was an economic powerhouse, and now it's shiny rubble. Yeah, you can say that California is a much bigger loss, but it's distributed, not all concentrated in one city. Vegas is different, and there is going to be immediate fallout because of that. The Chancellor can't just sweep it under the rug and tell people to move on."

"She's failing to protect crucial cities, and the longer that continues, the more her support is going to drop. As much as people may hate it, Vegas ultimately performed a good service besides making money. It helped cheer people up, it took their minds off the fact that the world as they knew it was ending. People are surprised that tourism was still high even after the aliens hit San Francisco and LA. I'm not. Far as I can tell these people just didn't want to deal with the world, and thought something like 'hey, the world is ending! Might as well do what I can!'"

"Now they can't really do that. So what are they going to turn to now? Either they're going to try and find a smaller venue for their vices, or they're going to take it out on the people in charge. Rightly or wrongly, the Chancellor is going to be dealing with a lot of resistance because of this. Hopefully she can handle it, because now there are even more people with nothing to lose."

\- ADVENT Economist [Censored] to Independent Journalist Jessica Wong on the impact of the destruction of Las Vegas

* * *

"I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at getting word from Peacekeeper command that we should probably be expecting trouble. I'd really gotten used to it these past few weeks. People looking back think that there was surprisingly very little discontent with the people, that people were still waiting for Treduant and the Chancellor to get things resolved."

"It's all [Censored]. Seriously. Did you know that we had ADVENT [Censored] Intelligence working _directly_ with us when all the news about Seattle and Vegas came in? I don't suppose you were reading any of the comments on news articles…"

"Oh, you were? Right, this is your [Censored] job after all. Anyway, then you saw the massive amount of hate, fear and vitriol that was being spouted. There were calls to do anything from Treduant's impeachment to negotiating a surrender to the aliens. Typical internet comments, but the thing was it was _everywhere_. Conservative, liberal, independent, people were quickly losing faith in ADVENT."

"So, you might ask, why didn't anything happen? It sounds like it was on the cusp of a revolt?"

"Well, I wouldn't say a 'revolt', but it was definitely on the cusp of riots. I'm talking about people storming the capital and trying to light the [Censored] White House on fire. But none of that ever happened, because ADVENT actually put people in charge who understood how the Internet works and that some of these people were actually dangerous."

"I wasn't in on the op as it happened, but I have a friend in Intelligence who was in on it. It wasn't classified, as they pretty much had everyone working on it at the time. Every single social media site had hundreds of agents watching, recording and analyzing. There were people who posed as similarly angry people and access to chatrooms and private servers where people were discussing tactics, plans. What places they were going to hit to show their discontent."

"Did they get all of them? I'd say all the ones who mattered. There were some they let go on because they were deliberately non-violent and gave people the impression of freedom. But that was the first part of the operation. Identification and analysis. The next step was action."

"That was where the Peacekeepers came in. The Chiefs were given locations and names. Some of them were houses of organizers where we arrested leaders of these groups in the middle of the night, plopped them down in a chair and interrogated them about everything they knew and were planning. Some talked and were scared into disbanding the groups and released."

"Others were prosecuted as inciting divisive and disruptive conduct, others for attempted terrorism. Most of the other Peacekeepers were sent to the places where these rallies and protests were taking place. We simply formed a line and watched from there. With their leaders gone, most of them walked away without doing anything. If someone tried to fire people up, they were confronted by an Officer who politely informed them that they weren't permitted to publically demonstrate without a permit, which they didn't have."

"I assume that particular responsibility was going to fall to the leaders of these groups, which was generally one person except for Antifa and similar groups, who had a somewhat disorganized hierarchy. Didn't matter, all the mayors and governors received orders to deny all permits to groups like that, aside from a select few. So with that, all was quiet and throughout most of America, people quietly contemplated in peace, undisturbed by protestors agitating their lives and just making things worse."

"It did get violent in some places. Some of the anarchist groups thought, quite stupidly, to bomb Peacekeeper vehicles or attack Peacekeepers. We'd already been appraised of them by ADVENT Intelligence and we beat them back without any trouble. All of them are probably working in the Prisons now, which I find quite fitting."

"And in case you were wondering, there were a large number of online accounts suspended and their IP addresses blocked from making new accounts, as well as dozens of chatrooms for extremist and anarchist groups taken down. Websites promoting division against ADVENT were purged or heavily monitored."

"Leave it to ADVENT to turn something like a defeat into a means to strike against people who are stupid enough to cause problems _now_ of all times. Yeah, violates free speech, blah, blah, blah. Sorry, that doesn't excuse you from consequences of threatening to storm the White House. Good on ADVENT I say, and I'm glad they did it, and if anyone has a problem with it, [Censored] them all."

\- Peacekeeper Chelsea Fasei, in an approved interview with Journalist Jessica Wong

* * *

My first thought when the sirens rang out was "Please don't be aliens."

Of course it was aliens.

None of us expected an attack _here_ of all places. America, Japan, those make sense for them to attack. We all thought France was too safe, too far away for the aliens to realistically target us. Sure, they did have UFOs, but no one actually expected them to _use_ them like that. In that instant all of us knew that we were, unequivocally, screwed.

ADVENT was giving their soldiers weapons _way_ beyond ours, and we just had simple ballistics. Stuff that would do fine against an ordinary Human army, but didn't hold a candle to ADVENT, let alone the _aliens_. So it must have been seen by them as the equivalent of using sticks against swords. Sure, some of the aliens died, but a _lot_ more of us died in the process.

It was a slaughter, make no mistake. If these aliens could laugh, I'm sure they would have at how utterly we were trounced. They were taking entire clips to put down _one_ of them, and the bigger ones were shrugging off bullets altogether. If XCOM hadn't shown up, I'm fairly certain we'd all be dead right now.

If one thing was made abundantly clear from this, it's that the aliens can and will attack anywhere they fucking like, and if we don't join ADVENT we'll be easily wiped out. I'm wondering what would have happened if XCOM hadn't come, or ADVENT hadn't helped mop up the aliens. It wouldn't have been pretty, that's for sure.

Think change is coming for France. This was a wake-up call and I don't think the brass is going to accept us not joining ADVENT now. It's becoming a pretty clear choice between survival or annihilation, politics be damned.

 _\- Journal of Absolon Fabbri, French Army Soldier_


	35. Mutons - Unit: Elite

Mutons: Unit

Elite

* * *

" _The bigger they are, the harder they are to kill."_

\- Anonymous ADVENT Soldier

* * *

"Mutons aren't really that bad individually, despite what you've seen on the news. They aren't smart unless they have a decent leader, and even then their strength lies in how many [Censored] guns they can point at us. Most of them don't even wear helmets either, never figured out why."

"Unless they're with one of those [Censored] Sargons. [Censored] sons of [Censored]."

"But you wanted to know why they always avoided showing the red ones. The beasts that towered over the small ones, carrying weapons nearly as big as you. No offense, but why the [Censored] do you really need to ask the question? You're some traveling journalist right? Haven't you figured out everything done is based on fear?"

"And no, not that I'm saying it's based on the _feeling_ of fear, but the control of it. Fear drives wars, knowingly or not. Civilians need their fear kept down. A fearful populace leads to protests, revolts, _questions_."

"ADVENT hates questions."

"Ahem, now to get back on topic: The reason the Elites were never really publicized was to keep the fear down. You know about the New York attack before the actual invasion started? That was actually done by _six_ of the Elites and some other psionic alien."

"Saying Mutons are similar to Elites is saying that the German Shepherd is the same as a Yorkie. Which is to say, [Censored] stupid. The only way they are in any way related to regular Mutons is their species. I think the [Censored] things are probably grown in a lab. No way can they be natural."

"So, for details: The Elites are probably around ten feet tall, must be a minimum of 400 pounds of pure muscle, and do not [Censored] die. I'm serious when I say that. I saw one Elite take fire from four different ADVENT squads, and killed two of them entirely before it finally went down. They have freakishly tough skin, if you even manage to pierce the armor, and pain doesn't seem to really affect them."

"What's almost worse is that they don't make any noise when they fight. It's all done in complete silence. They don't roar and shout like the other Mutons, they can get wounded, they can die, but eliciting any kind of reaction out of them is extremely difficult to do. Granted, I've seen it done, but it's very rare."

"It was a good way to tell how much the aliens wanted to win a battle. They send a hundred of the things? We need to get the hell out of there. One or two? Ok, we can probably hold. But we didn't always have answers for the brutes. Combined arms fire is nice, but it's unreliable. Only MDUs, tanks or XCOM soldiers can kill them reliably, and even [Censored] _XCOM_ had trouble facing tens at a time."

"So yeah, that's why ADVENT never really publicizes the Elites. I don't think it would be good for morale if people knew that just one of those things could easily kill two full squads of the best ADVENT has to offer. Probably even gave the Lancers trouble."

"That should tell you something right there. Be careful with who you share this with, I'm all for free press, even if ADVENT isn't, but this is one thing they'll hunt you down for. Messing with propaganda gets on their radar, and you're a nice lady."

"Would hate to learn you were dead because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

 _\- Anonymous ADVENT Officer to Independent Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Muton Enhanced Specimen V. 3.2 (Elite)

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

At last I do believe that I have reached a crucial step in the restructuring and enhancement of the Muton species. This one unlike the previous iterations displays a mechanical attitude in response to the world around it. Testing with outside stimuli seems to confirm that the mental conditioning has been largely successful. It will take time to go through all possible programmed responses, but I have proven the theory sound.

I am not certain how far I can increase the muscle mass and overall strength of the species, but I am concerned that there might be a limit at some point. Although perhaps it will take time and thousands of incremental improvements to achieve anything of larger status.

However, this current iteration is likely ready to be integrated soon into the Collective Military, as soon as all possible programming has been tested and they have been exposed to combat scenarios. Early tests are promising, with these Elites proving far more adaptable and resilient that any other alien introduced so far.

However, care will need to be taken when programming certain responses, as an incompetent commander might accidentally cause it to run rampant, and such a mistake would no doubt be catastrophic for the allied soldiers. I did design them to be able to survive the Battlemaster for a minimum of thirty seconds, and tests against other specimens highlight their dangerous nature.

Nevertheless, they should serve as an excellent reserve force or bodyguards for officials, since that has been something the Runianarch have been requesting in light of the heightened tensions between them and these so-called "Andromedons."

But fortunately that has little to do with my work. The Andromedons will be assimilated like every other race, and their place will be determined in short order.

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy MUT03**

Species: Muton

Unit Identity: "Muton Elite"

Codename: Imperial

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"Ever since we have encountered these heavily enhanced Mutons in New York, we have been unsure of their ultimate role. My initial hypothesis was that they were a kind of commanding Muton, but in all instances we have never seen them act in an authoritative capacity."

"However, they seem to also only appear when the aliens are truly devoted to victory, or are accompanying a figure of command, most notably the Ravaged One. This seems to indicate that they can fulfill the roles of both a bodyguard, and an extremely dangerous strike force. What is interesting is that even from a visual standpoint, these Mutons are far beyond the standard Muton soldier."

"They tower over the smaller ones, and have the proportional muscle mass to match. They are also capable to taking massive amounts of punishment, and only six were enough to cause significant damage to New York. XCOM soldiers have reported that the alien also acted more intelligently than its brethren, employing tactics and equipment that is not standard Muton strategy."

"Yet something seems not quite right with this alien. It displays more intelligence, but does not hold command. It contains incredible strength, but seems to actually act best independently. Almost as though it is acting on something only it knows."

"Curious."

 _Report:_

After a thorough autopsy, I do believe that my earlier notes were justified. Physically, the Muton on the surface appears to hold the same characteristics as standard Muton soldiers, small eyes, pink skin, obscured ears and in general very brutish features. All of this is just amplified to a much higher level. Their armor is also made of a much stronger alloy, and I have yet to determine what, if any, significance their more ornate helmets have outside of protection.

However, I have determined that every single Elite I have autopsied has been genetically identical, which means that these aliens are being grown, rather than born naturally. This would indicate both that the aliens consider this unit valuable, and that they have put significant resources into this project to construct a superior Muton.

One that I believe has succeeded beyond what could have been expected. Mutons are hardy enough, and Elites have all of these traits taken to extremes. Their skin is incredibly resistant, and genetically hardened to resist blunt piercing and plasma burns. Even a sustained laser takes precious seconds to pierce it. Their eyes are also hyperreactive, and despite appearances, I estimate to be at least as powerful as our own enhanced soldiers.

Their healing capabilities are also enhanced to a degree where they will heal wounds on their skin within a half hour at least, and as far as I can tell, they are immune to most debilitating diseases, and resistant to irritants such as smoke, gas, and even acid. This alien is also a wealth of potential for our own genetic program, as I do believe that some of these enhancements could be replicated on our own soldiers, or at the very least incorporated.

I would prefer a live specimen to test, but knowing the capabilities of this alien, I would not recommend capture without a telepathic psion in the squad.

 **[Restricted – Internal Council]**

However, there is a far more interesting discovery I made while examining this creatures brain. It has been severely modified, and it was clearly tampered to a degree that resembles a crude form of mental conditioning. From what little I can recreate, these Mutons are 'programmed' for lack of a better word. They don't exactly have 'thoughts' of their own, but are a walking computer program that responds to outside stimuli.

It explains both their tactics and why they are not commanding lesser aliens. Presumably, the brain will act only when certain thresholds are met. There is likely a pain tolerance level where if it becomes debilitating, it will simply shut off pain receptors. They are likely controlled directly with code phrases or even telepathic communications.

This is an excellent framework on what the Manchurian Project is to be. As such this will speed development along by a significant margin. Though I said as much earlier, I do want to emphasize that a live Elite would speed progress on the Manchurian Program significantly.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes_

 _Most of what you noted about the Elites was correct, Dr. Vahlen. The Elite was Revelean's first attempt at creating a superior Muton. He wanted one that was completely loyal first, and intelligence was a secondary project (Which you know as Sargons), and here he succeeded. Your allusion to them being 'programmed' is largely correct, as he never intended for Elites to be used in complex situations._

 _Thus, they often fill the roles of bodyguards and accompany Sargons and other commanders onto the battlefield. The conception that Elites are smarter than standard Mutons is not entirely correct. They cannot truly think on their own, their only responses are determined by outside stimuli, and thus, are only as good as the programmer. They project this illusion because they can survive attacks that would kill almost anything else._

 _As you also noted, Elites are grown fully ready for combat. There is no training for them to go through, as all of them have the knowledge implanted at birth. An Elite that is only seconds old is just as dangerous as one a decade older. Elites do not learn from their mistakes, they don't have that intellectual capability, they can only truly react. They do not have free will, they do not have individual thought outside of constant processing of visual information._

 _Yet they are dangerous and that should not ever be forgotten. But they are also a resource-intensive project, and even we must use them sparingly. They take time to grow, and it is likely that if Elites keep dying at this rate, the Battlemaster will cease usage until more are grown. The entire reserve force cannot be spent on one planet after all._

 _However, if the war extends too long the Elites will be gradually phased out. Revelean has been developing much stronger Mutons than these in the Praetorian Project. Be thankful he has decided not to test any on you yet._


	36. Ethereals - Unit: Gatekeeper

Ethereals: Unit

Gatekeeper

* * *

" _What the actual fuck was that?!"_

\- Chan Jin-Taek, XCOM Templar

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Creation Initiative Specimen 009, "Gatekeeper"

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : The Creator

After countless days and effort put into it, I stand before one of my most beautiful creations yet. Truly a magnificent specimen. All those who considered my efforts for naught stand before the Life I have created here. To traditional and stunted science, something like this should not even be possible, let alone functional.

And yet…it is imperfect. It is not truly _alive_ in the same way that these other creatures are. It reacts, it can be controlled, yet all of it is reaction and predetermined impulse. Not true intelligence, yet another attempted mockery of the real thing. At the same time I have shown that the theory is sound and possible.

Then again, the question should be what the definition of _life_ truly is? What is to say that this creature is no less alive than one of those Human aliens? Our own limited definitions? The state of the bodily functions? If the brain is active or not? Psh, foolish and outdated; that I have proven beyond all doubt. Sana's own pet is proof that supposed _death_ is certainly not the end.

No, states such as these need a new name.

Better yet, the established concepts of _life_ and _death_ should be abolished altogether. Life takes many forms, it is a collection of impulses and primitive commands evolved into different levels of intelligence, establishing arbitrary limits on it is pointless. Death is simply another state of the body, where a different set of rules is imposed.

Yes, that would be an interesting avenue of study for several projects.

No! Work cannot be distracted, it cannot be paused, not when I have made such great progress. I have created primitive life, even if that fool Revelean will not recognize it. Then again, he lacks the imagination I have, so obsessed is he with each species' place in his plan.

Fool. Species flawed to their core cannot be redeemed. The only reliable solution is to create perfect thralls of our own from nothing. Everything else is expendable.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Creator's New Specimen ("Gatekeeper")

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

The Creator continues her wasteful and obsessive experiments which of course has resulted in one of the most unnatural abominations I have ever seen. Part of me is impressed she was able to develop something so… _functional_ and, ignoring what it actually is, useful. It is aesthetically pleasing to look at as well, I quite like how gracefully it moves.

Until the shell retracts and shows the thing inside. I suspect she was talking with Isomnum beforehand, because that is likely the only reason she decided to put such a nightmarish creature there in the first place. When I see most species, just from observation, I can normally hypothesize how they might work.

Not so with whatever this thing was. Saying that it was… _flesh_ …seems incorrect. It was rolling, deforming and reforming constantly, like it was alive but not at the same time. Perhaps it simply acts as a power source of sorts, while the brain of the machine is in the shell. That would certainly be like her, I believe, to think that she has actually created life while using a computer brain.

Then again, how she managed to force a disruptive psionic power inside the flesh is…disconcerting. It should not be possible, which makes me wonder how it is possible to push latent psionic potential onto animated flesh, and also develop the means to _control_ it. What makes it more unnerving is that while I sensed no sentience, or truly any rational thought from the thing, telepathically it was performing the equivalent of a scream. I had to temporarily block my own telepathy to think clearly, and I am not sure if it was even intentional on her part or not.

It will be useful against telepaths, the Battlemaster will like that.

Yet this does not explain how the Creator could have possibly learned this. She refused to let me examine it, and as abominable as the creature was, I would have for the scientific value it held. The question is why. Why would she not want me to outside of concern about what I might find? Perhaps it is simply a matter of pride, as she knows that if I understood her methods, I could apply them to something useful.

Yet I have long suspected that she has been incorporating Sovereign-level technology and techniques into her creations, and her condition has continually deteriorated ever since we left stasis, and especially dropped off in the last few decades. I will have to speak with the Voice to learn how accurate this is, despite the dangers such a talk has.

Regardless of the usefulness of her line of research, and certain other aspects of her Blacksite, she must be brought to heel and end these experiments on her obsession with creating life. She fails to see the risks and there are some things even we should not disturb. Life can be shaped, directed, and enhanced.

It should not be created, especially by us unless we fully understand the consequences.

And we most certainly do not.

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy ETH05**

Species: Unknown

Unit Identity: Currently Unknown (Patricia reported references to a "Gatekeeper" extracted from Vitakara minds.)

Codename: Barrett

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"This creature is….unlike anything we have encountered so far. The XCOM squad that encountered it damaged it to such a degree that there is very little left outside the odd shell that housed a being of powerful psionic potential inside. This unfortunately means that we will be limited in what we can infer from the remains."

"Regardless, from the video footage I have seen, this alien is…unnatural, even by the standards of the aliens. Without hard remains, I can only speculate as how such a creature could manage to consume an entire armored XCOM soldier without any trouble whatsoever, or what the purpose could even be. Based on the footage, I believe it is likely that this might be an artificial creation, not a new alien species we have never encountered before."

"I have showed it to several of the Vitakara assistants, and they are just as baffled as I am. They've repeatedly stated that psionic potential is extremely rare except in certain species, and the idea that one could be created artificially is almost incomprehensible to them. That it is not only psionic, but can also manipulate it to an impressive degree is also a mystery."

"The purpose of the creature is one we cannot determine. The references to a "Gatekeeper" Patricia noted from ripping the knowledge from the minds of Vitakara soldiers might infer that it is indeed a guardian of the Gateways, although unless Aegis has been withholding information, we should have had some idea that such a guardian existed."

"Nevertheless, the creature is extremely dangerous. It seems capable of shooting an energy beam from the lone 'eye' which caused significant damage to the surrounding area, but fortunately didn't kill any soldiers. Outside of that, as noted above, it wields psionic energy, manipulated by four…tentacles…which I find an odd addition to say the least. To make matters worse, the entirety of the flesh observed was emanating with corrosive psionic energy, which means that simply touching any part of it is dangerous."

"In addition, Patricia and Chan reported that they were significantly more affected by it than the non-psions. Patricia far more so than Chan, both of them described the Gatekeeper "screaming" so loudly that it had the effect of blocking all telepathic ability, though psionic usage in general was technically not disrupted. Patricia did say that she believed that it might be able to be blocked, but she detected no form of consciousness or sentience in the creature, which raises the question of how exactly such a creature could "scream" if it has no mouth or no mind."

 _Report_ :

Despite the remains being…limited, they have the effect of making this entire alien even more disconcerting. The few scraps of flesh we recovered do not appear to be fully 'dead', for lack of a better word. They perform miniscule twitches, of which many of my team, myself included, believed we were simply seeing things. But upon further observation, the pieces of flesh do indeed twitch occasionally, usually in conjunction with a brief and almost invisible flare of psionic energy.

We are not sure how this is happening, let alone _why_. By all reason, the creature should be dead. Flesh should not still act otherwise, especially without a plausible reason. When the main 'brain' of the creature was destroyed, logic would indicate that it should have completely destroyed the alien, killing it completely.

Yet this appears to not be the case. I can only speculate that the Gatekeeper relies on some kind of distributed intelligence of sorts, a starfish is unfortunately the most apt comparison I can think of, but on a far greater scale. But nothing about it seems to be changing, it is not growing in size or power. But the fact that it has no apparent source for doing these things is maddening.

The shell of it that we recovered is equally unhelpful. The eye, which might have provided insight into how the Gatekeeper works, was completely destroyed beyond all repair and salvage. We are only left with speculation, and considering the impossibility of this alien, I do not want to rely on it.

Once we learn all we can from the scraps, I will be incinerating them. We can't risk anything else with this alien.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes:_

 _I have never seen, nor heard of such a construct before, Dr. Vahlen. While there were certainly secrets kept from me, a designated "Guardian of the Gateways" would be something I would have been informed about, as I was in charge of the security around the Gateways. This indicates that this was a recent development, or at minimum, a recent designation._

 _From observing the footage myself, examining the memories of the soldiers involved and my own knowledge on such matters, this has all the hallmarks of one of the Creator's creations. Such a creature is not one we have encountered, and it is certainly not natural. I highly doubt that the Creator intended to develop an alien to fulfill a specific function, more likely this was one of her projects that the Battlemaster or the Imperator decided to implement._

 _I also know enough that, if this is an artificial creation, it should not be possible. Unless she incorporated copious amounts of Ethereal, Sectoid or Human DNA, psionic potential should not be able to be forced upon a non-psionic species, at least not without major consequences. Revelean has failed to do it so far, Sana's own milder experiments show the same thing._

 _But if the Creator has somehow managed to overcome this issue, it means that psionic potential can be forced onto other species. I am sure you can see the danger such a realization entails. However, the good news is that until Revelean himself performs whatever the Creator did, the Imperator will not implement it. Despite his tolerance of the Creator, he will not use every insane creation from her Blacksite, not until the full ramifications are known._

 _But at the very least, Revelean will be making inquiries and then it is only a matter of time._


	37. Mutons - Unit: Berserker

Mutons: Unit

Berserker

* * *

" _Fighting a Berserker is fighting a drug-influenced mother with nothing to lose."_

\- Aegis

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Muton Female Augmentations

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Engineer Fectorian

The Muton females continue to be a tiring project to deal with. While they certainly have their value in producing Muton soldiers, I would find this project far easier to complete were I able to acquire some actually healthy Muton females. Their usefulness is too great to ignore, but only working with sub-par specimens with precious little to show for it has me considering scrapping the project entirely.

The main issue is their aggression, already naturally higher than the standard male Muton, but it is far worse after reaching the age of sterility. Sana might have been right in pointing out that constant impregnation might have adverse effects on their mental state. Not that these creatures had much of a mental state to begin with, but it is noticeably worse now.

Augmenting the body is fairly easy, as the multiple enhancements on discarded Mutons have shown, and females have a similar cybernetic tolerance that I can easily modify to accept more intrusive modifications. Unfortunately, even if the body accepts enhancements, it only makes the creature even more aggressive. More than once it has attempted to attack my assistants or myself.

It is irritating.

Obviously this is not acceptable for front-line combat, which only leaves trying to slave the brain to cybernetic enhancements. Initial attempts were failures, and further attempts have only seen marginal success. Unlike the males, females seem to reject modification to the brain for an unknown reason. This seems highly irregular, yet I cannot determine if it is natural or the result of years of constant childbirth.

I believe it is best to postpone the project for now, until I get healthy females, which will likely be when the Battlemaster decides he can live with Muton production being slowed down by a miniscule degree. In the meantime, there are far more viable projects to be worked on. Far more interesting ones as well.

Battlemaster,

As you have requested my overview of the units currently in use, I will continue with the Muton females, commonly titled as "Berserkers". The current role they serve is as a close-combat, armored unit that sows chaos within an opposing military force. However, current analysis indicates some inefficiencies in their deployment and stature.

The largest weakness of these units is that they are overly predictable, and thus that makes them easy to counter with outside factors such as enemy losses and unrealistic numbers to deploy. Berserkers are pumped with combat drugs to increase their aggression, yet this reduces their already low intellectual capability and results in a single genetically enhanced XCOM soldier being able to outmaneuver and kill it in a one-on-one match, which should be clearly mismatched.

Intellectual capabilities aside, the most obvious weaknesses are the legs, which despite being adequately armored, will not sustain heavy or concentrated fire and will leave them crippled and ineffective if wounded too far away from hostile enemy forces. Their regeneration is useful, but is too inefficient to be of any actual worth on the battlefield. The optimal place for them to be wounded is the torso or arms, where such injuries will not be debilitating.

Berserkers are also heavily vulnerable to psionic attacks of all kinds, as well as high explosives. The armor composition is simply not durable enough for high-explosive rockets, although it will absorb most grenades, excluding those of the plasma variety. The largest issue is that they can be negated with a variety of tactics long before they can actually make an impact.

Another potential concern regarding them is that in combat, they have been observed being highly unstable and show a troubling lack of distinction between friend and foe. The risk of this is reduced behind our lines, since I am aware that the Berserkers are conditioned to fight based on certain commands and shocks, but once they have ingested their combat drugs, such conditioning appears completely ineffective. Fortunately, by the time they ingest the combat drugs, their enemies are usually in front of, or surrounding them. Nevertheless, the risk of them turning on friendly forces in their bloodlust is not something that should be ignored. Steps must be taken to address this.

Upon further review, I am unsure that they have what I can easily identify as a purpose on the battlefield beyond simply using Muton females who have outlived their usefulness. They do not appear to be suicide units, as there is too much of a material investment in them, yet they also do not appear to fit a specific role in battle other than to cause confusion. This results in what I can only identify as a net loss of resources.

The immediate solution is to tailor these Berserkers to fulfill a specific role, and not simply throw them at an opposing enemy force with unknown results. Like all tools, they must be used strategically and carefully. I have noted that even if they do not ultimately kill enemies, they distract and scatter them until one of them is dead. We can utilize this against specific enemies.

XCOM in particular is vulnerable to Berserker disruption. One of their greatest strengths is holding down a position. Force them to move and their effectiveness is drastically reduced. This same tactic could also be effective on Defense and Attack-based psions, as it could force them to focus their abilities on the Berserkers rather than our encroaching forces.

For maximum effectiveness, Berserkers should only be used on specific groups of enemies, and in overwhelming numbers to ensure victory. I also recommend that the alloy composition in the leg armor be significantly enhanced to increase survivability and some might undergo genetic enhancement to remove pain receptors entirely instead of simply increasing tolerance.

\- Disciple-7, Sargon of the Battlemaster

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy MUT04**

Species: Muton

Unit Identity: Berserker

Codename: Anaconda

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"This Muton specimen is unique for several reasons, some apparent and some hidden under the armor they wear. These aliens have been designated as "Berserkers" due to their aggressive actions such as charging our soldiers with little or no regard for their own safety. The Commander, Zhang, and Patricia note a lack of any sort of cohesive tactics other than killing everything around it."

"Visibly, the Berserker is much larger than the standard Muton, though this might be due to genetic enhancement or steroid usage. While not being as tall or strong as an Elite, they are far stronger than an unmodified soldier and the alloy blades implanted into the armor on their wrist are capable of causing severe damage with repeated attacks."

"I am unsure as of yet if this consuming bloodlust the creature exhibits is actually natural, or the result of drug exposure or simple genetic modification. In either case, the question might be what the aliens hope to accomplish with such a creature, that I suspect might just as easily turn on them if sufficiently provoked."

 _Report_ :

The autopsy of the Berserker revealed many fascinating new details. First, these appear to be the first confirmation that female Mutons do, in fact, exist. These Berserkers are clearly not the same gender as the standard soldiers, and there are clear areas for incubation and birthing, thus seeming to indicate that at the minimum, these Mutons are capable of childbirth.

Which begs the question of just why they are being used as such violent soldiers? As far as I can tell, the genetic modification has not been of a greater level than standard Mutons, which seems to point to the fact that this indeed is the natural size of Muton females. The modification I have been able to discover is largely on the skin, which regenerates far faster than most other aliens encountered, with severe wounds healing in mere hours, not days.

There were also indeed trace amounts of an unidentified drug injected through the nose and blood as well, and it does appear to be some kind of drug that dulls pain, and increases aggression in the Muton. I have managed to recreate the drug as best I can, and surprisingly, effect on Human subjects is almost non-existent outside some disgusted faces and coughing. So it is clearly supposed to only react to Muton physiology.

This presents a potential opportunity. If such a drug could only be reliably used on Berserkers, I do wonder what the effect would be if regular Muton soldiers were exposed to it as well? Would they also turn into blood lusting creatures, unconcerned for their own safety? I do not know, but it bears further investigation into the possibility.

However, I will note that like the standard soldiers, these are not clones and do appear to have been naturally born. What was most interesting was the examination of the brains of these aliens. Every single one of them shows signs of breakdown, and can have clear deformities and discolorations in the brain, not all of which are combat related.

I have yet to determine if this is because of exposure to these drugs, or some other psychological reason every single Berserker exhibits these signs. It is curious, if nothing else, and is perhaps another weakness we can one day fully exploit.

 _Addendum – Aegis' Notes:_

 _These Berserkers, to fully explain, are simply females that have outlived their purpose and usefulness. Muton females are treated much differently than males. During their youth they are treated as well as can be expected, as in, not physically abused. Little effort is put into them from an education standpoint, but they generally understand the basic tenants of language and can follow commands._

 _The reason for this is because every Muton female is a useful resource, and since the ratio of males to females in the Muton species is 3 to 1, they cannot simply be discarded until there is no genuine use left. Mutons mature fairly quickly, and the instant they are capable of bearing children, they are forcibly impregnated and moved to special facilities where they will do nothing but breed for the rest of their lives._

 _Muton females have no contact with the hundreds or thousands of children they produce over the span of their lifetimes, all of the surviving children are taken away and raised by Vitakara or Sectoid overseers and after a recovery period of a day, she will be impregnated again to start the process over and over again._

 _This has admittedly had the effect of reducing the baseline intelligence of the Muton female over several generations, which the Sectoids are looking into to see if it can, or should be, corrected. Although I doubt anything will be done, there is no need for intelligent female Mutons if their only purpose is for breeding. It would be a questionable use of time to say the least._

 _Muton females are fertile for roughly thirty to forty years, and after that time they are either euthanized and their organic material recycled, or taken away to be converted for combat. You have noted that these Berserkers seem less intelligent, and some of that is due to more than just the drugs. The effects of constant childbirth usually drive females to have complete mental collapses, and it is fairly uncommon for a Muton female to actually last the entire fertility cycle without losing her mind and trying to kill those around her._

 _This of course does not stop her from being forced to breed. Minds are not necessary for childbirth and the female is put into drug-induced comas until the time comes for birth, and additional drugs start and continue the labor process. However, infant mortality rates are far higher with females in this state, which is why they aren't put into something similar at the beginning._

 _The ones who emerge from the fertility cycle with their minds somewhat intact are sent to be converted into Berserkers. They are given no training other than placing them in pens and letting them out to often times fight against failed or discarded Mutons and under the influence of the combat drugs, usually rip them apart. Particularly sadistic overseers will sometimes place Mutons birthed from the female against her and watch her destroy her own offspring in her crazed rampage._

 _Berserkers are treated largely like animals, because that is what they have been reduced to. Whatever sentience they had has long been purged and is only replaced by rage and bloodlust. Most undergo a small bit of genetic enhancement, and there are certain conditioning commands placed within their brains that can force them to be temporarily controlled._

 _I believe that should answer many of your questions, Dr. Vahlen. The subject is a dark one, but it should give you context as to what you are dealing with here._


	38. ADVENT - Dossier: Helion Weekes

ADVENT: Dossier

Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes

* * *

" _A man with a background classified higher than the Director of the CIA means this man isn't who he seems."_

\- ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka

* * *

To: Elizabeth Falka

Subject: Lancer Chief Candidate Helion Weekes

Elizabeth,

I think I've narrowed down the final candidates for the position. The Commander recommended me Weekes to me since he's actually somewhat familiar with his record. Going only by the public record, he's competent, and has mostly had a quiet career. Which tells me that this man is _very_ well organized and has at least some skill in subtlety, because I can guarantee that the Commander of the USSOCOM is not doing anything "quiet".

I asked Treduant to give me government records on him, the ones not available to the public. His track record is impressive to say the least. He participated quite a bit in the War on Terror, which is how I presume the Commander knew about him. No botched missions, near 100% success rate. Simply put, the man is clearly competent enough to lead the Lancer Corps.

What raises questions is that his personal files are…strangely short. He doesn't have friends, no relationships with family, divorced wife, and no children. Everyone seems to respect him to a degree, but he appears to be just as much of an enigma to his staff and subordinates as he is to us. I inquired for more details, but I was told they don't know where they'd be, or they didn't exist.

If there's something we need to know about him, I want you to find it.

\- Saudia

000

To: Saudia Vyandar

Re: Subject: Lancer Chief Candidate Helion Weekes

Weekes, I recognize the name. Let me check.

Ah, right. USSOCOM. A complete and utter pain. Unknowingly hit some of our shell companies several times. Very effective, very smart. I see how he'd make your list. But now that you mention it, I don't know much about him aside from his track record. Interesting. No psyche report…or really anything before he divorced his wife. Or after, for that matter.

Hm, you're right. No one is like this without something to hide.

I'll see what I can do.

\- Elizabeth

000

To: Saudia Vyandar

Re: Subject: Lancer Chief Candidate Helion Weekes

Took a while, but I think I figured out the enigma.

The short version is that Weekes isn't exactly the uncaring stoic person he portrays to the outside world. He had, and apparently still does, have a habit of let's say…getting out and about. I've managed to dig up at least seven reports in the past five years detailed some kind of citation against him for 'failure to inform' or some kind of paper that pretty much says that the government wants him to let them know if he's going to out clubbing.

Apparently, Weekes doesn't like that. In all honesty, the government probably wouldn't care that much, since he is apparently discreet about it, aside from the fact that Weekes has been accused of sexual harassment not once, not twice, but a grand total of four times. This isn't including the reason he divorced his wife, which turned out to be because she had filed assault charges against him.

That would explain why there is almost nothing easily found on his personal life, but I'm assuming you're coming to the same conclusion I am, which is that the reason this was so quiet was because he's just too valuable to lose. That's probably the driving factor, but I don't know. What's curious is that none of the charges for anything were ever proven one way or another as far as I could tell. He may be innocent, he might not. But with how little there is in general, I doubt I can find a sufficient answer without interrogating Weekes himself.

So keep that in mind if you put him in charge.

\- Elizabeth

000

To: Elizabeth Falka

Re: Re: Subject: Lancer Chief Candidate Helion Weekes

Forward what you found to the Chronicler. He says he wants to look into this himself for whatever that's worth.

Dropped harassment and assault charges are not disqualifying enough, but I am now wondering about his stability. What you learned about him stands at odds with his record, which I find very odd. I'd expect someone with that kind of lifestyle to be more…open. Clearly not the case. I think the only solution at this point is for me to speak to him and discuss this.

If I like his answers and believe him, then as far as I can see, he'll be perfect for the job.

If not, I'll dismiss him. Find me some more candidates in the meantime. I've eliminated the ones before him.

\- Saudia

000

To: Saudia Vyandar

Re: Subject: Lancer Chief Candidate Helion Weekes

Done and done. Hope you figure this out soon. The Commander wants all of this set up in the next two weeks. We can't waste too much time on one man.

\- Elizabeth

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** Helion Weekes

 **Current Role:** Chief of Lancer Operations

 **Current Interference Level:** High

 **Threat Level:** High

 **Usage Level:** Low

Brief Assessment: Upon first glance, inquiry into this individual does not seem to reveal anything too unexpected, except when you compare him to individuals in similar positions and even within Human special forces organizations. In terms of accomplishment, this man rivals the Commander in terms of influence and danger.

From what information we have been able to gather, there is little that is remarkable about his early life, aside that he grew up in a highly patriotic and conservative family, and enlisted in the military as soon as he was old enough. He then quickly attempted to join the United States Navy SEALs and to my surprise, failed several times before meeting the qualifications.

However, his persistence was something that proved to be a major asset in his career. Over the course of several decades, Weekes became one of the top SEAL operatives, completing missions all over the world, most of which we have not been able to determine. The areas of operation we know were in the Middle East, South America, Israel and China.

His exact specialization appears to be little more than a leader and soldier. As far as we know, he has very little computational, electrical or engineering expertise, instead delegating those tasks to subordinates. However, he was without a doubt absolutely lethal in his prime, and from intercepted documents from Chinese, Israeli, Canadian and Russian governments, he has not once been identified by name, but has potentially been reported on several times.

His last major combat operation was during the War on Terror, and he specifically operated in Syria primarily, and was instrumental in the United Nation's victory during the Battle of Syria, in conjunction with Peter Van Doorn and the Commander's hidden hand. To the best of our knowledge, he never interacted personally with the Commander during this time, and we suspect that he does not know that the Commander is alive, much less in charge of XCOM.

After the War on Terror and the Commander's supposed execution, Weekes was promoted to Commander of the USSOCOM (United States Special Operations COMmand), and that has apparently resulted in the shifting of certain priorities of the American special forces. Operations seem to have apparently focused in the Middle East (Expected, though this appears to include Israel as well), China and Russia.

From the information that can be gathered, it appeared Weekes was indeed specifically targeting other world superpowers, though if there was a motive beyond increasing American influence, I have not been able to determine it. And to what extent he was successful remains unknown, although it highlights that he has prioritized threats, upon which we are likely now at the top.

This man is likely just as smart and dangerous as the Commander, and Chancellor Saudia was extremely intelligent to put him in charge of this newly developed Lancer Corps. We will need to watch him and the Corps carefully. It might require the deployment of a Special Operator to ensure he does not become a larger threat.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 991**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Helion Weekes, Chief of Lancer Operations

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Bald)

 _Eye color_ : Gray

 _Skin color_ : Black

 _Height_ : 6'4"

 _Weight_ : 210 lbs.

 _Age_ : 47

 _Scars or markings:_ None

 _Physical Condition:_ Comparable to a baseline US Marine, below SEAL standard

 _Nation of Birth:_ United States of America

SECTION 2: Assessment

Weekes is a far more interesting person of interest than he looks. His history and record show not much more than a standard, exemplary career, much like yourself, Commander. However it is very clear after further investigation and an interview I conducted with him that he is not the person he enjoys portraying himself as.

His command style is very much driven on threat potential. He won't _ignore_ threats, per-se, but he will push smaller ones to the side until he deals with ones he deems more important. However, he deals with the ones he _does_ identify as threats with what I would personally call 'overkill', and I mean that in the figurative and literal sense.

For what it's worth, he does appear to hold 'the Commander' in fairly high regard. He didn't quite like you, at least that's what I interpreted from him, but he didn't think you were doing what you did for the wrong reasons. In fact if you were wondering why exactly it took the UN so long to actually hunt you down, it was because for a while Weekes was in charge of capturing you. As you probably guessed, he didn't try his best (Apparently got distracted smashing some organized crime ring in Mexico), so he was taken off the hunt after a mere six months.

In his interactions with people, he is generally respectful, though this appears to be only because he considers himself among people equal to, or greater than, himself. He without doubt holds himself above most people, and can be surprisingly callous when discussing matters which involve the potential deaths of hundreds of soldiers. He even sees his Lancers in a very mechanical and clinical light, but I will go into detail on that shortly.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Weekes is…not as stable as I was expecting. He is almost a completely different person when off-duty. His extracurricular activities were chastised by the government, but ultimately nothing was done because Weekes was just too good at his job. The catalyst I believe for this was a domestic dispute with his wife who ultimately divorced him.

I was unfortunately not able to gather specific details, and Weekes absolutely did _not_ want to discuss that with me. His wife did accuse him of physical assault, but that was settled, so I cannot prove its factual basis one way or another. And that admittedly makes me uncomfortable, since based on what I have observed, Weekes very much possesses that capability and could do it without remorse.

Likewise, he's been accused several times of sexual harassment, the woman I have not been able to identify, but he was smart enough to not try and do that to a subordinate, but that sadly doesn't narrow anything down since I couldn't find if these were women in the military or civilians. All the cases were eventually dropped, but again I cannot prove anything one way or another, and quite frankly, the chances that all of them were false seems very unlikely. It is well-established that he is an asset to the United States, and it makes sense they would do what they could to protect their asset.

In short, he has a messy and contradictory personal life. His professional demeanor is almost completely different. He is focused, polite, well-spoken and highly detailed. He speaks calmly and rationally and his plans and tactics reflect this. He _is_ very good at what he does, no one can dispute that. How he can be so different off-duty is something I can't answer without a thorough psychiatric evaluation, and something tells me that isn't going to happen. But you should be aware of this, and I would almost recommend he undergo a psionic evaluation to ensure he is stable for the war.

You wouldn't necessarily need his permission, and while I'd generally recommend against that, I do not think Weekes is someone who overly respects issues of the mind, and has the illusion that he can handle them all by himself. But this is one option available, Commander, and this is not a recommendation from myself, only a notice.

As I mentioned earlier, Weekes has a potential demoralizing and dangerous outlook on soldiers below him, and the world in general. He does not think in terms of 'people' and 'casualties' but in 'units' and 'cost'. I am aware you will say that your own views are similar, but they are _not_ , Commander. You might knowingly order soldiers into battle, but you will only do it if there isn't a choice, and it won't be done lightly. You see your soldiers as people, even if you know that many will die. Some soldiers are more valuable, but that doesn't mean you just ignore the ones below them.

Weekes does not believe that at all. He does not take the Human cost into consideration. He will send a hundred soldiers to their deaths, and will consider it a success if the objective is accomplished. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that he has no known friends, or anyone remotely close to him. His excuse for that is that it lets him remain 'detached', but both of us know you do not have to take it to that extreme and can still make hard decisions.

The only reason his casualty rate is not that high is because, in his own way, he does care about his 'assets' being as protected and deadly as possible. He doesn't throw them away for nothing, but he sheds no tears if they were to all perish, because he knows that they would be replaced within days.

He is not a threat to us, Commander, not yet. But he is almost as remorseless as Stein, and that should not be forgotten.


	39. ADVENT-Organizations:ADVENT Intelligence

ADVENT: Organizations

ADVENT Intelligence

* * *

" _You think the Peacekeepers are scary? Then you clearly haven't spent enough time with ADVENT Intelligence. The Peacekeepers can destroy your life. ADVENT Intelligence can make you, and everyone you care about, disappear as if they never existed."_

\- Anonymous comment on an online article about the ADVENT Peacekeepers

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: "Former" online conspiracy theorist (Not much has changed)_

 _Video Title: Orwellian Nightmare_

"Does anyone miss the good old days of the KGB? No? Well people, guess what? ADVENT is bringing them back!"

 _Brief pause_. "Now, of course there are going to be some people saying something like "What are you talking about? That isn't happening." To which I'll say open your eyes and use your brain! Look _around_ and just see what's happening. "But Jonas, there's nothing wrong.""

 _Overly dramatic pause_. " _Exactly_ , that's the _point_! Why, exactly, do you think that is? Just think about it for a minute, just a minute. Look at how badly things are going; America has suffered a hostile takeover at the hands of a traitor, is proceeding to _lose_ the war they've used as an excuse to do it, and there isn't anyone rising up to call them out."

"Cowards, you might say, or there just isn't enough support. Maybe, and this is a scary possibility, people might just not care. But given what I know now, I have a different theory to propose. Oh, there are definitely people brave enough to stand up to ADVENT. Shout-out to Canada for putting the bitch Saudia in her place, but the thing is that ADVENT isn't run by idiots. And that's scary."

 _Shuffles yet another stack of paper_. "Everyone thinks they use the Peacekeepers to do their dirty work. Well, they do, but for the _really_ shady stuff they use ADVENT Intelligence. They have them watching everything you do; they hate the truth and hate freedom. I'd even bet they're watching this video now, terrified that I'm still around to tell people the truth about what they are!" **[Observer Note: Oh yes, 'terrified']**

 _Subject takes a breath._ "Think back, just on people you've interacted with over the past few weeks. Coworkers, friends, family. Notice if any of them have just...disappeared? Like they just stopped coming in, or answering your phone calls and texts? Oh, you might shrug it off as them just leaving or having better things to do, but in all likelihood, they've been _taken_ by ADVENT."

"Because that's what they do. They find the people most opposed to them. Patriots, skeptics, _thinkers_ , and they fear them, and then they get rid of them before they can threaten their precious establishment. They don't need warrants, only permission from the higher-ups to do it. Your entire life can be destroyed if you piss off one spook. And it doesn't matter if you're guilty or innocent, they can just make up evidence and no one will question it."

 _Subject is extremely agitated._ "Folks, I'm not going to lie. Right now people who watch this video might be at risk. But we can't live in fear, because if we do, then they win. They talk about the 'alien threat' and how we'll all be slaves if they win. Maybe that's true, but all the people here are being slowly and insidiously enslaved right now through this tyrannical government, and unless we act now, not just Americans, but every human that loves freedom will be trapped in a glass box from which there is no escape."

 _Subject sets paper down._ "This is an open call for resistance. Disrupt the ADVENT machine. Do what you can. Connect with like-minded citizens and always strive to ensure that freedom shines bright!"

 _End video._

 _Analysis: As we suspected, he's escalated his rhetoric to call for open resistance. While the quality of this video was roughly the same as previous ones, I don't think he can expect to maintain the same level of quality now that he's technically on the run. The fact that we have had difficulty tracking him down raises many concerns about who exactly is helping him._

 _Whoever it is clearly has an agenda against us, and I am not ruling out alien involvement, or perhaps Chinese as well (They could do it just as easily). His message seemed to be more focused here, and was purposefully designed to instill paranoia and distrust into his gullible audience. He once more demonstrates no need for facts or honesty, as he cited no sources for his ridiculous claims, and spoke everything as if it were fact._

 _I think it might be an effective tactic to engage in direct propaganda against him. Many of his claims are easily refuted, and while his more fanatic viewers will no doubt call us fake, the average viewer who has only been exposed to him recently will be more inclined to believe rational discourse than the factless rants this man puts out. Blocking his IP addresses is ineffective, as he simply uses new ones when that happens._

 _The only way to silence this man is to capture him. As of this point, he is a mouthpiece for someone, and thus an intelligence resource. If there is someone besides the aliens that wants to actively ensure we fail, I shouldn't have to say we need to find out who that is._

* * *

 **Interrogation Transcript HS094**

[Information Extraction Officer Angelo Lopez]: "Please state your name for the record."

[Phoebe Tyrell]: "Fuck off. Where's my lawyer."

[AL]: "You are not entitled to one, Mrs. Tyrell. This is a matter of state security and your guilt has been established beyond all doubt."

[PT]: "Do tell. Do you think a court will buy that?"

[AL]: "Courts are only needed for the unknown. If you wish I can provide the video evidence, chat logs, and personal information we recovered from your computer and phone if you want proof as to how we were able to determine your guilt without wasting time in a courtroom. ADVENT doesn't work like the inefficient former American system, Mrs. Tyrell. The only way to help yourself is to cooperate."

[PT]: "All I literally did was show up in front of the White House! I didn't even step foot on it before I was arrested!"

[AL]: "I'm sure you couldn't fail to notice the "Do not enter" signs posted everywhere?"

[PT]: "It was a peaceful protest! I assumed that was for regular traffic!"

[AL]: "Curious. If that was truly your motivation, then you have nothing to worry about. I don't suppose you know of the fact that the ones who organized this were planning to forcefully enter the premises?"

 _Subject is silent._

[AL]: "Based on the evidence we recovered, you appear to be a good, if misguided, citizen. You believed you were doing the right thing, even if it was out of ignorance of the new laws in place. Your social media indicates you are not a violent person, so I do not necessarily believe you intended to purposefully turn into an anarchist. Yet I also suspect that had you been given the opportunity to… _vent_ …your frustrations, you might have very well done it."

[PT]: "I didn't know that was the plan…"

[AL]: "Yes, I believe you. We recovered no evidence suggesting you knew about, or planned to make it a reality. If that were the case, you would be at a sentencing hearing, not having a chat with me."

[PT]: "So what's the point of all this? I doubt you're just going to let me go."

[AL]: "That ultimately depends on if you cooperate. If you do, your record will remain clean and your life will go on as normal. If you do not, you will be charged with obstruction of justice and will be handled by agents who specialize in extracting information from troublesome suspects. I believe you can infer what that means."

[PT]: "Torture?"

[AL]: "Unlikely in your case. I suspect your boyfriend would be used as leverage."

[PT]: "You can't-"

[AL]: "Yes, we _can_. We exist to protect ADVENT from threats _inside_ and out. The sooner you understand that, the better. Besides, I do not ask much here."

 _Subject sighs._

[PT]: "What do you want from me?"

[AL]: "Information. We arrested all but one of the orchestrators of this little anarchist attempt. We suspect he has extensive experience with computers, and is now very aware of how we have operated. Simply put, we can't use our traditional methods to identify him and he's gone dark. No one has attempted to contact him since, so in addition to providing us with testimony to put the ones we have arrested away, I will also need you to contact him through the same means you did previously in the same chatroom. Say whatever you want, all we need is a response and we will at least be able to determine his general location. Is this something you can do?"

[PT]: "Do I even have a choice?"

[AL]: "If we're talking about the literal definition of the word 'choice', of course you do. If you mean if you have options to take where both are relatively risk free, then no…you have no choice here."

[PT]: "Alright. What do you want me to say?"

[AL]: "Excellent! Now, the first thing is for you to identify if the following transcripts are genuine."

 _Recording continues for several hours, with subject confirming or denying information gathered via ADVENT Intelligence agents._

* * *

"I know ADVENT hates to use words like 'fear' and 'terror' to describe their tactics, but like it or not, that's what they accomplished. And I'm not really sure they actually care. For all I know, that's exactly the point of their tactics. Maybe they think that a population too scared to do anything is the only one that's secure."

"Maybe."

"All I know is that even if people don't say anything, they certainly notice. Much as ADVENT probably thinks the general population is stupid…well, depends on the definition of the word. They certainly aren't _blind_. You really think people are suddenly not going to wonder what happened to their boss or friend who just seemed to vanish one day?"

"Then when they connect that to _all the other_ similar cases…most people don't exist in a bubble. They talk to each other. One is usually smarter than the rest and makes the "Oh, [Censored]" realization as to what's happening. The result is that people are now afraid of ADVENT and try to do anything possible to make sure they aren't noticed."

"On the flip side, you have the idiots who want to fight back. I'm not sure how sustaining that is. Bad enough that people are terrified from the aliens, and now they have to worry that they'll be dragged off to God knows where if they insinuate that ADVENT isn't exactly doing a good job. Now, I know that's an exaggeration. ADVENT isn't just arresting people who post some meme making fun of some ADVENT official, but the thing is that there are a large number of people who actually _think_ that.

"For better or worse, ADVENT isn't exactly subtle sometimes. They make public arrests in the middle of the day to make a point, or they'll conduct a midnight raid with Intelligence agents with no one the wiser. Believe it or not, that actually _does_ have an effect on how people perceive the government."

" _Yes_ , that was sarcasm. The point is, from what I can tell, ADVENT isn't exactly taking steps to address this."

"Did _I_ bring it up with them? Well no, because quite frankly, ADVENT really doesn't care about the population right now. I don't exactly mean that in a deriding way, but as far as they're concerned, the fact that a [Censored] alien wielding a sword wiped out Vegas is a _bit_ more concerning than a docile, if afraid, population."

"I'm just saying that they can only rely on that so far before something snaps. It's going to be slow, but someone is going to take advantage one day, and it won't be too hard to convince some people that the government is more of a threat than the aliens invading our world."

"And that is a problem."

 _\- Anonymous ADVENT Intelligence Agent to Independent Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

Operation: Watch and Listen

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'harila'hessa

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

I have finished compiling enough information on the new ADVENT Intelligence to make a sufficient report. Direct infiltration is unfortunately not possible any longer as ADVENT immediately established blood tests for their entire personnel, thus making it nearly impossible for infiltration that way. I am looking into some ways to subvert this system, but nonetheless, a general overview can be provided.

With the establishment of ADVENT, this is the largest intelligence service that the humans currently possess, and that makes it the most dangerous to us. While their activities are limited to the planet, they certainly have the capability to disrupt our own efforts on this world. We suspect there is definitely intervention on their part in the Oceanic nations, and they are no doubt attempting to gather information on our American bases.

However, oddly enough, it seems as though ADVENT Intelligence is being primarily used against nations opposed to ADVENT, or more generally, any human that is deemed as a risk, including the civilian population. They are heavily involved in the current Middle East conflict, though exact details are unknown. We also have evidence linking them to operations in China, Canada, and several other European nations.

As far as we have been able to determine, they have a large degree of freedom with how to act on these threats. They are one of the most ruthless and efficient organizations the humans have, and have a degree of subtlety that makes them all the more dangerous. They don't toy with their targets; they either take them out, or bring them in for interrogation. ADVENT Intelligence doesn't seem to like wasting time on frivolous warrants and documents. It seems all that is needed is direct evidence of a crime, and they can pursue it however they like.

This is partially why the civilian outcry, especially in America, has not materialized as we hoped. ADVENT knew this was a problem, and took steps to mitigate it. They are systematically stamping out all opposition, even through the Internet, as well as getting rid of troublesome extremist groups at the same time. Most of this is not, and will not be, known to the civilian population.

This also indicates that if we wish to pursue a propaganda response, it will need to be far different from the convention, or we need some way of bypassing current ADVENT policy. They have no qualms about not only blocking propaganda, but going after the people that keep posting it. Or they will simply dispute it, and fabricate evidence to support their own side.

In short, traditional propaganda methods are unlikely to be as successful within ADVENT nations.

What you will likely find interesting is that Elizabeth Falka, formerly of EXALT, is in charge of this organization. I suspect Saudia put her there because she managed to run an intelligence organization of her own which managed to subvert _all_ known intelligence organizations of various countries. The woman is extremely smart and competent, and I believe that the effectiveness of ADVENT Intelligence can be traced to her leadership.

Also, as we suspected, ADVENT Intelligence has an established working relationship with XCOM Intelligence, and they appear to frequently share information relating to our attacks. While we have not managed to establish a reliable means of intercepting messages, the ones we have are…disconcerting.

ADVENT Intelligence knows a lot more about the Collective than they have any right to, even with several of our agents captured. They are using methods of encryption that are unknown even to us, which means that they have not only broken the code of Ethereal Script, they have mastered it and are incorporating it into their own systems.

How much of this they learned from XCOM is unknown, and recently, they have been exchanging a much higher amount of information than we have recorded before. I am concerned the Battlemaster was almost too effective, because the only reason XCOM has not helped ADVENT more is likely because they didn't appear to fully trust them. That appears to no longer be the case.

It is only a matter of time before they learn how to use the Gateways, and then ADVENT Intelligence will be a much larger threat. Steps should be taken to mitigate this, which are outlined in a separate document.


	40. ADVENT - Unit: Purifier

ADVENT: Unit

Purifier

* * *

 _"Chlorine Trifluoride isn't flammable. In the presence of Chlorine Trifluoride, everything else becomes flammable."_

\- Anonymous

* * *

Commander,

With the deployment of these new Purifiers, you inquired as to why I had not known about, or informed you about the flammable chemical known as Chlorine Trifluoride.

There is a reason for that.

Quite honestly, Commander, I did not expect that particular chemical would ever be used, and the idea that ADVENT is attempting to weaponize it is, to me, mildly concerning. One thing that must be established is that Chlorine Trifluoride, abbreviated CIF3, is not a traditional accelerant, nor one you are likely familiar with.

To provide some brief history on this chemical, it was originally discovered by the Nazis who designated it as "Substance N", and were looking to weaponize it, much like ADVENT is right now. However, the project was abandoned due to the volatility of the chemical itself, and the inability to reliably and safely handle it. Some have suggested that the effects of chemical were so horrendous that the Nazis stopped due to their own ethical concerns. I personally doubt this, and believe it was more due to the fact that the weapon posed as much of a danger to them as the enemy.

Nevertheless, they did manage to construct a prototype flame thrower that used CIF3, although I am not certain if it was ever tested in a combat situation. They also produced at least thirty tons of the chemical, but never used it.

Any chemical that Nazi Germany refused to use due to the danger is one that should be handled with extreme caution, to say the least.

The reason why any sort of usage of this chemical is extremely dangerous is that it has the ability to burn through nearly _anything_. Even in a liquid state a simple jolt could cause it to explode if not properly sealed. The list of substances it burns through are nearly all metals, concrete, dirt, and nearly everything else it comes in contact with. I suspect that our own soldiers would be quickly killed if exposed to CIF3, ignited or not, and I imagine the same applies to the alien forces, although there is also the risk that they could be shot before reaching the appropriate distance and damage our own forces.

There are only two known substances that are truly fireproof against CIF3: Candle wax and some kinds of Fluorine plastic. Everything else is flammable in the presence of CIF3. To date the current Purifier designs do not take advantage of this, instead relying on the suit being composed entirely of alien alloys, with enough thickness to take multiple direct plasma shots. Yet again, it would not take much to ignite the chemical.

What also makes this chemical more dangerous than it already is, is that there is no reliable way to put it out, if any way at all. CIF3 does not require oxygen and cannot be dispersed once lit. There is no other choice other than to let the fire run its course. Water is the absolute worst way to put it out, as not only does CIF3 explode when coming into contact with it, but also produces toxic gases that, by all accounts, are excruciating to die from.

I cannot overstate how dangerous this chemical is, Commander. While certainly effective at killing aliens, I simply cannot see a way to make the Purifiers able to safely operate in combat without psionic assistance. While I am certain you see the potential applications for our own MECs or even soldiers, I cannot recommend we follow this project. The risks are too high, it would only take one mistake to condemn our soldiers to a long and excruciating death.

\- Dr. Moira Vahlen

* * *

 **ADVENT Engineering Report 0882**

Subject: Purifier Project

Author: Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado

 **Introduction:** Chancellor, as you have requested, this is the final compilation of the information and specifications of the Purifier project before their initial deployment. The concept has performed well above expectations and I have no doubt these soldiers will perform exceptionally against the aliens. This report will contain an overview of the systems of the unit, and the recruitment process we are going through, as well as procedures and tactics for safe and effective usage.

You have been appraised of the volatility of Chlorine Trifluoride, and the risks involved, so I will not repeat it here, suffice to say that we have taken all possible precautions to limit the danger this chemical poses to our soldiers.

 **Suit Structure and Composition:** Due to the volatility of CIF3, the suit itself was designed to be among our strongest units we can deploy. The suit is almost entirely composed of heavy alien alloys, and is significantly heavier than the standard ADVENT armor. All non-armor components are alloy-laced undersuits, since the joints were not able to be fully armored, yet the weakest parts of the suit can still withstand a single plasma blast.

The suit is entirely sealed, with air internally circulated, and has small secondary oxygen tanks attached to the arms and lower back, allowing the Purifier to filter out toxins and smoke, and otherwise operate in dangerous environments. However, it will likely not last under gaseous acids, which might be the result of CIF3 usage. Nonetheless, they can be deployed in most locations.

To reduce the chances of an accidental ignition, the components of CIF3 are divided into the two alloy tanks on the back of the armor. Thus, if one is breached, without the reaction of the other components, it will pose a lesser threat to the soldier and surrounding personnel. The chemicals are combined in the flamethrower itself, and are thus only truly volatile when they reach the weapon itself.

The chemicals are transported via two tubes, both of which are reinforced with alloy lacing, and connected closely to the suit itself to prevent snagging or being shot by stray weapon fire. The flamethrower itself combines the chemicals into CIF3, and is the primary instrument of dispersion. While not necessary for ignition, there is a small starter flame at the end of the weapon, as ignited CIF3 has a longer range than pure liquid, even though the effect will equate to the same.

For some reason, most soldiers highly underestimate the usage of the flamethrower, and believe it to be of little tactical use. It is a testament to the effectiveness of entertainment media that the flamethrower is considered a short-range weapon, if even taken seriously at all. The flamethrower we have developed has a maximum range of two hundred and fifty feet, and that is potentially longer depending on if the CIF3 is ignited before contact with the target.

The suit has also been designed to handle additional dangerous chemicals and accelerants as well. The Purifiers can be converted to utilize more standard chemicals like napalm or even chemical weaponry if so desired. This project has the potential to have a wide variety of applications, beyond simply being used as flame units.

Each Purifier is identified by the label on their shoulder pads and chemical tanks, which will display the chemical composition of the chemical they are using. The color scheme will also be slightly modified to provide some visual cues for those who cannot make out the reading. As of right now, there are two variants:

CIF3 Purifiers: These are who the large majority of this document pertains to, who utilize CIF3 and are exceptionally volatile and dangerous if handled improperly. They are denoted with orange armor, with black stripes on it.

H2O Purifiers: These are support units for CIF3 Purifiers, as water reacts violently and dangerously with it. They are to be used in conjunction with them and nowhere else. They are denoted with orange armor, and white stripes instead of black.

 **Recruitment and Qualifications:** Due to how dangerous this chemical is, I have required that the candidates are fully capable of comprehending exactly what they are handling here, and restricting the potential pool of candidates significantly. While this is certainly an important role in the ADVENT military, it is not one just anyone can fill.

Candidates must have a respect and delicacy for CIF3, as well as not being prone to panic or have a fear of enclosed spaces or debilitating mental conditions. Thus, the most useful candidates I have put forward are chemists, firefighters, and those with chemical weapon and flame backgrounds. Medics are also a potential pool of candidates.

Recruitment should be done on a per-invitation basis. This is not a role for hotheads or thrill seekers, as no doubt there are still many in the military. While this makes recruitment more difficult, this is one area where we cannot afford to take chances.

 **Weaknesses:** While I would certainly like to say that this work is flawless, that is sadly not the case. You are aware that military tactics are not my specialty, and I will leave that to Commander Christiaens and Chief Weekes. However, I am aware of the flaws of this unit, and that should be understood by all who wish to utilize them.

The first thing to realize is that CIF3 Purifiers are extremely volatile. While we have done our best to reduce the risk, the fact is that this unit could very well be a liability in combat if not handled correctly. Purifiers who suffer under heavy fire may explode, and severely weaken our own forces because, as noted before, there is no means of putting out CIF3 fires. If I was to make a recommendation, this could possibly be lessened further with defense psions.

The second major issue is that this unit, while heavily protected, is extremely slow and immobile. You will not be able to deploy them quickly or easily, and any concentrated fire against them is going to eventually become highly accurate, and they will eventually die without sufficient protection. Their reflexes are almost non-existent, and they are extremely vulnerable to explosives or rockets because of this.

If I may make one more recommendation: Keep all valuable or essential soldiers, or better, any at all, far away from Purifiers. I would also recommend setting a minimum safe distance for Purifier units at well. Purifiers are _not_ immune to CIF3 and will die to it just as easily as anyone else. I do not want to call Purifiers glass cannons, but that ultimately may be the best definition for them.

 **Future Iterations:** Our primary goal will be to make the Purifier safer for the wearer of the suit, and to that end we will continue making the risks less pervasive and dangerous. There is a Fluorine plastic that is one of the only substances able to not be burnt, but as you can imagine, the difficulties of inserting such into a suit made for combat are challenge.

Nonetheless, we will continue our work on this project and improve, learn, and grow from the lessons revealed on the battlefield.

* * *

"Fire is destructive and scary. It isn't something to be taken lightly like how it's often portrayed. People who have that idea have clearly been watching too many movies, because that's not what an actual fire is like at all. It's scorching; it's dangerous and it's something you are never able to forget. Short version, fire isn't a toy."

"The scariest thing to me, though, is a fire that can't be put out. It's the nightmare of all firefighters, but we never really had to worry about it before. No matter how bad it got, we always had some way to put out the flames in front of us. Then ADVENT comes along and decides to use the one chemical that can't be put out."

"To be completely fair, they do seem to genuinely recognize the risks, but I'm not even sure that's enough. No one except the Nazis have actually used it before, but the stories are more than enough to drive most people away. No matter what happens, I don't think people will fully understand how dangerous it is until they see it for themselves."

"I'm not sure it's even right to use it, even on aliens; even if they make it safe. Death by fire is one of the worst ways to die, and completely inhumane. Fire is a weapon of torture, pain, and for sending a message of terror. Even the aliens have to have some kind of morale, and I can think of no better way to terrify them than with fire."

"There is a reason we all fear it, the smart people anyway. It can help as well as hurt if you aren't careful, and they're one mistake away from catastrophically killing thousands of their own soldiers, or worse, starting fires that can't be stopped. These weapons must be handled responsibly, and ADVENT needs to be reminded why they aren't toys."

"Yes, that's why I accepted the offer when ADVENT came to me. I understand what exactly I'm working with, and so do the ones I work with. And walking forward, knowing that one lucky shot will condemn you and the ones around you to death, is one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. You _never_ feel safe in the suits, not even when protected by soldiers and psions."

"Every single one of us is obsessed with keeping our suits up to date. We check them dozens of times a day, looking for any indication something is wrong. The suits are confining, constricting and claustrophobic. You feel trapped, like there's a bomb strapped to you that could go off if you so much as sneeze. And there kind of is."

"Oddly enough, the longer I shoot my flamethrower, the safer I feel since I know that my chances of suddenly exploding have diminished. But I never forget what I am doing, nor my responsibility to keep not just myself, but everyone around me safe."

"Purifiers are walking bombs, and like bombs, they can destroy enemies or friends. I try to keep mine pointed at the aliens, and so far, that's working out. But I think that nervousness that I feel whenever I put on the suit won't fade, nor do I think it should."

 _\- Purifier Gabriel Desuin, describing his work in the war._

* * *

Operation: Burning Flame

Division: Threat Analysis

Report Author: Zar'traio'mattis

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

I will get straight to the point: These so-called Purifiers ADVENT deployed during their attack on our Japan stronghold are deeply concerning, to put it mildly. Quite simply, we did not anticipate that ADVENT would pursue such paths of research, as such weapons are questionable in this day and age of technology, but they have, and the results are far worse than what we could have anticipated.

Unfortunately, I have almost nothing to go on aside from several readings and samples collected by infiltrating agents, several of whom _died_ due to unknowingly being poisoned by the toxic gas that was created from these Purifier attacks. I do not know how ADVENT was able to develop such a chemical, one hot enough to melt _Andromedon_ soldiers, and collapse our entire line of fortifications.

Intelligence reports and my own additional research confirms that ADVENT has fully weaponized a chemical known as Chlorine Trifluoride, or CIF3, as it is the only one capable of such destruction and ADVENT is making sure all their soldiers know the danger of it. Even _they_ are concerned about it, and for good reason. This chemical is impossible to put out artificially, and the substances that can resist it are almost non-existent, and certainly are impractical for deployment of our own.

The obvious counter to such a unit is to designate them as priority targets, although as shown during the battle, that tactic is rendered useless with psionic intervention. Protected by psionics, I do not believe there are any functioning units that can hold up against this unit, regardless of what precautions we take.

Upon review of the combat footage recovered, there are only a few viable tactics:

1\. Engage them at long range and attempt to bring them down. They are slow, albeit heavily armored, but as long as they don't get into a moderately close range, they are harmless.

2\. Utilize psionic abilities to negate the fires or the Purifiers. Telepaths and Telekinetic abilities are especially useful in this regard, although they must be done at range.

3\. Run.

While you might believe this is an overreaction, I encourage you to read the report concerning the attack and watch the recorded footage for yourself. The simple fact is that we have no easy counters to this enemy. Berserkers and Chryssalids will be entirely _useless_ against these Humans, and if they are being psionically assisted, every other unit will be rendered helpless to stop them.

This goes beyond simply being concerned about our soldiers, because entire _locations_ are now at risk. It was not the fire that killed the majority of our forces in Japan, it was the combination of the fire and water ADVENT sprayed into the city. The combination resulted in explosions and the creation of a gas that spread throughout the compound, poisoning any who weren't killed by the fire.

A solution must be developed immediately. I request this be sent directly to the Battlemaster for further analysis and tactical solutions.

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 101000000000

ANALYSIS COMPILER: THREAT ANALYZER G'HARROW

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON FEDERATION OVERSEER

UNIT OF INTEREST: ADVENT PURIFIERS

SPECIES: HUMAN

NOTE: UTILIZE FLAMETHROWERS

NOTE: UTILIZE HIGHLY DANGEROUS FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL COMPOUND

CURRENT THREAT LEVEL: OMEGA

OVERVIEW:

There are few enemies that have the ability to give me pause, and yet these Purifiers are currently one of those enemies. There was very little indication that ADVENT was currently developing a unit of this level of destructive capability. The Zararch did reveal that ADVENT was working on a kind of flame unit, but that intelligence was dismissed as irrelevant.

That was a mistake.

The Purifiers are almost on the same level of XCOM psions in terms of threat level to both Andromedons and the Collective at large. Reports from Japan indicate that the Purifier flamethrowers not only killed the Andromedon defenders, but _melted_ their suits and atmospheric helmets, and instantly destroyed the control systems, negating the AI Contingency.

To date, outside of extreme temperatures like the sun, it should not be possible to melt Andromedon suits. That ADVENT has not only discovered such a chemical, but weaponized it, highlights the extreme danger of underestimating even a pre-spaceflight species. As of right now, we do not know the chemical composition or if any flame-retardant materials for such a chemical exist.

As it stands now, until we have far more information on both the composition of this unit and chemicals utilized, it poses an extremely dangerous threat to all Andromedon soldiers and should be treated with _extreme_ caution.

NOTED WEAKNESSES:

While the unit is extremely dangerous, it is also very slow and thus, easy to target. There are two areas which should specifically be targeted by Andromedon soldiers if out of the range of the Purifier. Targeting the torso is NOT ADVISED as it is extremely armored and will likely do little to slow it down. The more important targets are the flamethrower itself, as damaging it will negate the Purifier entirely, and the tanks on the back of the unit, which are likely the containers for the chemical. Destroying them may trigger an explosion and destroy the Purifier.

The Purifier is also highly vulnerable to psionics, in particular those of the Attack, Telekinetic and Telepathic specialization. The Defense psionic specialization might be useful for holding Purifiers in stasis or blocking the chemical used, although this cannot be guaranteed without tests.

There are no other noted weaknesses.

CURRENT TACTICS:

1\. If a Purifier comes within three hundred feet of an Andromedon unit, immediately begin a retreat as the range of the flamethrower is far longer than estimated, and the maximum range is not known. This will be updated once information is acquired.

2\. Target vulnerable points of Purifier armor, including the flamethrower and chemical tanks.

3\. If psions are in usage, use them against Purifiers as soon as possible.

4\. Assign priority target status to any identified Purifier.

5\. If Purifier is supported by hostile psionic defenders, immediately retreat until hostile psions have been neutralized.

6\. Do not attempt to attack Purifiers at close range.

7\. Do not attempt to attack Purifiers at medium range.

8\. Do not attempt to ambush Purifiers.

9\. Utilize high explosives against Purifier units.

10\. If Purifier units are unable to be neutralized quickly, retreat and reassess tactics.

11\. If necessary, utilize air support against Purifier positions.

RECOMMENDATION:

1\. Immediately assign a Special Operator to assess threat level and observation of Feng Mercado

2\. Immediately gather additional information on chemical composition and Purifier specifications.

3\. Designate Purifiers as automatic priority targets.

4\. Immediately begin research into utilization and negation of Purifier chemical, and similar chemicals.

5\. Begin research into flame-resistant technology.


	41. ADVENT - Unit: Mechanized Defense Unit

ADVENT: Unit

Mechanized Defense Unit

* * *

" _The future of warfare is here, and there is little the aliens can do to stop it."_

\- Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado

* * *

Madam President,

Progress on the White Knight Project has been proceeding well and we are currently on schedule to begin full field tests within the next few months. However, there are some issues that will need to be solved in the long term, well before we begin deploying these machines in combat, much less revealing them to the public and inserting them in the military branches.

First, this is where we are at now: The chassis is essentially complete, and it is functionally able to perform the full range of motions required such as walking, jumping, holding appropriate weaponry, and basic melee defense. It has the capability to fire upon specific audible commands, as well as perform a limited number of additional actions.

So at best we now have a functional robot, albeit one with no independent intelligence. There is a certain 'jank' to its movements, but that can be ironed out in future iterations. The next step will be integrating the friend-foe identification and reaction time intelligence. While we are confident that it is possible, it is difficult to know how quickly we will be able to bring it up to a level that is both safe and effective.

Due to this transition, I believe the team should reflect the current goal. It largely consists of engineers and robotics designers, all of whom were exceptionally useful, but now our goal is creating the intelligence of this machine. We simply do not have enough experts in AI, Machine Learning, or simple coding to solve this problem in a respectable amount of time.

I do not mean to say that we _cannot_ solve this without additional relevant experts, but I do believe that time is a luxury that we no longer possess. The attack on New York soberly underscores this fact, and this project could mean the difference between victory and defeat. While this facility is not under immediate threat, a full war will doubly increase the stress here, both to the personnel and our resources.

The other option is to bring another independent company into this project, one who has their own resources and personnel, and it would not be a drain on United States resources. To date, there are a few companies that would have such qualifications, the largest being Solaris Industries, who have an impressive track record even if they primarily focus on weapon development.

Another who might be better at the AI portion would be a larger tech company like Google or IBM. While large, and potentially questionable as far as trust goes, I am positive that they would be willing to work on a project, as the aliens are a subject that will certainly have ramifications for them.

In the meantime, we will continue as scheduled, but I encourage you to keep this in mind, Madam President.

\- Jackie Gillian, "White Knight" Project Lead

* * *

 **ADVENT Engineering Report 7762**

Subject: Mechanized Defense Unit

Author: Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado

The Americans were certainly on the right track with this unit, although looking over some of their somewhat…impractical designs shows that there was too much time spent on variations without mastering the core concept. No doubt they intended to apply differing units for the various branches, but in doing so, they wasted precious development time on concepts that would never materialize.

That being said, the concept of such variations offers valuable ideas for the future.

ADVENT will, at some point, begin running into a numbers problem. This understandably has caused some panic, or mild trepidation within higher circles, but I do not believe it is a large issue simply because the way war is being fought is changing. The future of Human warfare is not in soldiers, but machines.

I am surprised this realization has not been recognized by the aliens. They seem stuck in the old ways where organic infantry is the primary driving force of their military, which strikes me as odd. I could understand if they were cybernetically or genetically enhanced, but the aliens seem to limit that to the Floaters and Muton Elites.

Andromedons are an interesting evolution, yet they still rely on an organic pilot. Furthermore, these Floaters do not appear to take advantage of the cybernetic components, and instead they act like raving creatures. Poor design and programming. Sloppy for aliens. I would have expected better.

Yet what is more baffling is that they _have_ mechanical units and seem to not want to use them. The Sectopods, Cyberdisks, and even their drones all have proven to be effective against Human soldiers. Unsurprising since they are mechanical and their computer systems are currently more robust than ours. But they seem hesitant in actually using them in any way other than support, with the possible exception of the Sectopods.

Why?

Returning to the topic at hand, humanity has no need to rely on inefficient soldiers. While genetic modification takes steps to correct this, the fact is that a machine will always be superior to a human. Hybrid systems come close, such as the impressive MEC project from XCOM, but even a MEC simply cannot have the reaction time and processing power of a fully automated intelligence.

Thus, the Mechanized Defense Unit is the solution to both the dwindling numbers of humanity and the largely organic forces of the aliens. The MDUs have reached the point in their development where they can calculate the weak points of an enemy and fire within the span of milliseconds. Their laser weapons allow them to react instantaneously and not waste superfluous energy. Why XCOM bothers to give such energy-draining weapons as simple rifles to their soldiers is a colossal waste of resources, and their method of _sustaining_ the laser is a gross waste of energy.

I am especially impressed with my team in developing the intelligence. It is effective, brutal and adaptable to the situation, both against alien and human forces. Autopsies and video footage have shown an ability for the MDU intelligence to adapt to known tactics and develop counters.

Truly, the age of mechanized warfare has finally come.

There was preliminary discussion on if the intelligence should be linked to a centralized network or remain an autonomous intelligence, with the former idea scrapped due to the many security concerns. While this limits the amount of data they have access to at any given time, it also ensures that a network hack, breach, or shutdown will not adversely affect the MDU, and it will mean each individual MDU will be, in some way, unique from each other.

Now that their effectiveness has been proven, the time has come to expand on the concept and apply it to other areas of this war. In terms of harnessing artificial intelligence, we are only scratching the surface.

* * *

Battlemaster,

At your request, I have undertaken the task of analyzing and identifying the tactics and weaknesses of the newly deployed ADVENT mechanical unit. I fully admit that the deployment and effectiveness of these Mechanized Defense Units, known commonly as MDUs, caught me by surprise and it was a threat I failed to adapt to in time.

Nevertheless, it is a lesson to learn from.

Due to the MDUs being a relatively new addition to the ADVENT military, resources and information on these machines are limited, and the primary sources of knowledge I am drawing upon are the recordings from the Middle Eastern conflict, the attack on Portland, and scattered Zararch intelligence reports on similar subjects.

I will start with the intelligence reports. It appears that this was originally an American project, directly authorized by President Nicole Treduant as a way to develop superior mechanized soldiers that could be mass produced. It is unknown if the current design is reflective of the original American project, but it was certainly based on such.

It is unclear when ADVENT formally took control of the project, but the Zararch have confirmed that the Chief Engineer Feng Mercado (Note that he is from the same Mercado family involved in EXALT) personally directed the project, and was the primary architect of the final product. While this is not a report on Engineer Mercado himself, it is known that he is a genius-level human who believed fully in mechanized warfare, and thus it should be no surprise that he took a direct interest in the project.

The first reported sightings of MDUs were during the Middle Eastern Conflict, specifically the ADVENT conquest of Tehran. Low-quality footage exists of these machines decimating hostile human forces, as well as targeting all non-ADVENT personnel, including civilians. If I were to speculate, I believe this was the equivalent of a field test for ADVENT, as footage of MDUs used in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan do not seem to have the same lack of discrimination.

ADVENT did utilize MDUs in their final conquest of the Middle East, but there is little relevant data to draw from, as the Human forces they were placed against were easily wiped out. We can extrapolate more date from the two conflicts against our own forces, specifically in Portland and Japan.

Both conflicts revealed that the MDUs are highly accurate and durable. All of them are armed with a type of heavy laser weapon, although the barrel can be modified depending on the size of the target, which the MDU has been recorded to be able to alter within seconds. The energy regulation is superb, and the MDU does not waste more energy against a target than is needed.

Furthermore, and this is the most dangerous aspect of the MDUs, the reaction time and precision of these machines is far superior to the majority of our forces deployed. Even the most genetically enhanced Mutons can only react within seconds. MDUs have the ability to adapt to differing circumstances and targets in milliseconds, a reaction time that is equivalent to Cyberdisks and faster than Sectopods.

The laser weapon it wields eliminates any delay it might otherwise have, and can quite literally kill multiple soldiers within seconds of each other, and in theory, there is no delay to this capability. I highly suspect that every MDU has a complete autopsy report and weak points of every unit known to them in their memory banks, as well as commonly used tactics.

To provide an example of their adaptability, during the Portland attack, one MDU was disarmed and the instant it detected its weapon was no longer functional, it discarded it and engaged the Mutons in melee combat with only its fists. With assistance from an XCOM telekinetic, it killed a Berserker by beating it to death in the face, and then moved on to other Muton soldiers who were unable to adapt in time to stop it.

Machines do not tire or lose focus, and furthermore, they can be easily produced, repaired and replaced. Our own soldiers are fallible against these machines and in a war of attrition, I do not believe we could win against them without making changes. There are few weak points in the MDU, and while the joints are obvious targets, I do not know the effect it will have due to their adaptability.

The armor covering it appears to be made out of a mixture of Earth and alloy metals, which allows it to withstand multiple plasma blasts, although sustained fire will destroy it. However, this is not as effective due to it being able to target and remove threats near-instantly. Long-range combat is preferable, as well as liberal usage of plasma explosives.

I am unaware if they are susceptible to EMP weapons, but I would be surprised if they had such an obvious weakness. An important note is that the head of the MDU is not a weakness, nor is it the central control center. It appears to be a trick, as footage from Portland shows several MDUs fighting without heads with nearly as much effectiveness as before. Due to this, I suspect the main processors are within the central torso, which just happens to be the part that is most heavily armored.

These MDUs are a threat, Battlemaster, and as it stands, we need to develop a solution before ADVENT learns just how dangerous they are to us.

\- Disciple-7, Sargon of the Battlemaster


	42. ADVENT - History: Operation Deus Vult

ADVENT: History

Operation Deus Vult

* * *

" _Winning the Middle East was easy. The hard part is changing it."_

\- ADVENT Military Commander Laura Christiaens

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 9922**

Operation: Deus Vult

Author: Laura Christiaens

Recipient: Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

Chancellor,

It is my pleasure to officially confirm that Operation Deus Vult was an unprecedented military success on all levels. Never in my life has an operation gone as smoothly as this one, and combined with the sheer scale of this operation, it is nothing short of a miracle that it succeeded as highly as it did. With that in mind, I will summarize the results of the operation:

 **Pakistan:** As had been planned out ahead of time, Pakistan posed the largest direct threat to ADVENT due to their nuclear arsenal, and thus the rest of this operation hinged on the success of Patricia Trask, who would utilize her telepathic psionic abilities to subdue the leadership before an alarm could be raised. She succeeded far beyond expectations, and managed to force the soldiers guarding the Pakistani legislature to execute them, before turning them against each other.

Once she extracted the Prime Minister, she utilized her psionics to learn the locations of the nuclear arsenal and the codes he knew. She turned this knowledge over to ADVENT Military and Shieldbearer teams before being transported to the Pakistani military command, which was not yet aware of the breach. Shortly after teams were in position, Patricia executed the Prime Minister.

She proceeded to turn the entirety of the Pakistani military in that location against each other, and forced the Pakistani military command staff to do the same, though not before confirming the locations and codes regarding their nuclear arsenal. Once that was done, she was extracted via an XCOM skyranger.

Phase II of this operation consisted of hitting the locations of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal, of which there were five, all in isolated locations and were caught completely off-guard by ADVENT Military, Shieldbearer and Lancer teams. XCOM also assisted in several of the attacks, and within one hour the entirety of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal was secured, and is currently being dismantled or incorporated into our own systems.

Throughout this, we discovered that Pakistan had not one, but _two_ nuclear submarines. Thanks to the nuclear football and codes Patricia extracted from the minds of the Prime Minister and his military staff, we were able to send out specific codes ordering it to a specific location and to surface, presumably to attack. The moment they surfaced, Indian naval forces attacked, and sank the submarines, ensuring their destruction.

In the aftermath, the Indian government has moved their military into the cities and is currently maintaining order as they are finalizing negotiations concerning them joining ADVENT. The Indian military is currently dealing with the few insurgents that remain, and was an invaluable ally throughout this process, proving that their membership into ADVENT is well-earned.

 **Afghanistan:** The region itself was highly unstable, and thus barely had a functioning government, let alone military, and certainly not one that posed a threat to our soldiers. XCOM assisted in removing the government with an entire squad, in addition to a Lancer team of our own, and together they easily took the Afghan capital.

The capital was taken with no casualties, and a grand total of thirty soldiers, of which broke down to twenty-two Lancers and eight XCOM soldiers. They were greatly assisted by the XCOM Psion Fatima Tariq, who debilitated a large part of the defending soldiers with telepathic attacks. We successfully confirmed that the entirety of the government was executed, including the President and the legislature.

The second part of the mission was the execution of their military command, and Weekes asked if this could be used as a training exercise for his Lancers, and we complied as the threat the Afghans posed was minimal. Nonetheless, it is still slightly surprising to know that a team of twenty Lancers managed to wipe out both the strongest concentration of Afghan soldiers, and their military commanders.

 **Turkmenistan:** Much of the work done in taking control of Turkmenistan was at the hands of the Russian Legion, in conjunction with local forces from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, largely from the latter. The Russian Legion attacked from the west and Kazakhstan attacked from the northeast. Together they took the country and executed the military and government in a matter of hours. As of right now, the capital is being held with Kazakhstan soldiers, who are working with ADVENT Peacekeepers to keep order.

With the country subdued, I have immediately decided to relocate the Russian Legion that was currently devoted to this conflict to directly participate in the war. However, due to the upcoming operation concerning Canada, the Russian Legion will likely fill the role for annexing the nation and they are currently preparing for that operation. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are in the process of joining ADVENT, and I believe it will only be a matter of weeks before they are fully integrated.

 **Saudi Arabia:** This mission was personally planned and led by the Commander of XCOM, and utilized an entire Garrison of the Israeli Legion which he used to take Riyadh, the capital, and execute the Royal Family and King of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi army was woefully unprepared to handle the ADVENT Military, and they were easily dismantled by the soldiers. We can confirm that the King of Saudi Arabia, and the majority of the Royal Family, is dead.

Before the battle, there was an unexpected defection of one of the Royal Family to ADVENT, and he is currently residing in ADVENT custody. According to the Commander, his main motivations seem to be not dying, and holding a position of power with the Royal Family dead. Also according to him, his intentions don't seem to be malicious, but he cautions using him without knowing his full capabilities. Nonetheless, a prominent member of the Royal Family surviving will be useful in ensuring our control of the country with minimal violence.

 **Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates** : As many of these operations have identical results, and in the cases of Yemen and Oman, were severely weakened by the Israeli Legion beforehand, I have condensed them into this one section. Quite simply, they were taken with very little issue or bloodshed. Qatar and Bahrain surrendered the instant ADVENT soldiers reached the capital and with the exception of the leadership, the defectors were spared. The armies of Yemen and Oman also turned against their government, and helped us remove them from power.

 **Portland:** The retaliatory strike against the aliens besieging Portland, while posing a much clearer threat to our soldiers, was also a complete success. The first conflict utilizing the Mechanized Defense Units solidified their role as a valuable weapon in our arsenal, and it was abundantly clear that the alien forces were not expecting an attack on such a scale, let alone one with XCOM support.

We were unable to kill the commanding Sargon, and as he was never seen in the battle, it is entirely possible he was not there to begin with. XCOM once more provided assistance that definitively shifted the battle in our favor, once more their Psions and MEC soldiers provided us the edge needed against the alien forces, and as a result, reliable supply lines are being established to prevent a similar situation from happening so easily again.

However, if the Battlemaster appears again, it is unlikely to be held.

 **Nakashibetsu:** I have to commend Dr. Mercado on his insistence on continuing the Purifier Project, despite my objections that it was a potential waste of resources. Seeing the footage and reading the reports from the battle, I can happily say I was wrong and the Purifiers not only ensured our victory, but turned it into a _rout_.

By the end of the battle, the aliens were running away, even as the MDUs pursued them in the city, which had been poisoned with a clever tactic using the Purifiers and water. While the damage to the city was extensive to put it mildly, and we are still unable to enter the area safely, we have recovered a wealth of alien resources including two Gateways which are being transported to Dr. Mercado at this moment.

However, it would be remiss of me to once more point out how this victory was also largely due to XCOM providing psionic support, in the form of them shielding the Purifiers from danger until they got into range of the aliens. I would expect that both these attacks have given the aliens much to think about, and as successful as this entire operation was, we must begin preparing for retaliation immediately, as the aliens will not take these losses lightly.

* * *

Chancellor,

While I'm as happy and relieved as you are regarding the complete success of the operation, it has highlighted something for me that has been conveniently overlooked for quite some time. However, given that I can personally attribute our victories much to the usage of psionics, I think it is now time to raise the subject of just how dangerous they really are.

To be honest, I did not give much thought to the Commander mentioning that his Manchurian Program was being put on hold, as it clearly was not an easy decision for him, and he was correct that there are much larger concerns to deal with. However, in retrospect, I am wondering if he may have been too hasty in dismissing the applications of the project.

Simply put, Chancellor, psions are too dangerous to be utilized without controls. Bombs aren't enough. Ethically questionable as the Manchurian Program is, the fact is that after this display, it is _necessary_. The PRIEST Program is going to eventually produce similar psions, but on a scale of hundreds, not tens, and as we have seen, it only takes _one_ to collapse a country.

I must reiterate that the demonstration of Patricia Trask, while completely effective, is the perfect example of the threat posed by psionics. She destroyed not only a government, but a _military_ in roughly four hours. _Four hours_. A country which, I should remind you, was a nuclear power. Granted, she had help, but I am confident that she could have completed the entire operation without any sort of assistance whatsoever.

Now imagine that being turned on us. We have _no_ defense against such an attack, and the moment another psion decided to do it, we would be helpless to stop them. As it has been shown time and time again, the only ones who can resist psions are other psions. _We are vulnerable_. From talking with both the Commander, Trask, and other XCOM soldiers, she has quite freely admitted that it is fully possible for a person to be taken control of without their knowledge.

Bombs simply aren't going to cut it. They will only work if we have clear knowledge of which psion is actually attacking. That just doesn't work with psions, or telepaths specifically. They don't have to be in the same location, let alone be seen at all, to kill or destroy anything. The Manchurian Program is the only means of reliably preventing rogue psions, and that the Commander has apparently ceased work on it for the moment is a mistake in my view.

I would strongly suggest that you speak with the Commander and urge him to resume research, or at the very minimum, turn the current research and testing over to Dr. Tygan and Dr. Munju. I would also highly recommend that we begin research into the negation or blocking of psionic abilities, as this will have more immediate practical utilizations against aliens like Ethereals and Sectoids.

Make no mistake, Chancellor, this is a very clear and present threat we are dealing with. Considering what we know of the Human race, there will be some who misuse psionics, no matter how strict our screening. Remember that it only takes one to bring even the most powerful government down.

I do not want it to be us.

\- Helion Weekes

* * *

 **ADVENT Analysis Report 9912**

Subject: Purifier After-effects on Nakashibetsu

Author: Environment Analyst Jacklyn Gouss

While I believe that the Purifiers were an unmitigated success against the alien forces, it should be acknowledged that their usage and tactics employed has had a potential effect not just on the environment, but also in our ability to actually take the city.

As of the writing of this report, ADVENT forces are still unable to enter Nakashibetsu due to a toxic cloud that hangs over the city. It is expected to fully dissipate within the next twenty-four hours, but until then, only MDUs can sweep the city without fear of sustaining permanent damage. What I can say for certain is that there are approximately zero alien forces still alive in the city.

The alien corpses recovered show just how badly the toxins affect them. The toxins completely decimate and melt the skin of Mutons and Vitakara of all identified races, which appears to have a similar effect as acid. The deaths appear to not be from the pain however, but from the gradual degradation of lungs and organs from inhailing the toxin. The time it appears to have taken to die varies from a full day to several hours. It appears to depend on how much toxin they were exposed to, as high doses killed much quicker than mild exposure.

However, all cases were fatal, which is why there is still a minimum safe distance established for ADVENT forces.

It is important to realize that this was the result of CIF3 that the Purifiers used, in combination with water. A side effect of the combination of both elements is not just a violent explosion, but the creation of several toxins, all fatal, which are then released into the air, creating a milky white cloud. The high amounts of both CIF3 and water used by the Purifiers were extremely effective, but also had the effect of turning the city into an uninhabitable zone for several days.

The CIF3 fires have fortunately burned out at this time, and managed to spread through much of the city, melting everything in their path. There are a lot of collapsing and half-destroyed buildings according to images and footage gathered from MDU scouts. We also managed to identify at least two Gateways that were undamaged by any of the fires, and do not appear to have been sabotaged.

That strikes me personally as suspicious, as I would have guessed the aliens would have some means of preventing the capture of Gateways, but perhaps that was something they had no need to worry about, and the aliens still alive were either dead or fleeing through it. I should note that we did find a large number of Andromedon corpses, but every single one had died to CIF3 exposure. From what we can tell, none of them were killed by the toxic gasses, which means that either all the Andromedons were killed, fled, or are still hiding in the city since they appear to be immune to the toxin.

We will need to fully sweep the city to fully ensure it is secure, but I highly doubt there are large numbers of Andromedons remaining, if any at all.

* * *

Battlemaster,

While our bases in Japan and near Portland have come under surprise attacks with ADVENT utilizing new units against us, the more important component of these attacks has been their victory in the war that has simply been referred to as the "Middle East Conflict". This is significant for several reasons I will detail below:

 **ADVENT was supposed to be fighting this war for months, if not years:** This is not the first time there has been conflict in the region. The last five to ten decades of Human history show that the region grew increasingly violent, which largely had to do with religious elements and racial divides. It is a highly complicated situation, with multiple factions, ideologies, and even sects within religions themselves, who all happen to absolutely hate each other.

To date, there has only been a couple times they have been truly "united" if you wish to use that term. The first was during the Human period of the Ottoman Empire, which was largely peaceful until it eventually collapsed. The other time was during the War on Terror, where most of the Middle East was united under a Caliphate, which from what I learned, is a religious government specific to the religion of Islam. They were destroyed, of course, both by the Commander and when the various superpowers decided to intervene, and as a result, the Middle East never fully recovered, but it left them with a lot of resentment towards the western nations, and had effectively ensured that they would never be a relevant power on the world stage.

Terrorism was a major problem in the region, and the main reason why ADVENT was, in all likelihood, going to have to devote months to capturing these nations methodically and safely. Initially, that appeared to be the case, with ADVENT taking a slow and steady approach and taking countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran city by city, town by town.

However, even that was far faster than projected. The main reason for this is that ADVENT completely outclasses every Middle Eastern country technologically _significantly_. Most nations are using weaponry decades out of date, if not more, which essentially means that ADVENT destroyed their militaries with laughable ease.

It seemed that ADVENT had grown tired of the war though, and decided to completely eliminate the leadership of these countries brutally and quickly. This operation accomplished exactly that. ADVENT effectively removed all semblance of leadership or government except their own, and with that, they essentially won the war.

 **ADVENT's global and military power has expanded significantly:** ADVENT has gained a significant amount of territory from its conquests. It is _not_ just the Middle East they have captured, but they have also expanded their member nations by three: India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The latter two are not nearly as important as India.

India is one of the most resourceful and large (In terms of population) countries on Earth, and they have been rapidly modernizing and improving their country over the past decade, which is now starting to bear fruit. ADVENT has essentially gained an industrial powerhouse, and millions of potential soldiers.

You should know that India alone has a population of just over one billion. If even a quarter of them are recruited, and chances are they will at least achieve that, then ADVENT's army has suddenly grown _much_ larger, and you can be certain that the remaining people will be put to other wartime uses. It doesn't hurt that India has a…contentious…relationship with China, which is likely to be the last remaining superpower to join ADVENT.

After this operation, which also subdued a nuclear country, I suspect China will be treating ADVENT far more delicately than before, and might even consider opening negotiations.

This is _not_ counting the resources, soldiers, and territory gained from conquering the Middle East. ADVENT is likely going to spend quite a bit of time renovating and modernizing the region before they truly enter the war proper, but they are _certainly_ going to be harvesting the natural resources, and recruiting from some of the more amenable population.

Such an amenable population is probably going to come from a Human ethnic group known as the Kurds. They have typically been a pro-western force, and Zararch agents have confirmed that the Kurds have been connected to ADVENT Intelligence and military proper. They will likely become a prominent political force as the region continues renovation.

I should also state that with this victory, ADVENT now has direct control of the majority of the world, which includes portions of Europe, the majority of Asia, the majority of North America, roughly a third of South America and none in Africa and Australia. We estimate that more European countries will join ADVENT, and the entire continent will eventually follow suit. If Canada continues to antagonize ADVENT, and we continue to ignore them or reach out, then ADVENT will likely annex them or worse, giving them control of the entirety of North America.

Fortunately, there is some good news. South America will likely not change unless the other nations deliberately antagonize them, although with that unstable Human in charge of Brazil, that might not be as certain. ADVENT appears to have absolutely no interest in Africa, and every nation in Africa is clearly trying everything possible to not attract their attention.

China is truly the last remaining force in Asia, and even I am not certain how long that will last. ADVENT can beat China and they know it. How China will respond, however, I can only speculate. Right now they seem content to focus on their war against us internally, and I am afraid they will _not_ work with us against ADVENT.

That being said, China knows ADVENT won't attack unless provoked. So they are doing everything they can not to provoke them.

 **XCOM is directly interfering in non-alien affairs:** This was unexpected. Based on all our previous psychological reports of the Commander, as well as his own words, he wanted XCOM to be a purely apolitical force, and have ADVENT handle domestic disputes and non-alien wars.

That has clearly changed.

I will highlight the probable reasons momentarily, but this fundamentally changes the dynamic between ADVENT and non-ADVENT nations. If XCOM assisted ADVENT here, they will do so again. That means that if ADVENT moves on China, XCOM is going to help. If they annex Canada, XCOM is going to help.

Based on intercepted reports, the sole reason ADVENT was able to neutralize the nuclear power Pakistan was because of Patricia Trask. No nation has any counter to psionics, and we can no longer rely on XCOM staying out of conflicts. If they feel ADVENT is wasting too many resources on internal disputes, they will solve the problem themselves.

We need to consider direct intervention at this point, otherwise our war will be far harder. A world that consists only of ADVENT and us is not one we can win easily, unless more Ethereals decide to join the conflict.

What is more concerning, in addition to XCOM intervening, is that they appear to be sharing their technological advancements with ADVENT where previously they seemed content to hold an advantage over them. This no doubt includes whatever Aegis has provided them, and I do not have to state how _bad_ it would be if ADVENT suddenly starts utilizing Sovereign-level technology.

So, what is the reason for this? I believe it is simple:

 **ADVENT and XCOM are scared:** While your recent victories have certainly sent a message, I cannot help but wonder if you have been a little _too_ effective in your efforts against ADVENT and XCOM. Simply put, they seem spooked and seem to be legitimately confronting the possibility that they could _lose_.

This has several major implications: First, that relations between XCOM and Aegis might be strained, as it would imply that Aegis is not assisting as much as he could, or more likely, what the Commander would like. Thus, they might feel the need to take matters into their own hands.

This would also account for the sudden increase in sharing information and advancements between ADVENT and XCOM. It is entirely possible that XCOM no longer cares if ADVENT has equal technical prowess with them, as it wouldn't matter if they ultimately lose. This is bad for us, because XCOM has always been technologically superior to ADVENT, but they were always on a smaller scale.

ADVENT is large enough where major advances will pose asignificant threat to us. Schematics, Gateways, weapons, and systems from XCOM we can deal with if they are given to ADVENT, and they have apparently already manifested in these MDUs and potentially the Purifier units. The problem is if XCOM is sharing either their secrets of Genetic Modification or worse, Psionics. Some XCOM soldiers are practically invincible thanks to genetic modification, and we are acutely aware of the damage even one psion can cause.

An entire _army_ of psions would be a chance we cannot take, and I am concerned we might have scared them enough to actually push them in that direction. This is information we need to quickly ascertain before we make future plans.

To return to what this has to do with the Middle Eastern Conflict, it is quite clear this fear is what prompted ADVENT to flat out end it as brutally and violently as possible. It is also likely a good indication on what ADVENT will do to other human threats. The alien threat is the priority, and any other problem that can be easily crushed, will be crushed.

Again, this is bad for us if we do nothing. I am aware the Imperator has plans for Earth, but if we continue doing _nothing_ it is going to end with ADVENT controlling everything, and our job is unnecessarily harder. There are places of interest we can infiltrate and exploit, which are in separate documents, but the underlying point is that we can no longer assume we are going to win this war if we continue to do nothing.

You may be invincible, Battlemaster, but if XCOM continues unabated, they will create someone just as strong as you.

Keep this in mind when formulating your response.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	43. ADVENT - History: Second Battle of Japan

ADVENT: History

The Second Battle of Japan

* * *

" _The Ethereals have escalated this conflict; there can be no more half-measures."_

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

After-Action Report

Operation: Planewalker

 _Personnel_

Twin 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Dael Young

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 2: Psion Allison Monder

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 3: Psion Jona Mattis

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 4: Scout Jamali Muhammad

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 5: Engineer Gyeong Ki

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 6: Infantry Maria Pena

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 7: Infantry Yasu Ueda

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 8: Gunner Sora Watanabe

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 0

Twin 9: MEC Soldier Sanya Olga

 **Status** : Destroyed

 **Kills** : 0

Red 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Templar Carmelita Alba

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 48

Red 2: Psion Said Tariq

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 17

Red 3: Psion Fatima Tariq

 **Status** : Wounded (Estimated 7 Days)

 **Kills** : 68+ (Estimated due to telepathic interference)

Red 4: Infantry Sierra Morrow

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 36

Red 5: Sniper Aarni Mäkinen

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 89

Red 6: Infantry David Cannon

 **Status** : Wounded (Estimated 8 Days)

 **Kills** : 22

Red 7: Infantry Kiera Hines

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 23

Red 8: Medic Antia Losa

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 12

Red 9: MEC Soldier Kenta Abe

 **Status** : Destroyed

 **Kills** : 77

Sox 1( _Squad Overseer_ ): Psion Patricia Trask

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : Unknown Number of psionically induced deaths (200+?)

Sox 2: Psion Matthew Hawkins

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 122

Sox 3: Gunner Anna Pavlova

 **Status** : Wounded (Estimated 5 Days)

 **Kills** : 43

Sox 4: Rocketeer Fakhr al Din

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 50

Sox 5: Rocketeer Leonid Naum

 **Status** : Wounded (Estimated 3 Days)

 **Kills** : 32

Sox 6: Sniper Cassandra Rivera

 **Status** : Wounded (Estimated 7 Days)

 **Kills** : 102

Sox 7: Sniper Jim Cuban

 **Status** : Active

 **Kills** : 163

Sox 8: Rocketeer Bora Lee

 **Status** : Deceased

 **Kills** : 68

Sox 9: MEC Soldier Gloria Page

 **Status** : Online

 **Kills** : 144

Pilot 1: Jason Olgard – Call sign: "Big Sky"

Pilot 2: Patrick Nokia – Call sign: "Lightning Sky"

Pilot 3: Barney Kimon – Call sign: "Gray Sky"

Pilot 4: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

 _Artifacts Recovered:_

Note: Numbers are subject to change as more corpses, artifacts and technology is recovered and negotiated over.

\- 277x Assorted Alien Corpses (Exact counts to be determined)

\- 4x Alien Transports (Intact)

\- 2x Alien Transports (Damaged)

\- 2x MELD Canisters

\- 300+x Weapon Fragments (Numbers may change)

\- 300+x Alien Alloys (Numbers may change)

* * *

Respected Elder Caelior,

As the foray into Japan continues, I believe that a sufficient summarization of our operation here is due. I do believe that it has proceeded exactly as I predicted, and the Battlemaster agrees with this assessment. ADVENT cannot prepare for every single contingency, and rather than relying on faulty intel and wasting valuable units determining the enemy composition, the method of utilizing simple Muton soldiers to probe their forces is an effective one indeed.

Our main operations consisted of four major cities, with minor skirmishes along the coasts and unimportant towns. There were of course, Tokyo, Osaka, Nakashibetsu, and Nagoya. Three of the four were executed with casualties within acceptable parameters, and an outlier that was also within the expected parameters. This was largely due to the outside factor of the psion Patricia Trask.

Osaka is firmly under our control, with ADVENT forces in full retreat. They were unprepared for asymmetrical combat afforded to us by the Floaters, and the XCOM team was sufficiently stopped with the utilization of the Gatekeeper to negate their telepath, with Sectopods to remove their larger MEC. Unfortunately, we could not confirm the deaths of both XCOM psions, as well as the soldier identified as Carmelita Alba, but you can be assured that they were driven back, even if the casualties were slightly higher than predicted.

Tokyo does not need a lengthy recap, as you personally removed the ADVENT threat there. The city was the stronghold of the Japanese ADVENT Military presence, and its loss is having several detrimental effects on their military that we are already observing. Of course, there is the blow to morale at seeing such a prominent city destroyed. However, in more practical terms, this dealt a major blow to the coordinated Japanese ADVENT war machine, and has made their command decentralized and more prone to infiltration and delay. I expect this will not last long, as ADVENT establishes a new center of command in Japan.

The new alien that has been loaned to us by the ever-gracious Creator was highly instrumental in taking Nakashibetsu, where it was appearing for a short time that we might fail to capture that city as well. However, ADVENT had no answer to his unconventional psionic abilities, and once they were pushed back within the city, they were easily defeated by standard Andromedon forces.

ADVENT has temporarily managed to hold on to Nagoya, though that was simply a failure to predict the exact location of Patricia Trask, who psionically manipulated the standing Muton army within minutes of arriving, as well as telepathically enhancing the standing ADVENT forces and XCOM squads. Further action was withdrawn until the full threat could be established, and by the time we determined Patricia was no longer in the area, it was deemed counterproductive to waste more units in pursuit of capturing the city, and the attack force was redistributed to assist in skirmishes on the coast.

Concerning the air component of our attack, ADVENT continues to be inferior to our own spacecraft, and were easily pushed back in nearly all quarters. With that understood, they are attempting to make strides in utilizing their existing force. One particularly devastating unit against infantry and even transports is a plane capable of targeted projectile airstrikes, which hit with enough force to rupture elerium engines in our Transports.

Those units have been marked for review.

Their naval forces posed little threat to us, as the Andromedon Aquatic Forces took care of any danger they posed, and even the mere threat of unseen and submerged enemies was enough to prevent the naval units from assisting their ground forces. All but seven of the naval ships were destroyed, but they ultimately do not matter in this war, and this was accomplished with minimal casualties to the respective Andromedon Aquatic soldiers.

The latest intelligence indicates that ADVENT forces are surprisingly pulling off of the island entirely, in which case we might wish to step back and reevaluate our hold on the island, as ADVENT would not simply leave unless they had a plan or equivalent response. Humans are sentimental aliens, not practical, they would not abandon a country that has become important in the eyes of their citizens.

Respectfully, I request you keep this in mind when deciding our next moves.

Victory to the Collective.

\- Allseer-2, Sargon of Caelior, Destroyer of the Immortals, Division of the Maelstrom

* * *

 _Internal memo sent to the XCOM Internal Council shortly after the Second Battle of Japan_

Concerning the results of the latest attack, we clearly need to reevaluate our methods of deployment, utilization of psionics, and overall strategy when participating in combat. Upon review of recovered armor-cam footage of this battle, as well as previous ones, there are a few key areas to highlight. Japan was the culmination of ignoring flaws in our strategy, and we paid the price with the loss of an entire country. That is unacceptable and should not be allowed to happen, at least not on account of inferior tactics.

 **Utilization of Psions** : While the powers and utilization of psions has evolved and grown, their roles have not. Since the beginning we have utilized them as we would any other soldier, giving them designations and often placing them in positions of command. Useful as this has been, the current method is insufficient and we cannot afford to keep losing psions. The loss of psions Young, Monder, and Mattis will be difficult to replace within a reasonable timeframe.

Psions are not ordinary soldiers, or even genetically modified ones, so they should not be treated as such. As we are careful about the deployment of our MEC soldiers (although there is room for improvement there), we need to be especially careful about the deployment of our psions. The Ethereals respect and recognize their power; hence why they have developed units specifically designed to counter certain psions.

We show our hand early, and the aliens have learned that. There are certain tells that they can recognize and adapt to. However, they cannot hold back forever. Thus, in certain cases, we cannot and should not deploy our psions until we have a reasonable amount of information on the enemy composition and leader.

This will prevent situations like Seattle and Osaka from happening again. However, there is of course very little stopping the aliens from reacting regardless, even if it is delayed, which highlights another area we need to emphasize: Mobility.

If a psion is no longer viable in a certain battlefield, they should be replaced with one who is, or moved back to utilize their abilities in a supportive manner. Otherwise, they could be deployed to a battlefield that is unprepared for them. This clearly requires fast insertions and deployments, ones which the current skyranger is ill-equipped for. [Note: Shen, we need to discuss this particular issue].

To summarize the list of tasks we need to do to remedy this, it is currently as follows:

\- Deploy psions in addition to regular squads, not as part of them.

\- Develop a more mobile skyranger, or one exclusively devoted to psions.

\- Withhold psion deployment until enemy composition can be reasonably established.

\- If a psion is no longer useful or otherwise negated, they will be redeployed to an appropriate setting

\- Increase our draw from the PRIEST Program to replenish our psion numbers

 **Ethereal Neutralization** : The handling of Caelior was horrendous, to put it lightly. The team sent was poorly equipped to handle an Ethereal with his specific skill set, and they paid the price with their lives. It is evident that we cannot simply throw random squads of soldiers at various Ethereals and hope they are victorious. Effective immediately that kind of response is banned.

The Ethereals are powerful, but they are not completely invincible, and there are few enough to warrant specific strike teams for Ethereals. Thanks to Aegis we have a complete list of Ethereals in the Collective, as well as a general overview of their strengths and weaknesses. It is time to put that information to more practical purposes beyond reference.

That being said, while these teams will have a strict composition, it is not necessarily restricted to certain soldiers with the exception of highly dangerous Ethereals such as the Battlemaster. However, the specifications of these teams must be strict and detailed, down to required soldier specializations, psionic specializations, weapons, genetic modification, and other equipment.

To illustrate this, a squad specifically devoted to dealing with Caelior might look like this.

\- One telepathic psion

\- Two defense psions

\- Five snipers

\- Must all utilize pulse weaponry, or similar energy weapon

\- Combat must be waged at long range

\- Genetic modification required: Enhanced Vision (Snipers)

While slightly simplistic, this takes advantage of Caelior's major weaknesses, which is that he is vulnerable to beam weaponry, and that he needs a line-of-sight to fully deal with opposing forces with any accuracy. This of course could be modified, and it will be developed alongside Aegis who has agreed that such measures are needed.

As of right now XCOM has engaged with three Ethereals. The one we killed took the entirety of XCOM, all of our psions, and cost one-third of our forces to kill. These are even more dangerous and are the main force behind this war. And you know thanks to Aegis that Caelior and the Battlemaster are far from the most dangerous Ethereals who have yet to face us.

We should also consider applying this kind of threat response to alien units and command figures that can have a similar impact on the direction of a battle, such as Sectopods, Gatekeepers, and more aliens like the one that attacked Nakashibetsu. XCOM has been utilized so far in this war like an elite infantry unit when we should be used as surgical alien specialists to take out the worst the aliens can throw at us.

We have not fulfilled this role so far. That is what we will be now.

 _\- The Commander_

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 0877**

 _Operation_ : Tokyo Drift

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka

Concerning the second attempt of the defense of Japan, I believe that we should, instead of focusing on the losses, focus on _why_ we lost this battle. We have sustained heavy casualties as a result, and we simply have no response for the Ethereal Caelior, nor this alien Warlock that attacked Nakashibetsu.

Because of this, I recommend that we immediately pull out of Japan completely, as we will accomplish nothing but losing more soldiers and units unnecessarily. Until we have a sufficient response to these kind of psionic aliens, there is no point in throwing soldiers at them for the sake of fighting to a country we will lose anyway. Instead we should station them along the borders of South Korea, and begin fortifying for an attack there.

This will have a noticeable impact on alien strategy going forward, which we need to prepare for. With Japan, they have a reasonable area of land from which they can launch attacks at Asia, and potentially Russia if they wished to go that route. The largest risk is posed to South Korea and China, and concerning ADVENT specifically, Taiwan would likely be targeted.

The aliens have additional options now, and we need to take that into account. If we are lucky, they will attack China. If not, they will attack us again. With that said, another attack will likely not be immediate as they will no doubt want to establish control over Japan. However, that is clearly not something we can rely on.

I do not want to suggest we abandon Japan altogether, that is a blunder we cannot afford. Yet open warfare will not be effective. Our operations in Japan should be transitioned to special forces, intelligence, and guerrilla combat to continuously sabotage their operation in the country. This is unlikely to warrant the direct attention of an Ethereal, and ultimately keep more of our soldiers alive.

With the suggested course of action declared, I now want to focus on the highlighted weaknesses of our military, and make suggestions to prepare so this does not happen again. We clearly cannot afford to lose more countries in such a manner.

 **Immediate Expansion, Development, and Modernization of the ADVENT Air force:** Our air force is severely outmatched by the alien UFOs, and even the Ravens that XCOM provided the schematics for are insufficient against alien aircraft. They are simply too unprotected and vulnerable, especially against plasma weaponry.

Entire wings are completely rendered obsolete if the aliens even deploy a fraction of their UFOs to combat us, and that means there can be no air support on the ground. One unit that did prove incredibly useful was the A-10 aircraft, however it was rendered useless when the aliens decided to send their own aircraft.

We believe XCOM is developing their own answer to this, but we can no longer afford to wait until they have breakthroughs. We have the technology and knowledge to develop equally durable aircraft, which might not be spaceworthy, but that is not a concern at the moment. We need fighters that can survive a reasonable amount of time and hold their own against alien crafts.

This is not taking into account our air-to-ground fighters and bombers, which are also in need of a sufficient durability increase. While combating UFOs is not their primary goal, they need to be able to survive plasma hits and they are currently unable to do so. Our air-to-ground weaponry has proven extremely effective against alien ground forces, and we need to take advantage of that here.

 **Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Floater Fortifications and Established Defenses:** We have a lack of sufficiently heavy firepower at our disposal within our defensive fortifications. The turrets developed are an excellent start, but we need to take a more extreme approach to defending our positions if we ever hope to resist continuous alien attacks.

There are several solutions that exist, though are somewhat expensive. However, I highly doubt that is a major concern when entire countries are at stake. There are several schools of thought, regarding implementation of such defensive fortifications. One potential area is distributed AA weaponry, unprotected, but widely available and minimally defended or manned. It is practical and cheap, but the effectiveness is questionable.

The other method is a much more concentrated fortification. These are commonly referred to as "Flak Towers" and are essentially buildings that are either heavily renovated or built from scratch that are equipped with entire rows of AA weaponry which is generally well-protected. Now, the clear issue might be that there are cases where AA weaponry is unneeded or useless.

I would counter that by saying that Floaters would be utterly wiped out by such a fortification, but in the case where that would not be relevant, these Flak Towers would be instead equipped with anti-infantry weaponry which can be deployed on all levels of these Flak Towers, not just the top level. I would also take this opportunity to upgrade or improve our weaponry with laser variants or turrets, which might be more useful in killing smaller threats like Floaters.

Aside from our AA weaponry, I do not believe it is yet necessary to completely upgrade our stock of anti-infantry weapons, manned or otherwise. Tests performed show that they are capable of piercing alien armor after sustained volleys, and while future iterations should be improved with Gaussian tech, the older variants are not completely obsolete.

If we implement these kind of towers, I believe this will not only provide much needed anti-air support from the ground, but also improve our chances of holding positions on the ground itself.

 **Psionic Response and Deployment Needs to Commence Immediately:** While I am certain that the PRIEST Program is of primary importance, the priority needs to be bumped up to the highest levels. Psions have shown they alone can change the tide of a battle, and we, quite frankly, need them now. The Warlock alien that attacked was one we had never seen before.

The abilities it demonstrated were unlike anything even XCOM has done, and it is very possible that there are more like it. This is no longer a matter of harnessing a power for ADVENT, it is about survival. The PRIEST Program may be our only defense against the worst of psionics currently, and the longer we are without protection, the more likely we are simply doomed.

However, we also need to immediately begin developing methods on the negation of psionic influences. In the event that we are unable to field psions of our own, we must have some kind of way to protect our own soldiers from psionic powers using technology. It is clearly possible, as the aliens have Mutons that are capable of resisting telepathy, and we need to develop similar means, otherwise our most powerful soldiers are useless if they can be turned against us.

Telepathy is arguably the greatest psionic power available, and if we can negate _that_ , then defeating the Ethereals becomes much easier. With that said, we need to also begin developing means of reliably taking down extremely powerful Ethereals. Our technology is useless if it can be crushed with a wave of a hand.

Research into missile, energy, or chemical weaponry should also begin, solely for the purpose of Ethereal assassination. We can assume they are likely vulnerable to at least some of the weaknesses we possess. Radiation, for example, is likely to affect them. While I know you have concerns about utilizing nanotechnology, it might be one of the other methods to reliably killing Ethereals. I respectfully request that the possibility be explored before passing judgement.


	44. Ethereals - Dossier: Caelior

Ethereals: Dossier

Caelior

* * *

" _Quisilia wasn't entirely joking when he gave Caelior that little nickname."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **Analysis Record:** Caelior

 **Current Role:** Collective Military Leader

 **Current Interference Level:** Medium

 **Threat Level:** Low

 **Usage Level:** Low

 **[RESTRICTED: FOR INTERNAL REFERENCE ONLY]**

Brief Assessment: Caelior is another Ethereal that seemed to come out of nowhere, and I wonder if that was for good reason. While Quisilia has never actually revealed it to me, I am under the impression that Caelior is rather young, at least for an Ethereal. His speech, mannerisms, and body language remind me of a juvenile and his outlook is unexpectedly naïve.

I wonder just how much of this is specific to him, or if this is actually how most Ethereals perceive those around them. Caelior is clearly arrogant, and holds himself as superior above everyone except other Ethereals, who treat him almost with a humorous disdain. Quisilia in particular seems to enjoy taunting him with derisive nicknames.

He has very little to no consideration for anything or anyone below him. Were it not for the Battlemaster and Quisilia, I suspect that he might have killed me or my agents for little reason other than they didn't achieve the result he wanted. It is…unexpectedly childish from an Ethereal, which again makes me suspect that Caelior is very young.

His skills in battlefield analysis and tactics appeared to be underdeveloped as well, as he was put in command of the first attack on Japan, and managed to fail spectacularly, which ultimately prompted the Battlemaster to essentially demote him. I do not know if Caelior actually does not have the right mindset for tactical thinking, or if he is just too arrogant to actually make the attempt to learn it.

Either one would not surprise me.

His relationships with the other Ethereals are highly interesting, and provide some insight into their culture themselves. Despite his youth, they are quite clearly attempting to give him more responsibility, or at least preparing him for eventual command. Assuming that the Ethereals are indeed planning to move on the inner galaxy at some point, this would be the appropriate place to train. Let us hope there are significant improvements.

There is clear tension between Caelior and Quisilia, for reasons I do not fully understand. Much of it appears to stem from the fact that Quisilia does not appear to ever take Caelior seriously, and continually refers to him as the "Little Storm" which I have taken to interpreting as an insult, perhaps on his age or ability. Knowing Quisilia, it could also be ironic. He typically does this when the Battlemaster is around, which only incites Caelior even further.

Why Quisilia does this is something I have not asked, but I do wonder if it is Quisilia's odd way of testing his tolerance for factors outside his control. Or Quisilia could simply find it amusing; it is difficult to say for certain one way or another.

Caelior's relationship with the Battlemaster is also of interest. Unlike Quisilia, Caelior actually appears to respect and look up to the Battlemaster, and seems to think this is an opportunity to "prove" himself to the Battlemaster. His first major command being such a failure seemed to deflate him significantly, and yet he did throw himself into improving.

It has been curious to watch Caelior actually become more controlled over the past couple months. He appears to have actually made an attempt to improve himself and learn from his mistakes, which he will hopefully put into effect when Japan is attacked again. I will note that his general attitude towards aliens does not appear to have changed significantly, although I do not believe now he would kill myself or another simply for not accomplishing what he wanted.

The Battlemaster's influence has helped, one way or another.

I also believe a reason for the sudden appearance of this Ethereal is his abilities. While I have not seen the full extent, I have experienced a brief demonstration of his control of telekinesis. As small as it was, it drove home the point that Caelior has power, and enjoys using it. To what scale I can only estimate, and Quisilia has been vague on the nature of Caelior's power.

I can only assume he is a telekine of some sort, likely a master. He mentioned once he came from the Division of the Maelstrom, which if I recall, was an Ethereal psionic unit. If that division still exists is unknown, but from it I can infer that Caelior likely has the capability for mass destruction. Hopefully he will put it to good use.

Still, I feel less comfortable with him around than Sicarius. At least Sicarius let us do our jobs without worrying we might be executed.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

REPORT: 101000001100

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 06 (CAELIOR)

KNOWN ALIASES: "CAELIOR" "DESTROYER OF THE IMMORTALS" "WIELDER OF THE MAELSTROM"

CURRENT POSITION: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE MILITARY LEADER (EXACT ROLE UNKNOWN)

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ANSWERS TO THE BATTLEMASTER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXACT SCOPE OF ABILITIES TO BE DETERMINED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPEARS TO BE YOUNGER THAN AVERAGE RECORDED ETHEREALS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEKINETIC

THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL (ENEMY): OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The emergence of yet another unknown Ethereal was a major step in helping us catalogue the exact number of Ethereals as well as their roles within the Collective. Further analysis on Caelior has not only revealed more about the target in question, but has also revealed more about the species itself, although perhaps unintentionally.

Despite our limited analysis of the species as a whole, we have made the assumption that this was an extremely powerful species, simply based on the Battlemaster. The other identified Ethereals, such as Revelean and Sana'Ligna appeared not to specialize in combat, and the unidentified ones clearly cannot provide an accurate baseline.

Based on the performance by the Ethereal Caelior, they are far more dangerous than we anticipated. Consideration should be made into exploring the possibility of assigning the Omega designation to all Ethereals concerning the Threat Level (Enemy) point of data.

Returning to the Ethereal in question, we have unfortunately been able to learn much less than we hoped, due to him isolating himself in the Mars Observation Station which is currently under heavy guard by the Collective Military, as well as the Battlemaster. Much of his personality we have learned from intercepted documents and limited observation.

Caelior appears to be extremely young by Ethereal standards, though we have little to confirm this beyond speculation from documents and analysis on his behavior. The significance of this still has yet to be determined, but it might be possible that younger Ethereals are naturally stronger psionically, and it would account for some tactical mistakes that were surprising otherwise.

It has been determined that Caelior was responsible for the first failed attack on Japan, and appears to be the catalyst for the Battlemaster actually taking command. This seems to indicate that Caelior is not an experienced tactician and has little knowledge of sophisticated battlefield tactics. Despite presumably being behind the second attack on Japan, we cannot determine how much was Caelior's own plan, or was designed with the guiding hand of the Battlemaster.

Reports also paint an Ethereal that is arrogant, dismissive, and disliked by most who know him. The Battlemaster appears to keep him in line, yet it seems like other alien species do not hold the Ethereal in high regard, at least privately. This is curious, and begs the question of just what the Ethereal attitude to alien species is.

In terms of power, Caelior is a major threat. He has single-handedly destroyed the city of Tokyo, and routed the ADVENT army there, as well as the XCOM squad sent to kill him. His command of telekinesis is such that he negates any and all projectile fire; concrete skyscrapers shatter like glass; Human naval ships that weigh ninety-thousand tons are lifted hundreds of feet into the air and used as weapons. Caelior is arguably more powerful than the Battlemaster when it comes to sheer power, and it might explain why such a tactically inept Ethereal has such authority, and is put in positions of power.

There is some more we can determine from this, thanks to Caelior's short speech before engaging the ADVENT and XCOM forces. He specifically attached two titles to himself: Destroyer of the Immortals, and Wielder of the Maelstrom. This is the first time any identified Ethereal has attached titles to their names, ones which specifically provide additional history or information.

"Destroyer of the Immortals" implies that Caelior actually has had some combat experience before this, which confirms that the Ethereals were involved in some kind of conflict before forming the Ethereal Collective. What this conflict actually entailed only raises speculation, yet I sincerely doubt that the Ethereals would designate something as "Immortal" unless it lived up to its name, and perhaps even posed a threat.

If so, that makes Caelior even more dangerous than we thought. With the Battlemaster guiding him, he could possibly be unstoppable without further information.

"Wielder of the Maelstrom" is a curious title, as it appears to perhaps be a designation? Perhaps it is a rank within the internal Ethereal military? Maelstrom is also an odd word, as every Ethereal has simply referred to psionics by its name, or simply as the "Gift". At no point has "Maelstrom" ever been used to refer to psionics. However, the title does appear to be referencing his command of psionics.

What this actually means, however, we are unable to determine. But what _is_ certain is that Caelior is extremely dangerous, and this demonstration indicates that the Ethereals are much stronger than even we could have anticipated

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; REASSIGN ALL ETHEREAL ENEMY THREAT LEVELS TO OMEGA UNTIL DATA EVIDENCE INDICATING OTHERWISE; DOUBLE OBSERVATION UNITS ON ALL IDENTIFIED ETHEREALS

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 77; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

In the waning days of the Empire, prodigies were few and far between, yet those who existed were needed, and when the conflict with the Synthesized began, all were required to become elevated to defend our species from extinction. All did, all fought, and many died. And from those that persisted, becoming veterans of the war, they became legends in their own right.

The young Ethereal Caelior was one such prodigy, one of the few who was born naturally, and from the beginning he was told he was destined for greatness. While that is simply something many parents say to their children, it is not a saying that is unearned. But in the case of Caelior, he was indeed destined for greatness.

As he grew in power through decades of training, his confidence grew and he had the ability to match his grandiose claims, and rose quickly in the Division of the Maelstrom, even going so far as to assign the first title to himself: "Wielder of the Maelstrom", a decision that made many in the Empire question his fitness for the rank.

His boasts were put to the test when the Synthesized began attacking, which Caelior initially dismissed as mere border fights, and not something for him to become concerned over. That soon changed and he resolved to go and destroy the invaders himself, confident of his skills to do just that. At the first Battle of the Glistening Nebula, he destroyed the majority of a Synthesized fleet, composed of small swarms of fighters and medium armored transports.

It is said that Caelior took much pleasure in the destruction of the Synthesized fleet, as he turned their warped ships into scraps, and condemned their abominations of soldiers to eternal deaths in the void of space. To this day remains of the Synthesized fleets still linger, mere floating scraps, but it had once been entire fleets, and the planets below are littered with the remains.

Yet this feat was not a mere isolated event, and this was simply a small fleet of Synthesized ships. He was far from the only Ethereal who could perform such a feat, but that was never something that entered his mind. Caelior's confidence and pride grew exponentially from his victory, and his own legend to himself grew.

The Ethereals above him were not oblivious to his pride, and instead of gently bringing some semblance of perspective to him, they instead decided to utilize him, as he had the capability to play an instrumental role in the war. So they sent him to destroy medium fleets of Synthesized, taking care to ensure that it was clearly within his power to stop.

His string of victories became a rallying cry for the Empire, and his very presence was enough to raise the morale of those who were fighting, even if the truth was known to those in command. The Division of Shadows, and the Division of Aegis' were instrumental in emphasizing the legend of Caelior, while the ones below him in the Division of the Maelstrom looked up to him as a figure to aspire to.

Very few saw through the facade, but the ones who did were the Battlemasters, who simply ignored his staged antics, and focused on the battles that mattered. They had no need for propaganda, and did not take part in it. At best they saw Caelior as a tool, at worst, a distraction from the true threats the Empire faced.

And one day, Caelior faced his first true test. To this day it has yet to be determined if this was a mistake on the intelligence gathered by the Division of Shadows, or a deliberate situation devised by them, but instead of the medium-sized fleets Caelior was used to, he found himself facing a fleet twice the size of his own, led by a Director Flagship.

Caelior's own confidence and pride in the false legend surrounding him played a part in his unshakable command at the Battle of the Crystal Seas. Many Ethereals died in that battle, but the Synthesized suffered far worse losses. The stars lit up with plasma and psionic energy as the Imperial Fleet valiantly fought against the hordes of abominations closing in on them.

Caelior saw the chance to prove himself and establish his legend forever, and made the bold choice to move forward, and directly challenge the Director Flagship. With nothing but his fellow soldiers in the Division of the Maelstrom, and the Ethereal Temple Ships at his command, they fought and destroyed the Flagship in a pitched duel that cost Caelior nearly his entire fleet, yet served to drive the surviving Synthesized rampant, which he soon destroyed.

Emerging from the battle with such a feat, he bestowed upon himself the title of "Destroyer of the Immortals" another title permitted because it solidified his legend to the Empire, and the feat was enough to even impress the Battlemasters, who immediately wanted to put him into larger conflicts. For better or worse, that was not permitted, although Caelior was strategically used in larger conflicts, and his confidence and power grew further.

I suspect these abilities were what caught the Imperator's attention. He saw through the illusion created around Caelior, but realized that underneath that, there was a being of true power. Caelior was not entirely without reason. However, I suspect he believed the war was being lost not because of the Synthesized being more powerful or numerous, but because there weren't enough Ethereals like him – Despite the introduction of the Reapers and Imperators later in the war.

The legend of Caelior, and his many titles, brought hope to the Empire. With it gone, it is now time to see if he can forge a new, truer legend than before, and this time, the illusions placed on him will not last.

 _\- The Legend of Caelior, authored by Ethereal Cogitian [Excerpt]_

[Addendum: Quisilia]: I'm really tempted to show him this so he knows just how much of a tool he was. Arrogant Little Storm. I'm impressed you actually wrote this, since everyone knows Caelior is _much_ too important for reading old historical documents. Hilarious.

Still, even he would probably be slightly irritated if he read it. I'd not mention it to him if I were you.

That being said, be sure to have the CODEX recording if you do. I would enjoy observing the meltdown.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 0690**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Caelior

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark purple

 _Height_ : 9'4"

 _Weight_ : 266 lbs.

 _Age_ : 152 Years (Not including cryogenic suspension)

 _Scars or markings_ : None visibly observed

 _Physical condition_ : As Caelior was one of the last to be born and raised to maturity before the Synthesized, as well as being a natural birth, he is one of the most physically adept Ethereals in the Collective. While not quite comparable to the Battlemaster in terms of strength and stamina, only the Imperator and myself would be above him in areas of physical fitness.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Caelior is…different…compared to other Ethereals in the Collective. This is partially due to his age, and how he was utilized in the War against the Synthesized. While most of us are well aware of the true danger they pose, Caelior is brazenly unafraid of their threat, and is fully confident in our ability to defeat them. I consider such blind confidence dangerous, but no one appears to have yet decided to inform Caelior of the true reality of the situation.

He is one of the only Ethereals to have never truly lost a battle. What he does not know, or blinds himself to, is that the majority of his victories were staged or set up by the Division of Shadows and my own division. He was utilized as a propaganda tool, and it was effective enough that he believed it himself. His one true test nearly killed him, yet he managed to emerge victorious.

Yet even his victory against the Director Flagship was not of his own power, or even with the help of the Ethereals around him. This battle happened shortly after the first deployment of the Imperators, and while I cannot prove it, I suspect the Imperator himself observed the battle and perhaps assisted. He described the battle once to me in enough detail that he either took the memories from another Ethereal…or was there himself.

I suspect that the Imperator brought him along because he sees the potential in Caelior to be extremely powerful. Unlike many of us, he is a natural birth, and by definition such Ethereals are stronger than those of us who were grown. With that said, he is not a significant danger to those who know how to exploit him. He is no tactician or mastermind, and I believe the reason he had become involved in this conflict at all is because the Battlemaster needs to prepare him for the actual war. Such tactics that you saw during the Second Battle of Japan had the hallmark of the Battlemaster, _not_ Caelior.

However, perhaps he was shaken enough by his first defeat to seek to improve his own tactical skills.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

One thing that should be understood is that Caelior sees himself as innately superior to all other species (With the exception of his own), to a degree that is beyond even that of the Overmind or Revelean. All lesser species are nearly worthless to him, or completely expendable. Titles, positions, and even support from other Ethereals does not elevate aliens in his eyes. At best he may grudgingly concede that they have their uses, but otherwise they are simply pawns in his grand game of war.

I do not know how much this has changed, but I do not see Caelior ever respecting alien races beyond their usefulness as soldiers. He was told his entire life that he was superior, and that is not something that can be undone easily.

His time as a piece of propaganda in the Empire has resulted in him being arrogant and often seen as childish by most of the Ethereals in the Collective. As a result many do not take him seriously, and some humor him more for their own amusement, which he foolishly falls for. The only ones who do not ironically feed his ego one way or another are the Battlemaster and Sicarius. Most Ethereals like the Imperator and the Overmind usually ignore him.

The Battlemasters were the only ones during the war that didn't give him any respect for the illusion of his legend, and to date he does not understand why. He has a need to prove himself to the Battlemaster, a desire to show that he is indeed worthy of respect as due his abilities. The Battlemaster has likely taken advantage of this to try and turn Caelior into someone who is more dangerous than he actually is. If enough effort is exerted, I do believe the Battlemaster could turn him into an Ethereal that is useful beyond meaningless propaganda.

The only other relationship worth noting is with Sicarius, who he has openly stated should not have been brought along, as she is too weak to be truly useful in the war. This was said despite knowing her past and abilities, and that is one of the few times I have ever seen the Imperator truly angry. I believe he ejected Caelior down to some desolate planet for several months and picked him up later and never spoke of it again.

Caelior of course believed the move was purely a political one, as Quisilia initially suggested condemning him to the Dead World, which got a surprising amount of support, even if it was ultimately rejected in favor of a temporary exile. So oddly enough, Caelior does not hold it against the Imperator for doing that, and survived the planet well enough. It did have the result of him absolutely despising Sicarius even more, and his relationship with Quisilia is strained to say the least, something I believe Quisilia has some pride in.

I believe that some of you Humans would consider Caelior 'special'. Given his lack of comprehension at times, I feel it is an accurate label.

SECTION 4: Concerns and abilities

Questionable intelligence aside, Caelior is without a doubt one of the largest threats to you in the entire Collective. His telekinetic abilities are far more expansive and powerful than any you can currently wield. The majority of the ADVENT military is _extremely_ poorly equipped to handle him, as the majority of their weapons are projectile-based, which can be physically slowed, caught, and blocked.

Missiles and other rocket-based projectiles are similarly useless against him, as they can be caught and turned against their wielders. Aircraft of all kinds are also extremely vulnerable around him, as he can telekinetically catch them and discard them like toys. His range is only as limited as his line of sight, and he could theoretically destroy anything he sees.

While this does not currently relate to the current situation, space combat is one area where he has quite a bit of experience, and without any means of negation, he can render entire fleets destroyed with a gesture. His telepathic abilities are thankfully not extensive, but he is more than capable of withstanding Patricia at her current state, even if he cannot use it offensively.

Despite his power, he is by no means invincible, and his largest weakness is his inability to block beam or plasma weaponry. His skin is not hardened, and he does not wear full battle armor like the Battlemaster. Due to his arrogance and overconfidence, he might be easily lured into a trap and killed with enough laser weaponry.

That being said, I am certain the Battlemaster has appraised him of his vulnerabilities, and if Caelior is truly invested in improving himself, he might take steps to negate this weakness. His blind spots must be exploited as well, and he should be fought at a range where he cannot quickly respond. As devastating as he is on the battlefield, I do believe he is one that can be defeated with a proper application of intelligence and knowledge.

But do _not_ underestimate him, lest you fall into the same trap of arrogance he does.


	45. Ethereals - Dossier: Senorium

Ethereals: Dossier

Senorium, Fist of the Creator and Warlock of the Elders

* * *

" _The Creator is becoming more brazen in her experiments. Perhaps the time has come to restrain her."_

\- Ethereal Nebulan

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Creator Experiment 772 "Senorium"

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

The Creator's newest pet is…curious. As usual, she has denied my request for experimental data and information on how exactly this creature is composed, but I feel that her insubordination in this case must come to an end. There is general curiosity, and then there are security concerns regarding such experiments.

Senorium, as he has been designated, quite simply, should not exist. That he even retains some semblance of consciousness is something that is impossible with the limitations of the research that currently exists. That I can only speculate without hard facts is disconcerting. The alien is some kind of hybrid; that is clearly obvious.

However, the question now becomes what exactly he is crafted from. Stature, voice, and physical attributes indicate the initial template being of Muton origin, likely a Sargon, as there are no other Mutons that are capable of higher thought and reasoning. Or perhaps it is a Muton template of her own design; it would not surprise me.

If that is the case then, the induction of psionic abilities should not be possible with the current level of technology. In theory it can be done, but we are decades away from artificial psionic integration. The only plausible theory is the introduction of Ethereal genetics, specifically those which harness psionics, which again is something that does not have enough research to begin creating living subjects, much less coherent ones.

That Senorium is not only alive and moderately sane, but also extremely skilled psionically is highly suspect. While the other two of her Chosen are experiments that raise their own questions, they are not nearly as psionically capable as this one. That level of control, much less the techniques used, which Nebulan insists are difficult, makes me wonder if the Creator has developed a way to amplify psionic power in subjects.

If there is any indication that the Creator is communicating with the Sovereign Ones, this is most certainly it. Her little charade has gone on long enough. She will provide us answers, or the Imperator will deal with her.

* * *

 **Log CB12 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category** : Other

 **Type** : Audio Log

 **Participants** : Quisilia; Senorium

 **Begin Playback** :

[Quisilia]: "So, you're the Creator's newest…bodyguard.

[Senorium]: "Indeed, honored Elder, I am one of the Creator's Chosen, with her gifts bestowed upon me!"

[Quisilia]: "Clearly. And you believe the Creator is someone worthy of respect?"

[Senorium]: "All Elders are far above us lesser servants, but the Creator is indeed above even them. She has told me many times of how many of her brethren are too concerned with trivial matters, while _she_ sees the glory that awaits us all, and it is within her grasp."

 _Shifts in Quisilia's tone indicate amusement_

[Quisilia]: "How fascinating. Indeed, we who are not the Creator are sometimes more focused on, ah, 'trivial' matters. Little things like preparing to bring another species into the Collective. But all of us are certainly thankful for the Creator to bear this certainly unthinkable burden."

[Senorium]: "Of course, respected Elder, it is gratifying to see that even among her own kind, the Creator far outshines even those around her! It is something I fear many do not understand or respect the gifts that the Creator offers them."

[Quisilia]: "Tell me about it. I mean, who could have thought that people wouldn't want to have their bodies sacrificed for the Creator's insa-ah, _uplifting_ experiments? The very idea is absurd."

[Senorium]: "Yes, truly. I have attempted to see these pitiful creatures understand the great honor that has been bestowed upon them, but they have an unreasonable fear and hate towards the great Creator." _Sharp intake of breath._ "Vile _heretics_. The things they say in her presence are truly _revolting_."

[Quisilia]: "Yes, they are almost fanatical in a way. It's a wonder how they can stand to be around each other. How dull it must be, trying to shield themselves from the all-revealing truth of the Creator. I imagine that it must be tiring for you that they incessantly irritate you with their heresy."

[Senorium]: "You of course know, respected Elder, but it is sometimes tiring to force these fools to see how they are being honored. They act like it is a death sentence."

 _Short pause._

[Quisilia]: "Yes, I see what the greatest problem is. Sometimes a harder hand must be taken, and their eyes must be opened. What would truly elevate you in the eyes of the Creator would be to silence those that speak against her once and for all. Death is but an ascension, after all, and there is no need for the Creator to be subjected to the same heresy they dare say to you. If you… _exuberate_ …their ascension by execution, the Creator would no doubt thank you."

[Senorium]: "I see, respected Elder. The process sounds…almost merciful, but their ascension is indeed a mercy after all. I thank you for the advice, and I will immediately implement it for the glory of the Creator!"

[Quisilia]: "Yes, go forth and carry out her will. You are truly the Creator's Greatest Champion™! I will be certain to tell her of your service and loyalty, go forth with the blessing of the Elders."

[Senorium]: "You are too kind, respected Elder, may the Creator's wisdom shine upon you!"

 _Speaker identified as Senorium departs area of recording._

[Quisilia]: "What an absolute moron."

* * *

 _Message to Chosen Senorium from Chosen [ERROR! SCRAMBLED] on CODEX Encrypted Network_

 **Subject: Good job!**

So, you actually did something useful with your life. Quaint. I bet the humans were shaking in terror when you came out and started preaching about the glory of the Elders. Saw the recording. Truly riveting. I actually didn't fall asleep right away. Though that was mostly due to you getting shot in the throat.

Guess even Humans want to shut you up after five minutes of speaking. I rather like them.

\- D

 **Re: Subject: Good job!**

Insolent as your words are, there is little you can do to belittle my accomplishments today. Why you are fascinated by these heretical aliens is beyond me, and yet another reason why you are deemed a failure, even more so than Occidera. One who continues to be so blatantly disrespectful to not only the Elders, but the glorious Creator as well should not be one of her Chosen.

I will ignore your insolence at this point, but do not presume that I will continuously forget your actions, and neither will the Creator.

\- Senorium, Fist of the Creator and Warlock of the Elders.

 **Re: Re: Subject: Good job!**

Oh no, I have dared to disrespect the Creator's Greatest Champion™, I feel so ashamed of my words and deeds. Please, oh gracious Fist of the Creator, show mercy on such a heretic who has insulted the Elders so!

There, was that enough pathetic groveling for you?

Seriously, grow up and save your speeches for someone who actually cares. Entertaining as watching you make a complete tool out of yourself, it's exhausting when it's turned on me. Really, I've got better things to do than listen to you complain about me not showing enough respect to the bitch who made me.

Come to think of it, don't you have a population to convert or something?

\- D

 **Re: Re: Re: Subject: Good job!**

Is it your intention to mock the very work I do? You may believe my devotion is mere blindness, but who was it who gave us immortality? It was certainly not at the hands of some unknown force, but the very Creator herself, and her kind are just as worthy of devotion. I would remember that the Creator gave you this gift, and I am certain she could just as easily take it away.

I presume the entire point of this conversation is to highlight how jealous you are that the Creator chose _me_ to carry out the attack, and spread the glory of the Elders. I presume Occidera was too inebriated with the blood of whatever hapless creature she was killing, and you are…well, too _insubordinate_ to be reliable. There are of course consequences to such behavior, and I believe you are now seeing the result of your own.

It is not too late to begin giving the Elders the respect they deserve. I would be happy to enlighten you.

And because I indeed have limited time, and have no shame about admitting knowledge I do not have, what exactly is a 'bitch'? Another insult? It sounds Human.

\- Senorium, Fist of the Creator and Warlock of the Elders

 **Re: Re: Re: Re: Subject: Good job!**

Oh, 'bitch'? Hang on, let me check the human dictionary. Yeah, it's a human word, sue me. Ok, I'm just going to paste the entire definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, check that if you really want.

 _Bitch – noun | \bich\_

Definition:

\- A hallowed or important female, usually of a religious or scientific nature. Often used as a form of respectful address in formal circumstances

\- A woman of unusually high fertility, a generalized compliment for mothers with many children

\- A female dog

I'll let you decide which definition I was referring to. Although the Creator is probably more familiar with the formal uses of the word. If you really want to impress her (since that's what you care about) just call her that one time. "Honored Bitch Creator" would definitely get her attention and you will almost certainly be elevated in her eyes.

Anyway, I really don't care if you get to do the Creator's dirty work. I've got plenty of stuff to occupy myself with. Nothing quite beats a few hunting trips to Desolan or Vitakar. Nulorian actually give me some decent sport, a lot more than these idiotic Mutons anyway.

Maybe I'll venture to Earth later. Seems like Humans are smart enough to give me a moderate challenge.

\- D

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 7261**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Senorium

Threat Level: High

Assessment Authors: Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask; Aegis

Approved by: The Commander

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Note: Some of this is speculation since this is an alien even Aegis has never seen before_

 _Hair_ : None/Minimal (None physically noted, but may be able to grow it)

 _Eye color_ : Purple (Irises are colored)

 _Skin color_ : Dark purple

 _Height_ : 8'1" – 8'8" (Height unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Weight_ : 225 – 280 lbs. (Weight unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Age_ : 5 – 120 Years (Since Aegis has no recollection of such an alien, it is presumed that it was found at least a few years after they subdued the Mutons, since this alien does share similarities with the species)

 _Scars or markings_ : None visibly noted.

 _Physical condition_ : Unknown, but since he was wearing full battle armor, and the psionic abilities displayed would exhaust even powerful psions, his condition is likely excellent.

SECTION 2: Assessment

The alien that attacked ADVENT in Nakashibetsu was a major surprise, as we had no prior warning that such an alien was even a possibility among the aliens, and this is an even larger concern because, unlike the Gatekeeper, this alien appears fully sentient, and is not one we can easily recover, not to mention it appears much more powerful than even Hive Commanders.

Aegis himself is also just as curious about the alien, and has assisted me in putting together this document. He will add notes of his own when he feels it is appropriate. What can be established for certain is that this is _not_ a previously encountered alien before. Based on the footage recovered, I would say it reminds me of a Muton (A Sargon?), but that must be impossible since Mutons are incapable of wielding psionics.

 _Addendum: Aegis – Patricia is correct, Mutons are not psionically sensitive. Nonetheless, if there is another entire species capable of wielding psionics, I can guarantee that I would have known about it, and even if not, that would mean there is no further value in your world as they already appear to have joined. Now that we know the Creator can develop some form of psionic powers, I do not think it is a stretch to believe that she is behind this as well – Especially since her name is in one of his titles._

 _Patricia noted that the physical features resembled Mutons, and I do not think she is wrong. The most likely theory at this moment, is that this is a kind of hybrid of species. Muton clearly appears to be one, likely the base template, and the other spliced genetics would have to be psionically capable, which would either be Ethereal, Sectoid, or Human in origin._

 _Given that the power wielded would indicate a level comparable to a Hive Commander, I suspect there are few Sectoid genetics involved, and I do not believe that even the Creator has mastered Human genomes so quickly. Thus, it is likely that the other main component is Ethereal. The Creator has no issues experimenting with Ethereal genomes, so this would not be unexpected._

Aside from that, there are some interesting things that this Senorium said, namely that he is the "Fist of the Creator" and "Warlock of the Elders" titles that seem grandiose enough that I would have expected to hear about them before now. Regardless, that seems to indicate that the Creator is taking a direct part in this war, and at the very least our species has her attention. I do not foresee that being very good for us.

 _Addendum: Aegis – Not necessarily. It is entirely plausible that the Battlemaster or Quisilia simply asked to utilize one of her experiments, and she gave them this Senorium. Simply put, your species has not done anything to warrant her attention, and until you pose a direct threat to her, I suspect she will not overly care one way or another._

 _The titles are curious, but don't mean much. I would imagine that this is one of the Creator's most advanced experiments, and she would no doubt assign some importance to him, and due to his capabilities, "Fist of the Creator" serves to get the point across, as he certainly seems like an enforcer of some kind. "Warlock of the Elders" is another title I suspect she may have given to him to give him the illusion of superiority, very few of us like overly long or grandiose titles. I certainly have never heard it before._

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment:

I am not sure we are at a point where we could even develop one for this alien. Based on one encounter, all I can really deduce is that he reminds me of a religious fanatic, and views the Ethereals as some kind of deities or gods. He also seems extremely loyal judging from his words, which I suppose could mean he has been conditioned that way, or has some other kind of controls placed on him.

 _Addendum: Aegis – The idea that he sees my species as something to be worshipped is unsettling. We are not gods, and not even Revelean would consider himself on that level, much less the more moderate Ethereals like Sana and Quisilia. But the Creator would admittedly develop that delusion, and I am not surprised that she has instilled a kind of religious fervor in her subjects. Her mind is warped enough to actually believe she is on a higher level than even other Ethereals._

 _We are not a species that puts any credible stock into gods or the supernatural, and regardless of our experiments, we would certainly not demand primitive worship. I imagine that this will force several in the Collective to force the Creator to return to reason, or shut her down entirely. The Battlemaster in particular will not want such a being under him, or if he does, he will ensure that Senorium is keeping his misguided loyalty to himself._

 _I do not know if the Creator would apply conditioning, but I would not put it past her. It is more likely that Senorium's mind has been warped by potentially decades of being exposed to the Creator's irrational and unstable aura, which would account for this religious fervency._

SECTION 4: Concerns and abilities

Senorium is clearly powerful, but he thankfully does not appear to be quite on the level of even the Ravaged One in terms of sheer power. During the battle, he utilized limited mind control (A problem), psionic rifts (Another problem), and some kind of psionically manifested army (A very big problem). I am trying to conceptualize how this was possible, and after giving this some thought (And repeated viewings of the footage), I do think it is indeed possible to replicate.

When psions utilize their powers, it is often done instantaneously and not maintained. During this time, it can be manipulated into nearly any shape and size desired, but in general there is little point in doing so, because all that matters is destroying the target. There appeared to be two types of psionic apparitions, those made out of dangerous psionic energy (utilized by Attack-specialization psions) and those made out of solid psionic energy (utilized by Defense-specialization psions).

In theory it could be possible to create these, and send them to attack targets. The issue is that it is extremely taxing to maintain, although I suppose that could be overcome with experience. These apparitions don't take 'damage' like actual physical beings do, but it disrupts the concentration needed to maintain it, and too many disruptions destroy it.

 _Addendum: Aegis – Indeed, Patricia covers the essentials. This is certainly possible to do, but there are often more practical means of utilization, so many choose the easier route. I believe that only Nebulan would be able to replicate this kind of attack without prior practice. The method is similar to how I create and maintain my psionic sword used to train Templars. It is simply the manipulation of psionic energy into a specific shape, and then directing that shape where I want it to go._

 _This is also why the apparitions made out of dangerous psionic mist were able to be killed easier, and yet cause more damage. The ones created out of defensive psionic energy were essentially wielding blunt weapons, even if they could take more damage. This is a note you should pass on to ADVENT._

What is also concerning is that he took a direct shot to the throat, and that only seemed to make him angrier. Granted, there are several explanations to this (nanotech, genetic modification), but it means that we're going to have to really make sure this alien is dead. We can't even rely on headshots to kill it, and its telepathy is going to be a problem if not properly negated.

 _Addendum: Aegis – I would expect Senorium to be the current culmination of the Creator's work. Every advance in genetic modification and nanotechnology would be put into him, and she is unlikely to want to lose her so-called "Champion" to a single headshot. I do not believe we can say for certain what his limits truly are without engaging him in combat ourselves. But ultimately, I do not believe he is a threat to become overly concerned over._


	46. ADVENT - History: Annexation of Canada

ADVENT: History

The Annexation of Canada

* * *

" _The message ADVENT has sent is clear; we must take appropriate precautions."_

\- Chinese President Xing Lan

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 9811**

Operation: Maple Decay

Author: Commander Laura Christiaens

Recipients: Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka

The operation concerning the annexation of Canada was executed to a standard that surpassed the majority of our expectations. Within twenty-four hours of operations commencement, ADVENT had control over the entirety of Canadian government and military operations, as well as direct control over most of the major cities; in conjunction with the majority of the Canadian government in our custody.

It is largely in part to Former Canadian Army Commander Logan Campbell, and Forensic Analyst Benjamin Varys that our operation proceeded with extremely minimal loss of life. As of writing this document, there are only three instances of military forces engaging Canadian soldiers in combat, largely due to a lack of communication or unwillingness to stand down. None of the violence persisted long, and only slightly impeded our efforts there.

As recognition for their efforts, I have spoken with both men and have personally granted Commander Logan the rank of Chief Marshal of the Canadian Legion, which is in the process of being reformed. The majority of formerly Canadian military is cooperating to their fullest ability, and assisting in reforming it into what is considered acceptable ADVENT standards, and I estimate that we will be able to utilize them within two weeks to a month.

Benjamin has had his request similarly granted by Chief Stein, and will be transferred immediately, though Stein did not inform me of exactly where he would be placed right away. Concerning the Peacekeepers, they are not having issues keeping the population under control. There have been no documented demonstrations or riots yet, and those are unlikely to happen until the lockdown on most major cities is removed.

While ADVENT will have direct control of the government for a short time, the Election Oversight Agency is already working to identify suitable candidates to rebuild the legislature into acceptable ADVENT standards. Since Canada is familiar with democratic elections, there was no identified reason to delay establishing working branches of government. Canada will not have a seat on the Congress of Nations until this is accomplished.

We have also begun informing the citizens of the former Canadian provinces of the changes in ADVENT, with differing formats for individuals and businesses. As of right now, educating the population has proven effective, and has worked to dispel some of the myths concerning ADVENT that have been leveled at us by the media. The fact that ADVENT has an arguably better healthcare system and drug policy was something many of the citizens were unaware of, which indicates that there is a perpetuated misunderstanding on what ADVENT actually _does_. We do more than put down rioters and fight aliens, Chancellor, we should ensure that people know that.

Concerning media coverage, it has largely varied from country to country. Canadian media has been temporarily suspended until the situation calms down; while most media stations in ADVENT nation states have been refreshingly subdued. The usage of the footage from the Sectoid Hive seems to have reminded them of what the stakes actually are. Make no mistake, I get the impression that our annexation of Canada is not something they approve of, but they're at least being quiet about it. On the other side, media in non-ADVENT member states is highly critical of our move, and are spreading misinformation about how we're going to invade other countries next. BBC and the Guardian are the biggest media outlets pushing this, although there is very little that we can do about that, short of appearing for interviews. That should be considered.

In the meantime, now that we control Canada, I have already begun mobilizing several legions in preparation of striking right above Seattle, and we can hopefully move several more from the west to pin the aliens in a corner. From there we can proceed south to take the West Coast back. But since I suspect that the aliens will not be dealt with easily, I envision the West Coast becoming a major battleground in the war.

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Alien Propagandist (Suspected)_

 _Video Title: The End of Independence_

"Well, folks, I knew this day was coming, even if I didn't want to believe it. The writing was on the wall and anyone who thought that Canada was going to get away with calling ADVENT out was sorely mistaken."

 _Brief pause, and subject shuffles some printed pictures on his table._ "So it all looks hopeless right? Who could possibly stand up to ADVENT's tyranny now? If they are taking over countries now, what can the common man possibly hope to accomplish?"

 _He suddenly jerks forward as if having a seizure._ "Stop! Stop those thoughts from getting into your mind! That is what ADVENT _wants_ you to think. They _want_ you to feel like there is no hope and no choice but to submit to the new world order! Never! They can try and take our rights, but they can never take our spirit!" **[Observer note: That sounds suspiciously familiar]**

"What has to be done is expose their lies to the world! The media has been shocked into silence, by the, admittedly, powerful propaganda ADVENT is using to stir up emotions and justify their actions. Now folks, I won't lie, I was a bit nauseous watching that footage ADVENT put out, but that was only until I realized that was their goal all along!"

 _Dramatic pause_. "That, listeners, is because it is fake! ADVENT has managed to fool the entire world and make their actions seem valid! The entire operation is based on a lie! What was in the video _never happened_! It is as fake as the platitude ADVENT offers when they say they 'respect the sovereignty of other nations'; we can see how true _that_ is." **[Observer note: Oh, go straight to hell]**

 _Subject picks up photos, one of which is from the Sectoid Hive video, with a large red circle around the head of a Sectoid_. "This, ladies and gentleman, is the proof! You can quite clearly see that this so-called alien is in fact a digital recreation. You can tell because the pixel analysis is off by approximately one centimeter compared to the image of an _actual_ sectoid, see here."

 _Subject holds up another photo, also of a Sectoid, and consequently, from the same video the previous picture was from._ " _This_ , folks, is what an _actual_ sectoid on video looks like. Looking between the two, the difference should be obvious, and is clear proof that ADVENT has doctored entire videos to brainwash the public and media to make themselves more acceptable."

 _Subject sets the pictures down, and faces the camera seriously._ "You can trust me on this, I have the very best people looking at this, believe me. What they found is one hundred percent authentic, and if begs the question of why ADVENT is trying to demonize the aliens so much. How much of what we've heard is nothing more than lies? Can we really determine what the aliens are _really_ like when our only sources are from ADVENT? What if the so-called 'alien threat' is nothing more than a lie?"

"Something to think about folks, and I'll be here soon to bring more of the truth directly to you!"

 _End video._

 _Analysis: As much as I would like to spend the whole report calling this piece of scum every derogatory name in the book, there is something more important to be discussed first. This is the first positive insinuation that Culbert is getting some form of support from the aliens. The shift towards the end of the video towards bringing up the possibility that the aliens aren't a threat points too heavily towards outside influence._

 _We've wondered if China has been sponsoring him, but they are just as much against the aliens as us, so I doubt they would be happy with him openly questioning the alien's intentions. Alien support would also explain how he has been able to avoid detection for so long, and why we can never manage to apprehend him._

 _The good news is that his audience has shrunk significantly from the early days when ADVENT was formed, largely due in part to us hitting his sites, and taking down every mirror and post containing this that we can find. The Dark Web is still one place we are unlikely to fully lock down, but the amount of people who are dedicated to keeping up with this idiot are significantly fewer, and we are identifying more of them every day._

 _Concerning his so-called evidence, I think he knows that his audience is composed of idiots, and in his own way, is openly mocking them. The alternative is that he actually is that stupid and does not realize that both those pictures are from the same video. Both have been used on various conspiracy and right-wing sites promoting fake stories, and it is entirely possible he is taking it from them. The second image is also the first result now if you Google "sectoid", so he might have believed it was real._

 _If you're curious, not one of the watchers that are left has informed him of this. However, I'm doubtful Culbert could have gotten to where he is if he was completely stupid, but it does beg the question of why he doesn't put the barest amount of effort into fooling his audience. Either he's only in it for the attention, or he's become a tool._

 _Neither are particularly comforting._

* * *

MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY CONFIDENTIAL

To Agency Head Chen Yongyue

Agent: [REDACTED]

As per your request, I am prepared to offer a full explanation for how the ADVENT annexation managed to surprise us, and to outline our possible response and solutions to this developing situation. To the best of our ability, Canada had no prior warning to the operation, and thus despite managing to compromise Canadian Intelligence, we believe that ADVENT has _also_ managed to compromise them, and it is highly possible that they were working to suppress any hint of what was to come.

Due to Canadian Army Commander Campbell immediately ordering military forces to stand down, he was clearly involved to a substantial degree, and the only possible way he could have managed to avoid any sort of hint of detection was if he had told absolutely no one beforehand outside of ADVENT representatives, as our operative within the Canadian military did not indicate that this was ever a possibility.

With that being said, it was mentioned in previous reports that the Canadian military was growing increasingly hostile to the standing government, and it is ultimately not a surprise both that the Commander defected to ADVENT, or that the majority of Canadian military forces stood down when ADVENT invaded. This also applies to Canadian Police, although none of them appear to have anticipated this move.

The Chancellor has stated that this was authorized by the Congress of Nations, and does appear to be what was discussed in the closed sessions we were unable to determine the cause of. We initially believed it to be relating to the alien attacks on Japan, but it appears it was all for determining if Canada was within their jurisdiction for annexation.

It is very clear that even within ADVENT, very few were aware of the operation existing in the first place, and it was only within hours of the announcement itself did we receive anything indicating that Canada was the target, far too late for us to affect the outcome in any way. It was a failure to recognize and connect the information provided. We of course were aware of the heightened tensions between ADVENT and the Canadian government, but we had little to confirm that besides speculation.

What is abundantly clear is that we cannot treat ADVENT like any nation we have previously dealt with. They have made it completely clear that the aliens are the only threat they openly recognize, and any threats to their ability to deal with that will be met with force. We cannot rely on any deterrents should conflict be threatened. Nuclear weapons did not help Pakistan, and I suspect it would not help us.

The only possible deterrent to ADVENT action would be the development of psions of our own, and if there have been improvements on that front, it would be advisable not to let ADVENT learn of them. They might consider that too large a threat to ignore, yet at the same time, with the aliens threatening the mainland, we cannot afford to hold back our own forces for the sake of secrecy.

However, at the same time, there are clear patterns and rules to ADVENT methods. For better or worse, they are holding to their internal guidelines, and while I am not suggesting capitulation in the least, it might be worth considering an agreement between the People's Republic and ADVENT, at the very minimum a cessation of the hostile nature between us.

ADVENT does appear to be reasonable, and it stands to reason that had Canada been cooperative with ADVENT, they would not have been annexed. Without speaking to ADVENT representatives personally, it is difficult to confirm for certain, but I believe that should we _not_ pose a direct threat to them, they will ignore us for the time being.

If we wish to keep ADVENT's attention away from us, it would likely be better to focus on our own efforts to defend against the aliens. At the minimum, it would show ADVENT that we are not their primary enemy. We no longer have the upper hand when dealing with them, and the sooner we recognize this and adapt to what ADVENT really is, the better our chances of surviving this war intact become.

* * *

Quisilia,

As I warned you many times before, if we did not take advantage of the opening Canada provided us, than it was inevitable that XCOM or ADVENT would.

And they did.

While there is no point in dwelling on past mistakes, it does highlight that despite whatever master plan the Imperator or the Battlemaster has, it does not help our effort to deliberately ignore potential threats and opportunities, unless the reasons are made clear. There was no tangible benefit to ignoring Canada, and now ADVENT controls the entirety of North America, and has access to both another army, and the wealth of natural resources there.

They can also move and hide entire armies in the wilderness, as well as continually reinforce attacks into America, and reliably strike the positions we have so far. We will have to respond by performing some attacks against Canada itself, although this will draw away resources from other operations.

A problem we are going to encounter in Canada is that the conditions are steadily becoming worse and colder, which the majority of our forces outside Mutons and Borelians are ill-prepared for. ADVENT has plenty of soldiers who are used to colder conditions, and unfortunately, the majority of our own do not have sufficient experience in hostile conditions to equal whatever threat ADVENT poses.

It was also clearly a mistake to allow a Sectoid Hive to be established on Earth, and thus vulnerable to XCOM, as that has backfired significantly, and Saudia has been particularly clever in how she has utilized the footage. I am afraid that it will be…difficult…to completely influence the civilians in the near future, even after our victory. It is understandably too much to expect much forgiveness after seeing experimentation like that, yet it also makes our job harder.

Thanks to Saudia's stunt, she managed to make an act as large as annexing an entire country seem justified, and for the moment she has the approval of not just the population, but the majority of the media as well, though how long this will last is unknown. Recruitment has steadily been increasing, and will likely continue rising.

This has also had the effect of shifting the focus from the failed ADVENT defense of Japan, and onto us, which is not the effect we wanted. This will unfortunately likely have the effect of more nations joining ADVENT out of nothing but fear, but will nonetheless increase their power. What is actually concerning is if this is enough to convince China to work with ADVENT, or at worst, join them.

An enhanced Chinese force would completely stall our upcoming operations there, and that is something that should not be allowed to happen.

So the lesson to learn from this is not to waste opportunities when they present themselves. If we ignore South America and Africa because of unexplained orders, we might as well cede Earth to ADVENT for the time being, or be prepared to lose hundreds of thousands of soldiers unnecessarily to conquer it.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _Addendum – Quisilia: Yes, yes, we get it, you're not happy. Don't worry, no special orders from the Imperator again. At least for now. And if it does happen again, the Battlemaster isn't going to let it stand without some kind of explanation. He's just as irritated as you about this, actually. And he doesn't have to read passive-aggressive reports that subtly call their superiors idiots._

 _Good thing Caelior wasn't reading this. Although it would probably go over his head._

 _Rest assured that this mistake won't be repeated._


	47. ADVENT - History: The Desertion of Betos

ADVENT: History

The Desertion of Betos

* * *

" _This was a wake-up call to ADVENT that not everyone is as tolerant of their policies as they think. Unfortunate that it was done in such a public manner. They will learn from this."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **Headline** : Suspected Defection of ADVENT Soldiers in the Middle Eastern Region

 **Source** : CNN

Early this morning it appears that there was a mass defection of ADVENT soldiers from an unspecified garrison in the Middle East; several sources allege that this was in Saudi Arabia, and while this cannot be confirmed, given that the entire area has blocked all media access, it is likely that there was something that happened to cause this much disturbance.

It is unknown what could have prompted such an action, especially from ADVENT soldiers. The most likely catalyst would be the recent decision of ADVENT to annex Canada, although we have previously reported that polls conducted of ADVENT service members overwhelmingly supported the action. However, these were not taken from service members deployed in Middle Eastern regions.

We have reached out to ADVENT for comment and received a response from Commander Laura Christiaens herself:

"We are currently dealing with several major incidents of insubordination in one of our Saudi Garrisons, and the incident was confined to that specific area, and is being thoroughly investigated. Claims of mass defection are unsubstantiated and we will address the public with the relevant results when our investigation is complete."

When asked to clarify if that meant that there was no defection at all, we have received no response. If there were ADVENT soldiers who defected, it is unlikely ADVENT will completely clarify that, aside from saying that the incident was contained.

There has been no official response from the acting ADVENT Saudi government, Peacekeeper forces, or other reliable sources in the region. However, representatives of several African nations have reported that there are ADVENT soldiers moving further south, but appear to not be acting in any official capacity. This has not been officially recognized by any of the African governments.

We have also attempted to contact XCOM about this potential incident, and their response was this from Central Officer Ariel Jackson:

"This is an internal ADVENT affair and we are not involved in the investigation in any official capacity."

She did not refute that XCOM is unaware of the situation, but it appears that at this moment, no one is willing to reveal what exactly has happened. We will update this story as it continues developing.

* * *

 **Interrogation Transcript SA928**

[Information Extraction Officer Ben Waslen]: "State your name for the record."

[ADVENT Officer Jaden Marx]: "Officer Jaden Marx."

[BW]: "Noted. You are aware why we are having this conversation?"

[JM]: "Betos?"

[BW]: "Correct. You were present when she left with the majority of the Israeli garrison, yes?"

[JM]: "I was. Heard everything."

[BW]: "Glad to clear that up. So to be clear, you were perfectly fine with just letting her leave?"

[JM]: "'Fine' is a stretch, Officer, but I wasn't going to stop her."

[BW]: "And why not? She became a traitor the moment she finished her speech."

[JM]: "Because if I recall, there were no procedures for _arrest_ in place for if a commanding officer defects, or if they are, they are with the Peacekeepers. In the event of suspicion of desertion, I was required to inform the ranking uncompromised officer of the situation, which I did."

[BW]: "Your reason for doing nothing is based on a technicality."

[JM]: "Pretty much. I'm not hiding that, but what did you want me to do? If I had tried to be a hero I just would have got myself shot, and what exactly would that have accomplished?"

[BW]: "It would have called her bluff. Betos is not the type of woman who would execute someone for following their orders."

[JM]: "I'm not talking about Betos, I'm talking about the ones who were with her. She's well-liked for a reason, and I'd guess that half of them defected because they're loyal to _her_ and not ADVENT. Her second in command, Mox, he would have blown by head off rather than take unnecessary chances with her life. He's openly despised ADVENT for a while."

[BW]: "Understood. I hope that you actually learned something about where they were going?"

[JM]: "I did, but it's not very specific. Mox and Betos both mentioned Africa. No specific nation, but I'd imagine their options are limited."

[BW]: "A general area is a good start, and several thousand soldiers can't stay well-hidden for long without someone finding out."

[JM]: "Isn't that what the bodycams are for?"

[BW]: "Betos destroyed the computer station that had all the data and logs for their body cameras. We will be able to restore some contact within a few days, but that is enough time for her to remove that functionality from her suit. It is possible, and she wouldn't overlook a detail like that. The armor cams will not be helpful, nor will the internal GPS, which she has also likely disabled."

[JM]: "No, she was smart. She wouldn't risk the ones going with her unless she had a plan to keep them moderately safe."

[BW]: "One last question for now: Why didn't you leave?"

[JM]: "Me? Because I like my job and I'm going to, hopefully, kill more aliens here, which is more than me essentially than running away. Betos is a good woman, but she's an idealist and I don't really agree with her about ADVENT. She's not cut out for her position, and it's probably for the best she left. I approve of the steps ADVENT is taking, but not everyone sees it like that. I don't think this is something that should be ignored either. Remember that all of us have never actually fought the aliens yet. We've been fighting low-tech insurgents and curb-stomping the Arabs. I know Stein probably likes her no-tolerance policies, but she should realize that not everyone is going to be fine with separating parents from their kids, or beating up suspicious looking citizens, or shooting hostages to stop a terrorist attack."

[BW]: "That issue is being dealt with now. This incident has highlighted issues in our policies and communication. Thank you Officer, you are dismissed."

[JM]: "That's it? No demotion or anything? Dishonorable discharge?"

[BW]: "You did not technically break regulations here. That, and the extenuating circumstances do not warrant harsh punishment, as you are likely correct that the only thing accomplished would be getting yourself killed. I would not expect promotions anytime soon as a consequence though."

[JM]: "I can live with that."

* * *

Commander,

I have unfortunately confirmed that the initial reports from ADVENT were correct, and over three quarters of the garrison established near Riyadh have defected, or more accurately, deserted from ADVENT. Actual numbers and motivations are still being worked out, but interviews of those still there give some insightful information about what happened.

The catalyst for the entire event centers on the Marshal of the garrison, Helsa Betos, who until recently, was one of the most respected leaders in the entire conflict. I believe you worked with her when Riyadh was captured, so you might be able to attest to some of what the separate dossier on her says. But she apparently made a general announcement condemning recent ADVENT actions and saying she could no longer be a part of it.

The fact that she managed to sway so many to follow her is concerning. It may be possible that the soldiers were simply loyal to her, or it could mean that the soldiers are not as devoted to the goals of ADVENT as we are assuming. If this becomes widespread, she could inspire other leaders who are similarly affected to do the same, and we cannot afford to have mass defections at this stage.

However, there is also the possibility of alien involvement, and since we have no means to detect psionic usage, no one can determine if that was a factor in this, although if that were the case, there would probably have not been any who decided to stay. However, the possibility that Betos has been in contact with the aliens is a very likely and growing possibility. If they haven't reached out before now, I would almost be certain they would be now.

ADVENT is still trying to determine her plans, which all seem to point to operating somewhere in Africa which will cause…problems…if ADVENT doesn't want to go to war with the continent. The best case is that they get turned over to ADVENT, for either a reward or to curry favor with the administration, but at worse they might unite and attempt to form some kind of alliance.

I have no doubt that this is likely the plan of Betos, and while uniting several African nations together would make any retrieval efforts difficult, I do not believe she knows the full situation, and any sort of alliance is going to be difficult to pull off. Africa is not a land of democracy or peace. Many countries there have brutal rivalries and merciless dictatorships. Conflicts are not between simply countries, but ethnic and religious boundaries.

If Betos wants to go there, she's going to face an uphill battle, but I can guarantee that the size of the army she's bringing with her will attract the attention of every nation in the area. It might be enough to bring several to the table, but I am not optimistic of her chances.

But regardless, we should take no chances with her. It is only a matter of time until the aliens take advantage of this, and that is something we cannot afford at this time.

\- XCOM Intelligence Director Shaojie Zhang

* * *

 _Message sent to the President of Nigeria, Ndulue Okon_

President Okon,

Due to the extenuating circumstances at the time of writing this, I will have to be brief. You have no doubt seen the recent ADVENT actions, and both of us know that it is only a matter of time before ADVENT turns their attention to Africa, and Nigeria itself. As of right now no one has the means, aside from China, to give ADVENT cause to second-guess their actions.

I do not believe that needs to be the case, and despite what you have no doubt seen and heard, not all of us soldiers of ADVENT are comfortable with the direction they are going, alien threat or no. Some of us are willing to do something about it, but not in a futile and empty gesture that will end with our execution.

You know I have been in contact with representatives of other neighboring nations, and despite the history that persists between the continent in general, this is the time to begin an attempt to move beyond that. Africa has remained divided since the beginning, and if it remains that way, eventually ADVENT _will_ decide to intervene and any chance of retaining independence will be lost.

The leader, or Marshal, Helsa Betos, has deserted ADVENT and there are a sizable number of ADVENT soldiers behind her, myself included. There is no better and fair leader I know of, and she requests the opportunity to speak to you about the future. Like it or not, Mr. President, this is not a topic that can continue being ignored, and I would ask that you consider what she has to offer besides a method to resist ADVENT.

Along with the equipment, weapons, and armor we have brought along, we also have schematics and engineers capable of reproducing ADVENT equipment, which would allow you the capability to reliably pose a military threat to ADVENT, as that is the only metric they really consider when making their decisions. Aside from that, Betos is familiar with ADVENT tactics and strategies, which would also no doubt prove useful to you.

Please respond as soon as time permits. ADVENT has not wasted time trying to pursue us.

\- Pratal Mox

 _Response to Pratal Mox_

Bring her here. She will be protected. I want to hear what she has to say.

\- President Ndulue Okon of Nigeria


	48. ADVENT: Dossier - Helsa Betos

ADVENT: Dossier

Former Marshal Helsa Betos

* * *

" _There is no place for idealists in this war."_

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

Saudia,

I have completed my preliminary investigation of Helsa Betos due to recent events, and it paints a pretty clear picture of what exactly could have happened to trigger her defection. The earliest records were from her service in the Israeli Army and with what I have learned, I am questioning why she even joined, let alone for so long, if she held views like this.

Granted, Israel was well aware her views were problematic to their overarching goals, and she had been marked by the Kidon as a potential liability. She quite clearly believed that the military should only be used as a last resort, and more as a deterrent, than anything offensive. When Israel annexed Palestine, she was openly opposed to it because she felt it wasn't justified and it would hurt Israel's standing in the world.

As you've probably also guessed, she wasn't a fan of the Commander or his tactics, but that particular opinion was more accepted, especially later in the war. Despite being a fairly high-ranking member, she didn't participate that much in the war proper; likely an intentional choice by Israel to reduce the chances she did something detrimental to the war effort.

What _is_ especially relevant to this situation is that Betos is a highly charismatic leader, and that is likely the reason she managed to rise as high as she did, despite her more passive tendencies. She treats her soldiers with respect and care, and receives it in return. Soldiers who have served under her call her 'fair', which we would call 'restrained'. While certainly not an overall bad thing, it is not always the right response to a situation, and Betos incorporated that into her own strategies.

In the latest conquest of the Middle East, she was especially lenient to all opposing forces, delaying advances and giving generous amounts of time for opposing cities in Saudi Arabia to surrender, or what _actually_ happened, _prepare_. Not that it helped them, but Betos has a tendency to believe the best of people, even our enemies, even when shown that is clearly not the case.

I am still unsure how she developed this outlook, as her parents weren't especially outspoken one way or another, and she has no siblings. The additional person that has some amount of influence over her is her second-in-command and closest friend Pratal Mox, who was a Palestinian who lived through the annexing and befriended Betos at an unknown time soon after.

Mox is also someone that requires further investigation, as he is one of the few that is close to Betos and who has definite influence over her. If Mox is helping make decisions as to what Betos is doing, that is something we need to determine quickly.

As for Betos posing an additional threat to us, that is minimal. Her outlook is passive, and I do not expect her to interfere aside from a misguided and futile attempt at reducing our influence. Recent reports indicate she is moving towards Africa, and I can only speculate that she will ally herself with one of the rulers there, and it might not be a bad idea to observe for a time.

Despite many of her soldiers leaving with her, the vast majority of ADVENT sees her as a traitor and rightfully so. But Betos is clearly unfamiliar with the situation in Africa and if she really wants to ally herself with the warlords and tyrants there, it will one day give us reason to annex the continent into ADVENT.

With any luck, Betos might just do the majority of legwork for us. Watch her for a time, but unless the entirety of Africa somehow rallies behind her, her impact can be easily controlled.

Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 3266**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: Helsa Betos

Threat Level: Medium

Assessment Author: XCOM Psychologist Haley Yates

Approved by: XCOM Intelligence Director Shaojie Zhang

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Bald)

 _Eye color_ : Brown

 _Skin color_ : Light Tan

 _Height_ : 5'10"

 _Weight_ : 167 lbs.

 _Age_ : 36

 _Scars or markings_ : None known.

 _Physical condition_ : Her position has typically been in a command position, so her physical stamina is likely less than that of a baseline ADVENT or Israeli soldier, but still far above that of a civilian. This is likely to increase as she becomes more involved in whatever her current plans are.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Helsa Betos is a woman who should not have been put in command of anything remotely related to the Middle East. Why this didn't raise any red flags with ADVENT (especially as the Kidon had a file on her detailing these exact concerns), is beyond me, and while I know it is impossible to review potentially problematic soldiers in a timely manner, such a highly ranked soldier should have been an exception.

She should have been placed either in areas that were directly exposed to the alien threat, to keep her focus on it, or to place her in areas that are not affected by any current or former conflict. While Betos would have undoubtedly disapproved if she had merely been an observer to the war, directly participating in it at the exclusion of seeing the alien threat was the catalyst that ended with her desertion.

If anything Betos highlights the risk within ADVENT of soldiers losing sight of the main objective, which is the defeat of the aliens. While it is easy for us to keep our eyes focused ahead, it is clearly different for soldiers who have only heard of the aliens, and are only interacting by subversive human elements. In this light, it is not so surprising that so many defected with Betos, and it isn't that they are willing _traitors_ per-se, but because they don't see ADVENT as something worth supporting, which is reinforced by the fact that they are unaware of just how extensive the alien threat is.

There is a noticeable change in outlook between soldiers who _have_ encountered the aliens personally, and those who have not. This is why her defection, which she likely sees as noble and justified, is receiving complete condemnation from the majority of the ADVENT military, especially American, Korean, Japanese, and French Legions. That sentiment is spreading, and I would not want to be her when she is ultimately captured and executed.

There is another issue that this highlights, namely that we cannot rely on orders alone to disentangle the previous morality of the old governments. It is important to understand that people are not as practical nor ruthless as you or Saudia. They cannot see necessity and justification, but only emotional reactions that are based on concepts like 'right' and 'wrong'. Soldiers are not immune to this, and cannot be as controlled as civilians. I am currently unsure how easily that can be changed, but that is a job for ADVENT to figure out. With Betos's defection, I suspect they will be working to solve it as soon as possible.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Betos is, quite bluntly, an idealist. She always prefers to see the best in people, and seems to not be able to understand that some people are incapable of empathy, understanding, and other traits that she values. I don't think she truly comprehends the potential Humans have for what she defines as evil. Even then, she generally appears to believe that they can be persuaded to change. Not necessarily become good people, but reduce the harm they would cause otherwise.

Oddly enough, she doesn't view organizations the same way, and can consider them harmful or evil, despite them being composed of people as well. Her rationalization to seemingly ignore this seems to be attributing the acts committed to a faceless group. For example, Canada would be attributed to "ADVENT Leadership", but interestingly, those people will not generally be identified.

This has the effect of allowing her to believe that the _people_ within ADVENT are worthy of empathy, but not necessarily the organization itself. The rationalizes could be simply like 'they are following orders, so they don't have a choice' which once more puts things into the best possible scenario. I doubt she even considers Saudia the ultimate evil of ADVENT, perhaps believing that she is being pressured into these actions.

No, I don't know what could have developed this incredibly naïve outlook, but everything I've discovered about her points directly to this mindset.

This manifests itself in how she commands her soldiers. She always makes sure they are properly equipped, staffed, and generally gives them her complete respect. This is a hallmark of a good commander, and it paid off in this case. I suspect that the soldiers who defected with her were not doing it so much out of a distaste for ADVENT, as they were doing it because they believed in Betos more. She is a good leader, but it unfortunately doesn't stop there.

Idealism is almost always merciful, and Betos definitely qualifies as such. The cities that her garrison captured were treated much more leniently than ones captured by other Marshals, and as you would expect, that allowed more subversive elements to manifest themselves which the SSR has been putting down, and has ultimately made it worse for everyone. Betos will never target civilians, opposes execution, and offers enemies multiple attempts to surrender, and would almost rather put her soldiers in danger than risk accidentally hurting someone innocent.

Betos in particular is sympathetic to the people of the Middle East. I am positive this is because of her close friendship with Pratal Mox, who grew up during the Palestinian annexation, and no doubt has outlooks that are hostile to those of ADVENT, and operations like Deus Vult. While there is nothing indicating that the relationship is anything more than platonic, he has an undeniable amount of influence over her and it is clear she values his opinion and cares about him. In some respects, he is almost more of a concern than Betos herself from what I've learned of him.

In the end, Betos has an unrealistic worldview and expectations of people. She believes the majority of people are good, and that this _also_ extends to people in power. If she is really going to Africa, she is going to be faced with a multitude of extremely hard choices, because the nations there are far more hateful and corrupt than ADVENT could ever be.

It will be curious to see how she adapts to this when she experiences it first-hand.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

In terms of posing an actual threat, Betos generally does not pose one. Despite the soldiers at her command armed with ADVENT tech, if we really wished it, Patricia could neutralize her entire army, or when the PRIEST Program is running, one of them could do the same. The greater concern is if they spread Gaussian tech to the African nations, although that would likely start wars amongst themselves rather than ADVENT specifically.

Betos herself is a competent soldier, but is not remarkable in any way in that respect. As a tactician, she is what is considered above average, and utilizes her forces well, and has the lowest casualty numbers of any garrison in ADVENT. When she really needs to, she can be extremely effective, but if given the choice between an offensive and defensive action, she will almost always choose a defensive action.

It should also be noted that her forces do not include any MDUs, psions, Ravens, or Purifiers. Again, while her army might be enough to take a good portion of Africa, it would be easily defeated by any concentrated amount of ADVENT or alien forces. The threat she ultimately poses is minimal, but if she undergoes a radical change in outlook, she can become dangerous.

* * *

Battlemaster,

After receiving the most recent reports, I believe we have two paths that we should both take to begin undermining ADVENT's position in the world. While there is a certain risk in these, it is something we should not ignore, and I estimate that our chances of successfully swaying them to our side will not be overly difficult if the right approach is taken.

One of these openings lies in a former Marshal of ADVENT, one Helsa Betos, who quite surprisingly defected from ADVENT with a large portion of her soldiers, and supposedly cited disagreements with how ADVENT was conducting this war. That particular viewpoint is exceptionally rare, and was almost certainly influenced by the fact that she's never actually fought any Collective forces, and has instead only seen the harsh practicality of ADVENT.

Her naïve viewpoint can be exploited, and since the video Chancellor Vyandar released of the Sectoid Hive was not enough to make her reconsider, she might be open to the suggestion that much of the information about the Collective is propaganda. She would have to be treated carefully, but women like her can be easily disposed of and replaced should it become needed.

Her main purpose will be uniting the African countries against ADVENT, a goal that while certainly in line with her ambitions, is one she is woefully unprepared to handle. Her impressions of Africa seem to be entirely fictional from further research and investigation, and it is more likely that she will start an African civil war than actually unite them against anyone.

That is, if she doesn't have help.

Africa is a largely underdeveloped, overlooked continent run by corrupt dictators and petty tyrants. Betos will likely not be able to do anything without additional support, and if her plans begin deteriorating immediately, as they probably will, she will be open to our help. If she can be influenced to…adapt…her useless mindset, she could be an excellent figurehead as the woman who united Africa against ADVENT, and if we also join the negotiations with these countries, they will do the fighting against ADVENT for us.

And those nations that resist, we can simply remove their leaders. These people pose no threat to us, but if we move to obviously and quickly, we may force ADVENT's hand sooner than we want. Betos is an opportunity we should take, Battlemaster, let us not ignore this one like we did Canada.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _Addendum: Macula – Please forward all relevant information relating to Helsa Betos and Africa. This intrigues me._


	49. ADVENT - History: ADVENT and the Media I

ADVENT: History

ADVENT and the Media I

* * *

" _First they came for the tabloids, and I cheered, because I was not a gullible idiot."_

\- Anonymous comment

* * *

I will preface this by saying that this is my own opinion, and it should not be treated any other way, in accordance with ADVENT policy, of course. That is the state of the press under the ADVENT administration, and it is a danger I have not seen in decades. What is concerning isn't that it is based out of a simple wish to suppress dissent, I truly feel like ADVENT is taking these steps because they feel they have to.

The news has strived to keep the public informed, and to bring the truth to light. Sometimes we have succeeded, other times we have failed. Yet at no point did we feel we didn't have an impact. The times change, but the news doesn't, and there are always stories to be told. The threat of censorship is one we have known for decades, but none were brave enough to actually try and take our voices out of fear of being either exposed or rejected by the public.

Yet I fear that is changing under ADVENT.

ADVENT does not care about fairness, independence, or freedom of speech. At least not in a way that we traditionally understand is the American way. The power the people had is gone under ADVENT; those who begin asking questions are taken, silenced, and those who dare to publish the stories critical of the administration are shut down.

The problem stems from perception, and their means of fixing it is all the more insidious, because contrary to popular belief, the threat ADVENT poses to the media is not one of blunt threats, but by the delegitimization of our own hand. They wish to turn the facts against us; they turn reputable journalists into mere opinions dispensers; they dilute the shock of a story by forcing us to state in big, bold letters that this is 'speculation'.

"Good!" some of you may say. "The news should tell the truth." And so they should, but that is why their actions are so dangerous. Since the beginning newspapers have relied on sources, anonymous or otherwise. The problems begin to arise when ADVENT officially states that anonymous sources are simply not acceptable. They want names; _proof_ , as they say, for anything else is baseless speculation.

And their point is valid, but it is also a means of silencing the whistleblowers who want to expose crimes and issues within ADVENT. The moment a story goes up against ADVENT with a named source, it may be successful, but the cost is both the one who was courageous enough to speak in the first place, and no one else coming forward, for fear of being punished.

They have nowhere to go, and the story dies in the darkness.

And then what is left? Should we simply accept that this is the way things are going to be now? That is what ADVENT wants; they want us to only report on what they are doing that is positive, not the secrets they are trying to cover up. They want all of us to fall into a routine of complacency; they want us to focus on the aliens, believing that to be an acceptable cover for all their actions.

The day ADVENT shut down the first newspaper was the day democracy began to die. And I fear that this time it is too late to stop them from accomplishing their goal of delegitimizing the media. We can only trust that there are enough people who are able to read between the lines, past the 'opinion' label and understand what they are unknowingly giving away without a fight is not just transparency, but accountability.

 _\- Opinion piece published in the New York Times by Journalist Brendan Khan_

* * *

 _Memo distributed to CNN employees_

Due to ADVENT regulations, there are some additional standards we must impose on both our broadcasting and written articles and segments. We have received an official order from the ADVENT Peacekeepers giving us approximately one week to bring our content up to their standards. This must be enforced. ADVENT has been clear that failure to abide by these standards will result in the prosecution of our station and arrest of offending members. If you fail to follow these guidelines you will be immediately terminated and turned over to the Peacekeepers.

Here are the rules ADVENT has stated that can be equally applied to anchors and writers:

1\. ALWAYS DISPLAY SOURCES: Include as many details of the source as you can, including full names, job, age, and if possible, reason for contribution. Always be sure to archive proof of correspondence be that via internet archive, phone logs, or recorded conversation (Note that if you record a conversation, you are legally obligated to inform the receiver that they are being recorded). Be prepared to turn over all evidence to inquiries from ADVENT officials.

2\. ANONYMOUS SOURCES ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED AS LEGITIMATE: While ADVENT does not explicitly forbid the usage of anonymous sources, they are not considered reliable unless their anonymity is removed. If an anonymous source is used you must explicitly state that the information in question is _not_ able to be completely verified.

3\. ANYTHING THAT COULD COMPROMISE GLOBAL SECURITY MUST BE TURNED OVER TO ADVENT IMMEDIATELY: This includes but is not limited to: classified documents, weapon or technology schematics, unpublished legislation, travel plans or logs of government officials, or alien messages. Failure to turn these over, as well as exact details of how they were acquired, will result in immediate prosecution and investigation of this organization.

4\. ALL INCOMING NEWS THAT IS UNABLE TO BE PROPERLY SOURCED/VERIFIED MUST HAVE A DISCLAIMER ATTACHED: For anchors this will be both stated in the broadcast itself, and displayed in clear text about the headline in question. This cannot be removed until the segment or story is completed. For writers, this must be a disclaimer before the start of the article stating the story as 'unsubstantiated' or 'opinion'. Either is acceptable and can be written as normal.

5\. OPINION PIECES HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY CHANGED: Certain anchors will have additional disclaimers on-screen which will either be 'commentary' or 'opinion' displayed in clear text on the top of the screen. They must also explicitly state that the following segment is opinion, and should not be treated as verifiable fact. For writers, standards have not changed overmuch. Simply include a disclaimer before the article.

6\. DO NOT INSINUATE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WITHOUT VERIFIABLE PROOF: The insinuation of any individual as a criminal or suspicious without evidence, circumstantial or otherwise (circumstantial evidence _must_ be explicitly stated as such) is illegal and will result in the arrest of offending members. This applies to both government and civilians.

7\. IN THE EVENT OF THE DISCOVERY OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY TURN OVER ALL INFORMATION TO THE PEACEKEEPERS: Withholding information on criminal activity is in and of itself a crime, and will be prosecuted accordingly. Do not run a story on criminal activity without first turning over all information related to the situation, and only after the Peacekeepers have given their explicit approval.

8\. ALL VIDEO FOOTAGE OR STILL IMAGES OF THE FOLLOWING CANNOT BE SHOWN WITHOUT EXPLICIT APPROVAL FROM ADVENT: Peacekeeper operations, military operations, civil unrest, alien attacks, or terrorism. Note that this does not prohibit _coverage_ of such topics, but the supplemental addition of those mediums. In addition, approval is only needed once before it can be used freely in future broadcasts/articles.

9\. PRESS ACCESS TO ADVENT MILITARY/PEACEKEEPER OPERATIONS IS RESTRICTED WITHOUT EXPLICIT AUTHORIZATION: You cannot investigate battlefields, warzones, or crime scenes without approval. Attempting to subvert or bypass these will result in arrest. We will not pay for your legal fees either.

10\. ALL PERSONNEL MUST COMPLY WITH ADVENT PERSONNEL: If ADVENT requests assistance or information in any capacity, we are legally obligated to provide it to them. Please direct them to ranking personnel to ensure full and timely cooperation. However, if ADVENT personnel do not have appropriate warrants/paperwork do not comply and immediately contact Peacekeepers for clarification. You have the legal authority to refuse compliance if ADVENT does not have proper authorization.

If you have any further questions, please refer them to your immediate manager or HR.

* * *

There were certain days with the Peacekeepers where I really felt good about my job. Whatever they say publicly, the truth is that we really don't like acting against civilians because a few idiots spoil it for the rest of them. But we have our jobs to do and we do them, not much I can really do except say it sucks for them.

However, the times where we nail the bad guys are some of the best in the world because there usually isn't any ambiguity about the guilt of these people. That legwork is done by ADVENT Intelligence and the Special Operations Division; we're the ones who go take the criminals down and drag them to a car kicking and screaming. Nothing feels better than clocking a rapist who was resisting arrest with a stun baton. Might have given him some brain damage, I really don't care. Not like anyone actually cares what happens to scum like him.

One of the highlights of my career was definitely when ADVENT was first starting up and they were aggressively checking pretty much any media publication in existence. The big ones were scrambling to adapt, as were the newspapers. But for some ungodly reason, the tabloids of all things kept doing their thing and posting their crap like normal.

I'd always found the tabloids amusing, you know those magazines you see in checkout lines in grocery stores? That's them, and often with the most fake-sounding headlines in existence. I'd always considered them entertainment, but there are actually people that believe the stuff inside them. Well, they ignored the memo ADVENT sent, and while I think ADVENT is permitted to give at least one second chance, they didn't want to and I don't blame them.

So that's how I found myself on an operation to shut down the National Enquirer, and it was one of the best feelings ever. The Officer said we had free reign to do whatever we wanted to inside, so after arresting everyone inside (Who all were protesting loudly), we gathered up all the printed copies and burned them, and since we don't like to waste perfectly good equipment, salvaged the rest.

But it was the funniest thing, because I also was along for the ride when we arrested their editor-in-chief, and his excuse for being a lying scumbag was, and this is real, the 'freedom of the press'. Good riddance. Needless to say we were all laughing at that, and the last I saw was him being driven away towards a hopefully uncomfortable cell.

No wonder America had problems if that guy was able to publish blatant lies like that and get away with it. Good on ADVENT for stopping him.

 _\- Excerpt from "Keeping the Peace", a collection of short stories from various Peacekeepers detailing various operations and events._

* * *

"My job is probably not as exciting as you're thinking, but if it will help dispel some myths about the job me and other ADVENT Intelligence Observers do, then I'm happy to answer your questions. So yes, I'm the guy that's scouring the internet looking for people who like to cause trouble."

"So, what do I do specifically? That depends on the day in all honesty. Our job is randomized each day both so we don't get too complacent, and so if anyone is smart enough to figure out we're there, it isn't the same person as last time. Each day we'll get a short list of instructions. Sometimes it will be monitoring several known sites for designated times; sometimes it will be watching a few videos that have been flagged for review; or sometimes it will be specific investigations into profiles and personalities."

"So let's say I was given the job of monitoring YouTube for a period, which with a site that big, you'd have more than just me, but I digress. First there are several ways of going about proper monitoring, the easiest is using simple keywords that will generally bring up relevant videos. But those generally have limited reach. The most obvious places to check first are news aggregators and political channels, and if I am to watch a video, I do have to do a full report so I have to choose my targets wisely and be selective about what I will watch."

"In the case that I _do_ find a violator, contrary to popular belief, we do not show up at their house and drag them away in the middle of the night. At least with first-time offenders. Oftentimes people are ignorant of the regulations on speech and media distribution, and thus we simply provide them with the guidelines, and most of the time they comply. Our goal is not to suppress free speech entirely, but encourage logical and rational discord. One of the worst things is an uneducated society, and this is a necessary step to reach that goal."

"Now, if this is a repeat offender, that is when we will begin gathering evidence of violations, and once we have enough, we will make the necessary arrests. As shocking as it may be to some people, having several million Twitter followers does not make you immune to the law, nor does having millions of dollars."

"In the case of a site like YouTube, we have come across surprise instances of blatant criminal activity. The so-called 'prank' channels are the worst, and there were quite a few people we arrested after that was brought to our attention. In very rare cases we come across child abuse or domestic assault, which does happen, even on Youtube, though you have to be a special kind of idiot to post that in the first place."

"We generally leave entertainment and gaming channels alone, since those rarely introduce outside politics, but there have been cases where we've had to investigate statements made by certain personalities that were decidedly uninformed. What is important for everyone to understand is that there are real people on this task. AI is not at a stage where this can be done with an algorithm, as it would likely lead to false charges and an inability to distinguish context. Don't worry, we can tell the difference between a joke and a threat."

"The same philosophy extends to other sites. Google is useful for bringing the most blatant offenders to our attention, and the methodology is mostly the same. We observe, record, and pass judgement. We do have priority 'target zones' as it were, but the internet is a massive digital landscape, and we have to take every advantage we can if we hope to bring some order to it."

"The Dark Web? Yes, of course we monitor there as well, although specific details I'm afraid I can't reveal. That is an ongoing operation and a completely different topic from the main internet, where the majority of people are concentrated."

"If there is one thing I hope people get out of this, it is that we don't target anyone unjustly. You say "ADVENT can go fuck itself" as a joke and I'll laugh and likely move on. We don't care about you. We care about terrorist organizers, criminals, child porn sites, havens for racist and fanatical groups, things like that. Things that can hurt our citizens."

"And if you are still with me, do realize that words do have power. This is largely to the ones who think their subscriber counts, followers, or money makes you able to say whatever you want. Many people are easily swayed, and the wrong words can give the wrong impression. There is no more freedom from consequences anymore, and the more people that realize that, the better."

 _\- ADVENT Intelligence Observer [Redacted] to Journalist Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview_


	50. ADVENT-Organizations:Congress of Nations

ADVENT: Organizations

The Congress of Nations

* * *

" _ADVENT is a democracy on paper. In practice…well, it depends how much you actually trust them."_

\- Anonymous Internet Comment

* * *

Battlemaster,

While most of us are familiar with much of the ADVENT military and administration, there is one aspect that has, up to this point, been overlooked. The Congress of Nations is the primary legislative organization for ADVENT, and while it is not obvious, they can have a significant impact on ADVENT itself; which could ultimately affect our own operations against them.

To my surprise, it is rather difficult to get hard information on what exactly the legislation is that they pass. Unlike many previous democratic bodies, the majority of their sessions are not open to the public, and they have heavy screening and require blood samples each time one enters their Capital Building, which is ironically the former United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland.

Conventional infiltration is also impractical due to the extreme amount of security surrounding the building, which includes but is certainly not limited to Peacekeeper Divisions, ADVENT Military guards, an unknown number of MDUs, ADVENT Intelligence agents, and I suspect the entire city is covered by snipers. In addition to that, we do have proof that some of the 'aides' seen wandering the building are ADVENT Intelligence in disguise, and in all honesty, we do not know just how many government workers are legitimate, or disguised agents.

This level of security extends to the Congressmen and women as well. Every single one has a full detail of the ADVENT Protection Service soldiers, as well as at least one ADVENT Intelligence handler, with an unknown number either tracking them or in their everyday entourage. Their places of residence are outfitted with the best security systems in place, and a minimum of four Peacekeepers as guards.

Needless to say, that means that the ADVENT Congress is considered important.

The structure of the Congress appears to be inspired by the former United States Congress, albeit with some notable changes. The first of which is that each ADVENT member nation has exactly one representative, and only one. There are no offsetting bodies either; the Congress is the only legislative organization in ADVENT, and all introduced legislation passes or dies. That which passes is sent to the Chancellor for signing into law.

From what we have been able to gather, there are no special privileges or exceptions for any country. Every single one has equal weight and voice, no matter their size or population. It also seems to be adaptable to expansion, and there are procedures in place for the addition of new ADVENT member nations.

What is uniquely odd about this institution is that it is not easy to classify exactly what form of government this falls under. Each member of the Congress is elected (Although the first iteration is appointed for obvious reasons – this is planned to be addressed in special elections over the next two years), yet every single candidate that runs for _any_ position in government decided by voting has to be approved by the ADVENT Election Oversight, which means that ADVENT is specifically approving each and every candidate who is in a position of influence.

I am not sure how democratic this can be classified as, even if ADVENT is not interfering beyond simple approval. Then there is the overall secrecy within the Congress itself. The legislation has mostly been of minimal importance to us, but each one was announced not only when it passed the Congress, but when it was _signed into law_ by Chancellor Vyandar. I will remind you that the Congress were the ones to authorize the Annexation of Canada, and this was presumably done weeks ago.

Gaining access to the Congress would give us a valuable look into what ADVENT is actually planning, and will allow us to begin counter-operations or sabotage against them. However, outside of Quisilia or using a Special Operator, I do not see a feasible way of infiltrating the Congress at this time. Nevertheless, it should be a clear priority.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

"I've been doing similar jobs for a long time; I ran tours for the White House, Pentagon, and Capitol Building. It's something I'm extremely passionate about; sharing and educating people on the history and function of these institutions is something I love doing. So when ADVENT asked if I'd be willing to do the same for the ADVENT Congressional Capitol, I said yes."

"The Congress of Nations isn't _anything_ like the United States Congress, aside from having the same word in their name, and the fact that they were both legislative bodies. The United States Congress had a lot of security, but there was a lot you could show people without compromising national security. That isn't really the case with ADVENT."

"They didn't tell me, but I know there was talk about if they should even allow this, and I suppose they ultimately decided it couldn't hurt…with some restrictions. For one thing, getting through the door is a challenge that is off-putting to some people. ADVENT is paranoid about alien infiltrators, and requires that every single person give a blood sample before entering, and they cannot have any kind of electronic devices, or carry bags within the building without authorization."

"And no, there are no exceptions, not even for medical reasons. Unless you literally need it to survive, you aren't getting through with anything except the clothes on your back. If you don't like it, ADVENT will escort you off the premises, and if you begin protesting, then they take you away for what I can only assume is a 'debriefing.' It happened once to a family that absolutely refused to have their blood taken, and they were promptly taken away by the Peacekeepers there. Continuing on with the normal tour after that was…not easy."

"For the actual tour itself? I would not be surprised if quite a few people found it…unsettling. There are soldiers and ADVENT Intelligence _everywhere_ , and every single tour is quite literally under _armed_ military guard, with two smiling Intelligence agents tailing you in the background, also visibly armed. I've learned to sort of tune them out, but I have to talk for a bit before the uneasiness fades away entirely."

"When the tour actually gets into it, I personally feel better. The history of the Geneva Office is fascinating to me, and is the one thing that's actually normal about the Congress now. But that ends when someone inevitably asks if we're going to the chambers themselves and I have to explain that we're not, and then begin explaining how the Congress works, and it's usually at this point I can tell if people are paying attention or not."

"Why? Because to a lot of people…the Congress is suspicious. It's extremely secretive, and while I do have to spin that in a more positive light…well, considering the armed soldiers every ten feet, the entrance requirements, and the _extremely_ linear tour, where we don't even exit the hallways, there is something profoundly _wrong_ about what the Congress is. It doesn't feel like a group of democratically elected officials, but another secretive wing of ADVENT that controls what happens in your life."

"People are educated when they come here, but I'm not convinced that is a necessarily positive thing. I'm sure the Congress has their reasons, but it wouldn't kill them to be a _little_ more transparent."

 _\- Michael Ginsberg, Tour Guide for the ADVENT Congress of Nations, to Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

 _New York Times Op-Ed: The Question of the Congress of Nations_

While investigating the intricacies in the secretive Congress of Nations, there are several questions that emerge, and new revelations come to light. Why the secrecy? Why the paranoia? Why the lack of transparency? At some point many of the questions boil down to a question of _influence_. ADVENT wants the Congress to do its job without being tainted by outside influences, and this is their means of accomplishing that.

I've tried repeatedly to get interviews with Congressmen, and each time ADVENT has granted my request, provided I was, of course, willing to undergo extensive background checks and have my financial records investigated by ADVENT Intelligence. The price seemed too steep, and I ultimately declined because giving up my privacy to ADVENT seemed like too high a price for a simple interview.

Which then raised a point that not many have noticed: The Congress has almost no media presence whatsoever. When news media talks about ADVENT, they are generally referring to the Executive Branch, which is headed by the Chancellor, and naturally gets the most attention. Yet they rarely, if ever, discuss the Congress of Nations, arguably the most influential branch of the government. Why?

After my own encounters with Congress, I wanted to know just how others who'd interviewed them had achieved that, and if they had been subjected to the same requirements I was. And I have yet to find an actual TV interview with a Congressman present; the rare times the Congress is discussed, they bring an aide or attaché of a Congressman whose insight almost always is 'I can neither confirm nor deny'.

The Congress appears to only interact with the media through pre-planned press conferences where the Speaker of Congress announces the legislation passed and signed into law by the Chancellor, and a high-level idea of where the Congress will focus next. No additional details are given, and he takes no questions afterwards. Every single time he is accompanied by two in-uniform ADVENT Intelligence agents and an entourage of ADVENT Protection Service personnel.

It is well-documented at this point that the Congress Building has a level of security that not even the Pentagon had, and simple Congressmen are protected better than the President of the United States ever was. If that isn't an indication of just how valuable the Congress is to ADVENT, then I don't know what is.

The very existence of this controlled and secretive body has drastically affected how nations are influenced in ADVENT. I once inquired why a country like Israel had the exact same legislative power as a country like the United States, and if it was fair that it be the case, and the answer I received was fascinating.

"That depends on what you define as 'fair'. At some point Humanity must move past the antiquated systems of the past and realize that we are all Human, regardless of where we are born. The Congress of Nations is just that. What is the point of such a body if it will simply be dominated by the major powers as it was in the United Nations? We did not want this to be the Congress of the United States, Russia and Germany, but one of _nations_ , each having an equal voice and authority they did not possess before."

"ADVENT is one body now, and discriminating against a country simply because it is small is not acceptable, as they should have equal say in how ADVENT is governed on the national level. Is it fair that Delaware had the same level of influence as Texas in the United States Senate? It is the same here, and if it means that a vote from Armenia is of equal weight to one from the United States, then so be it."

That illustrates quite clearly how ADVENT perceives regional population differences in the Congress. It is an interesting stance to take, and did appear to be in direct response to the former United Nations being dominated by the three superpowers of the United States, Russia, and China, not to mention the seven nations on the Security Council having complete veto power.

If there is one thing the Congress cannot be completely criticized for, it is that the corruption that plagued old governments appears to have been completely eradicated. Bribery and embezzlement results in immediate arrest and prosecution; lobbyists have been neutered and rendered powerless; it is illegal to donate to election campaigns; and there are established standards for even qualifying for any government office.

Yet this has been replaced by a different form of corruption. Every single candidate is approved by ADVENT itself. The voting population is not getting a choice between different candidates, but between candidates who have only minimal differences at best. While this does have the effect of weeding out religious extremists, science-deniers, and criminals, at the same time it means that anyone truly wishing to enact change in ADVENT will likely never be allowed.

You cannot change ADVENT through legislation; they control the Congress, now and forever.

* * *

"You're brave to even be talking with me right now. Most people stop after they see the requirements. I know of your work, and if ADVENT is letting you speak to me, then I'm personally impressed. You've not exactly put out stuff that paints them in a good light."

"But yes, you wanted to talk about me. Understand that I can't give you specifics about what we're working on, but I can give you insight into how the process works here. The truth is, no matter how much some people will refuse to believe it, Congress isn't nearly as nefarious as is rumored. The level of secrecy is both a security precaution, and to keep our integrity intact. I was part of the United States Senate for nearly a decade, and I suppose going from that to _this_ would be jarring for many who are used to democratic bodies."

"What _is_ important to realize is that Congress is still very much democratic, but if I may say so, much more effective. We're not being told what to do by ADVENT, although some will not believe it. But I don't think people realize just how difficult it really is to even be chosen for this position."

"How difficult? Well, Mrs. Wong, if you are a Congressman in the Congress of Nations, you have no privacy anymore. Every single device you own has ADVENT Intelligence monitoring programs installed on it, your bank account is controlled by ADVENT, and who you are allowed to even talk to has to be approved by Election Oversight. Before even accepting the job, you are _thoroughly_ investigated. Your friends, family, anyone who knows you on a friendly level is interrogated and if you have anything more than a parking ticket, you're being rejected."

"Funnily enough, there were several former US Congressmen who also tried to get my job, and they were promptly arrested after ADVENT found they had accepted bribes from telecom companies. I'm of the mind that the person who wrote the guidelines for Congress was from the United States, because many of the new rules seem to directly address issues in the previous system…in an admittedly harsh way."

"The reason we don't have privacy isn't because ADVENT is looking for blackmail material on us, but to make sure we aren't being illegally influenced. As you personally know, everyone who has to even meet with me has to pass thorough investigations. All of us have to wear listening devices, and if we are offered any sort of incentive to vote a certain way…well, we have to report the offending individual and have proof to put them away. Lobbying isn't really a thing anymore, and at best these people are reduced to giving out potential ideas."

"Since ADVENT has control of election funds, people can't offer donations as a subtle form of bribe. It's rather liberating. No more fundraisers, no more empty promises, no more lies. ADVENT has systematically weeded out people who are only in it for the power or greed, and even if not…well, people like that don't last here. They slip up, and ADVENT is just waiting for a reason to remove you."

"Is Congress incorruptible? I don't believe anything is, but it _is_ almost impossible to influence a Congressmen now. We have freedom to vote how we want, and we all work closely with our respective Head of State; in my case, President Treduant. It's a steep personal price to pay, but the result is a Congress with integrity, which is something I don't think can be said for many government institutions."

"That should give you some insight into how rigorous the standards are to enter, but I know you're also curious as to how the Congress functions. Well, it isn't quite a simple as drafting legislation, introducing it, and voting on it, as it was in the United States. Back then, if a bill affected a certain part, we didn't actually have to consult with people who were in it. The smart ones did, but it wasn't mandated."

"That isn't the case here. From the conception of the bill, we are working with whatever Agency is most affected by it. So, for example, if there was a bill on healthcare, the bill would be drafted with the help of the Department of Health and Medical Resources. If they determine that the legislation would be detrimental to them, they have the authority to throw it out. However, they have to provide documented reasons for _why_ that is the case, and have it reviewed by Internal Affairs and Oversight."

"So, assuming that your first draft is good, you then move on to a committee where additional issues are raised on it, but that is largely a formality as most assume the larger issues are dealt with in the drafting stage. Unless you've done a really bad job, it will pass. Then it will actually go to the chamber floor for debate, which is split into two parts."

"The first part is the interrogation on the validity and usefulness of the bill itself. The author and Agency representative are interrogated on specifics, and the Congress has the authority to call in additional experts for second opinions. Provided nothing is rejected that isn't easily fixable, the debate itself will happen and at the end, there will be a vote."

"If it passes, then it goes to the Chancellor, who will either sign it or veto it. Although in the case of a veto, there has to be an evidence-based reason behind it, otherwise the Judicial Branch can overrule the veto without the need for a majority Congress vote. Vetoing based on ideology isn't something that is allowed anymore."

"How are the people? Very pleasant to work with, actually. It's refreshing to have competent colleagues for once, and there is a measure of satisfaction I can take from working with a functioning branch of government again. There aren't any extremists anymore or partisan loyalists. Everyone is focused on making ADVENT the most powerful force one the planet, and based on our work so far, I think we are well on our way to achieving that."

 _\- Congressman William Rivian to Journalist Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview_


	51. ADVENT-History:Fall of Political Parties

ADVENT: History

The Declination of Political Parties

* * *

" _The age of partisan politics is over."_

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Alien Propagandist (Suspected)_

 _Video Title: Your Choices Mean Nothing_

"I've been seeing what are, quite frankly, disturbing trends in the past couple of weeks, largely having to do with ADVENT government. They're playing everyone like sheep, and sadly there are some who are falling for their lies." _Subject shakes head_. "ADVENT _desperately_ wants you to think it's a democracy, but 'improved'." _Subject adds air quotes_. "This is the exact opposite of what it actually is."

 _Subject picks up a piece of paper._ "Now, this is what I've gathered from my sources. ADVENT _does_ want to let you vote, and give you, ah, _'choices'_ but in reality you don't have any at all. Remember the good old days when you were able to pick between several radically different people? Granted, not all of them were that great, but at least you got to vote for someone you could actually believe in for the most part. That's all gone now!" **[Observer note: What alternate universe was he living in for the past decade?]**

 _Subject is unsurprisingly agitated._ "Now? Your choices are between pro-ADVENT shills…and pro-ADVENT shills! Guess what they do if they don't like what you believe in? They just prevent you from applying in the first place! ADVENT hates and fears patriots; people who stood up for freedom and liberty, and because of that ADVENT wants them gone!"

"Not only that, but they are going after your essential and private rights! If you're a Christian, or have any sort of religion at all, you're going to be deemed 'dangerous' by ADVENT just because of your faith, and it's simply an excuse by ADVENT to stop ideas they deem 'extreme', which is a code for 'things that might make people realize we're tyrants'!" **[Observer note: That isn't how that works at all. Idiot.]**

 _Subject throws piece of paper away dramatically like the petulant child he is._ "The point that should be understood is that there isn't a way to peacefully change ADVENT. They are in control, and they possess all the strings many people have attached to themselves. They try and placate you with free stuff, and why do you think they do that? So you _don't ask questions_. You stop trying to make something out of your life and instead resign yourselves to one where you survive, but instead is an empty, soulless experience."

 _Subject points finger at the screen._ "ADVENT just wants to make all of you subservient drones; unthinking subjects who will accept anything they spew from their lying mouths. If we continue to simply sit by passively, it will be too late. Force ADVENT to expose their true agenda. This great country once threw off the shackles of one oppressive government, and the time is coming for us to do so again!"

 _End video._

 _Analysis: Another bunch of crap spewed by this blatantly obvious alien puppet. At some point he has to run out of material to rant about, and hopefully his dwindling base will move on with their lives. Although one potential problem in the future is that he seems to be getting some traction in non-ADVENT nations, although even traditional media is staying far away after basic inquiries into the guy, but unfortunately the civilian population isn't as discerning._

 _This video was particularly targeting several specific groups of people: right-wing militarists and evangelicals. The latter has complained about the so-called government persecution for years, and quite a few have been influenced to actual believe that nonsense. Since ADVENT is far harsher on religious extremists, that would naturally incite the more fanatical to possibly take action. That being said, the worst of the cults and extremist groups were either put down by Peacekeepers or are scheduled to be soon, so this is not something we should concern ourselves with._

 _The appeal for a 'second Revolutionary War' is an interesting tactic, and there are still quite a few people who might actually believe taking up arms against us is a valid tactic. Many of these individuals were proponents of the previous United States Second Amendment to an almost extreme degree, and as such were armed heavily with heavy ballistic weapons. However, the chances of these individuals posing a threat, let alone banding together in the first place, is negligible._

 _Nonetheless, I have attached the database file containing registered firearm owners. I would suggest several of them be put under watch, at your discretion, of course._

* * *

"Ah, _that_ question. I can certainly answer that. The first thing to understand about our methodology is that not all political ideologies or beliefs are equal. We have certainly taken steps against ones that pose a direct or ideological threat to ADVENT, but before anyone becomes too enraged, think about what that actually means."

"Yes, all registered political organizations must adhere to specific guidelines in order to be deemed legal. And the major political parties have generally been allowed to continue as normal…with a few additional rules. No, but what I'm talking about are organizations like the KKK, Nazis, New Black Panthers, and lesser right and left-wing extremist groups. Anarchists too, though those are generally classified as terrorist organizations."

"While it is true that the majority of people do not subscribe to these dangerous ideologies, the fact remains that they do exist, and the names vary depending on the country, but they are very much a part of the political process. You do not, and will never see a member of the Nazi Party of America run for president…but that doesn't mean they don't participate in the political process all the same."

"These fringe organizations are unfortunately in ways smarter than regular civilians, even if their ideologies are abhorrent. They can understand how to convert and radicalize people, play to their fear, and stoke tensions. Many used similar methods to the Caliphate in the War on Terror, and unfortunately it does have a decent success rate, especially with the addition of social media and the internet in general making havens for these ideologies to gain footholds."

"Their ways of influencing politics are subtle, but have malicious implications and ramifications. It is done through anonymous campaign donations, private meetings, and endorsements. Now most modern politicians disavowed such groups, and officially stated they wanted nothing to do with them, but they still took their money anyway, and very rarely are such disavowments believed. Because if there wasn't at least some shared ideology, why would they feel the need to endorse them in the first place, unless they felt there was a chance of seeing even part of their agenda being implemented?"

"Quite honestly, if I was being endorsed by a Nazi or KKK member, I'd really want to step back and evaluate exactly _why_ that was the case. It holds unpleasant implications no matter which way it goes, but most politicians on the receiving end of such an endorsement clearly never gave it too much thought."

"So with that background, you should understand why we can't let these groups continue to exist. Free speech was a good concept, but unfortunately it is too prone to abuse and guidelines must be established. We took action and it is my pleasure to say the KKK is no longer a recognized or legal organization, with most of the membership now residing in ADVENT prisons. The same approach has been taken with every other racist organization. It was rather satisfying to throw those people behind bars."

"I actually have a funny story here. See, since there was actually a legitimate Nazi party in America, Director Falka and Chief Stein decided to have some fun in smashing it. They did this with all major political parties too, but it essentially amounted to sending messages saying that all registered members had to meet at the town halls and whatnot. See, almost all political parties are now reduced to what are basically endorsement bodies, which gave these people the impression that the Nazi party was going to be legitimized alongside the Democrats and Republicans."

"Now there were a few who were smart and didn't come, but the ones that did were promptly arrested and the entire 'leadership', if you want to call them that, was taken into custody, and they are now working quite hard in jail for the rest of their lives. It was hilarious to see the looks on their faces as these idiots in Nazi paraphernalia show up and get promptly mocked before being thrown into a car and hauled off."

"Fun stuff. We also have a very useful means of making sure these people die out. Stein put out an official bounty for citizens that leads to the arrest of people holding similar views. Well, technically this applies to crime in general, but that includes getting rid of degenerates. So if you've got a Nazi coworker or someone posts something like that online, just contact your local Peacekeeper to get rid of them."

"Can it be abused? Certainly, but the good news is that most people are very bad liars, and neither the Peacekeepers, nor ADVENT Intelligence, will ever prosecute someone without proof. I assure you, if someone has deliberately filed a false accusation, _they_ will be the one going to jail instead. I would not concern yourself overmuch with that, Mrs. Wong. In general if you are a decent person, you have nothing to fear from ADVENT."

"But unfortunately, ideas take too long to die, and Humans are stubborn creatures. It isn't good enough to simply make abhorrent ideologies socially unacceptable; they must be purged from society entirely and die off, preferably alone and broken, knowing that they failed. Only then can we as a species fully move forward."

"Humans won't fix themselves, so that task must fall to those who are willing. And make no mistake, we are more than willing, we are _committed_."

 _\- ADVENT Intelligence Deputy Director Stephen Mueller to Journalist Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview_

* * *

The political landscape of every nation in ADVENT was changed almost overnight with the destruction of the United Nations, and the establishment of ADVENT. When ADVENT was established, no one had any idea of what to expect, and almost no one _ever_ expected ADVENT to affect the entirety of society the way it has.

The changes to criminal justice, social services, utilities, and the military have been well documented, but what has somewhat fallen to the side is just how extensively ADVENT has destroyed the established political process. Many democratic nations had a very simple system; people ran for a political office, people voted, and the winner assumed the position.

This has of course become increasingly complicated in the modern age. The introduction of money, computers, social media, the internet, and more have turned each election into what is essentially a high-risk mixture of business and gambling. Millions of dollars are pumped into presidential elections and those for other heads of state, and there can be some insinuation that there are candidates that, if not controlled by outside forces, are at least heavily influenced.

Political parties have become much more prominent, and in the United States specifically, the political landscape was dominated by the Republicans and Democrats. Even in other nations there were usually three dominant parties, and two were sometimes differing extremes of the same ideology. But in the end, it comes down to a battle of left and right-wing ideologies.

In the past years there has been increasing influence on governments from billion-dollar industries and similar organizations. Those who think this has not had an effect on legislation are unfortunately uninformed as to how the world works; rarely was there direct influence through bribes and threats, but done through anonymous donations, campaign organization, and other kinds of support.

"Quid-pro-quo" was the unofficial motto of governments around the world, and it was all maintained by the dominant political parties. Politics began to degenerate into a competition between teams, both demonizing the other. Promises would not be fulfilled; lies would be presented as truth; and policy was considered 'elitist' or 'unrealistic'. All parties exploited their bases, pandering to them and promising to enact their agenda should they 'take control'.

Bipartisanship was something that was increasingly rare, and the very word 'compromise' was shunned as the bases of parties became gradually more and more radicalized to hate each other, which was subtly encouraged by ranking party politicians. Money was the ultimate driver of politics and policy, no matter the country. Citizens were only tools to use to achieve that end.

For sure there were genuine men and women who cared about their constituents, but even this was exploited by the minority party. They were quick to point out how the majority party's policies were detrimental, and made promises to 'fix' things if they were to get a majority, yet curiously there is very little done when that happens.

It is quite obvious that the one who wrote ADVENT policy concerning government utterly, and rather ironically, hated politics.

The first and most obvious change ADVENT made was that money in politics was completely removed. Donations were no longer legal, nor was the solicitation of money. Failure to comply would not only get you removed from running for the office, but arrested and prosecuted. Election funding was controlled directly by ADVENT. Each candidate received a set sum of money that they could spend as they wished, but once it was gone, that was it.

This did not apply just to candidates, but political organizations as well. It threw every single major party into shock when they learned that they could not solicit money from voters, nor pump unlimited money into specific candidates. ADVENT forced them to give up the majority of their funds, which was in the upper millions.

Some obviously protested and refused, so ADVENT simply arrested the leadership and the replacements immediately complied with the demands. The second thing ADVENT did was immediately arrest every person holding a position of national influence who had taken obvious bribes, or committed unrelated crimes like assault, sexual harassment, or were heavily linked with extremist ideologies.

So what purpose do political parties serve in the age of ADVENT? In truth, none at all. All they are good for now is endorsements, but otherwise they cannot interfere in an election, as any sort of campaigning _not_ connected to the candidate is illegal. Political parties were dealt a death blow they are incapable of recovering from, and their power is gone forever.

This had a similar effect for lobbyists, who were almost entirely banned from even interacting with those in government. All have to register specifically as a lobbyist if they want to have any hope of meeting a congressman. Those who fail to register and yet persist are quickly arrested and placed in prison, and the fools that try to still unduly influence congressmen don't just get the person in question arrested, but the entire company will likely suffer as a result.

When the first arrests started, many politicians tried to avoid a similar fate, and quickly ratted out colleagues they knew had received illegal donations or made deals with outside companies. That in turn forced the ones being accused to pull out all the skeletons in their closets, and take their enemies out in an interesting form of political suicide. When all was said and done, there were quite a few vacancies to put it lightly; as an example, nearly half of the United States Congress was removed from power.

There has been a mixed-to-positive response to such actions, with many lawmakers actually celebrating the moves as they are thrilled to be free of the stifling political game, and people on all sides of the political spectrum both cheering and watching in dismay as their allies and rivals are destroyed in the aftermath. There is a fear that ADVENT will abuse their influence over the election process, but only time will tell how valid such a fear is.

In truth, whether valid or not, little will likely change. Public opinion has no meaning to ADVENT, and if they believe their way is superior, who is there to say otherwise?

 _\- Excerpt from 'Understanding the New World' by Chelsea Trinity_

* * *

Commander,

While your overall design for the Congress of Nations appears to be working as intended, and Saudia has been diligent in ensuring the integrity of the institution, I believe it is time for an update on where the Congress stands in regards to policy. It is largely unchanged from the last time, with the alien threat being the top issue.

However, the much more relevant change is the formation of what are internally known as "Ideologies" which are exactly what they sound like, different political philosophies. While political parties under ADVENT have essentially been destroyed, it is of course a mistake to assume that all congressmen are monolithic in their goals. All of them have their own vision for where they want ADVENT to prioritize in, and the formation of these ideologies is the manifestation of that.

I should clarify that these are not exactly the same as being a part of an old political party. The core principles of each congressmen are focused on the improvement and expansion of ADVENT and its citizens, but the means by which they want ADVENT to achieve this differ. All of them are solid in their own way, although in the context of the alien invasion, some ideologies are preferable to others. Interestingly, this has all been formed internally and not at all influenced by any outside body, including the Executive Branch.

With that in mind, here is a list of the current ideologies that congressmen have ascribed to themselves:

 _Militarists:_ This is one of the leading ideologies for obvious reasons. The goals of militarists are the expansion and improvement of all branches of the ADVENT military. The majority of legislation they introduce largely has to do with approving military operations, projects, and increased funding to the military as a whole. They were largely the reason ADVENT has been able to move so quickly in establishing new defenses, although the recent attacks likely have something to do with that as well.

Most Militarists generally do not have issues with forcefully bringing nations into ADVENT, though they are required by law to have solid reasons for doing so. What is also interesting right now is that at the moment the majority are seeking to cripple foreign nations that are deliberately standing in the way of ADVENT. They are working to reclaim Turkey's nuclear arsenal and have stated in no uncertain terms to every country in Africa that if the traitor Betos is not returned to them, they will not hesitate to work towards authorizing another annexation.

They curiously have mellowed towards China, which I can only presume is because China has stated it is more willing to work with ADVENT under certain conditions, and in general China does at least recognize the alien threat.

 _Expansionist_ s: These are congressmen who are focused on the expansion of ADVENT itself, either through military or economic means. The ultimate goal is the complete unification of the planet under ADVENT, but unlike Militarists, they would prefer foreign nations join them willingly…or because they have no choice.

Expansionists will prefer levying crippling sanctions against foreign nations as opposed to threatening military action or annexation. They have no problem with starving out a country until the government decides to capitulate and join, and they are working towards applying harsh sanctions to Turkey, Argentina, and Sweden.

In some ways they are more ruthless than Militarists, even if their goals are something good. I should also add that 'expansion' also means beyond Earth. They want to begin establishing space stations and colonizing planets or at minimum, stripping them for resources to feed back into ADVENT to expand further. Needless to say they are heavy supporters of spaceflight research.

 _Capitalists:_ This is not exactly the same as it was in, for example, the United States. Being a Capitalist in the Congress equates to being pro-Business effectiveness. Capitalists are not so much looking to give more power to businesses as they are to making sure they are run as efficiently as possible. Much of their legislation deals with business regulations, guidelines, and the cases for which they work with ADVENT.

This is a particularly interesting ideology because it has members who come from both sides of the political spectrum. It is _not_ an inherently right-wing ideology, and to date Capitalists are not so much interested as repealing regulations, but tweaking them to both preserve the original goal, and give businesses a little more leeway.

In some cases Capitalists have proposed legislation that gives slightly more control to telecom and oil businesses, both of which are effectively civilian-run branches of the Executive Branch. And by 'more control' that equates to they can choose their own managers and members…with a list of standards which any candidate has to conform to.

Capitalists are also the ones responsible for the government funding that goes into start-ups and small businesses, and they keep a very close eye on the more promising ones. If there are businesses that are performing well, they will work to increase their funding or give additional resources. Since their work is likely directly benefiting ADVENT, most see that as a win-win. However, to date, legislation introduced by Capitalists has the highest ratio of failure of all the ideologies.

 _Socialist_ s: Contrary to what you think Commander, socialism is still very much a part of the world, as it was especially prevalent to some extent in Europe, so ironically it is perhaps the one political party to be preserved in nearly its original form. Socialists have a much different focus than many of the other ideologies, which is the improvement of ADVENT social services.

They are the ones who are largely behind the healthcare, housing, and outreach programs ADVENT has enacted, and generally work to improve such programs incrementally. Right now they are heavily focused on the Middle East and drawing up quite a bit of legislation specific to that region, working with Marshall of course.

While their focus isn't necessarily as useful in context of the war, they are not anti-military in the slightest and have actually worked to get utilities, internet access, and other basic utilities to soldiers stationed in areas where such amenities are more difficult to come by. They also increased the food budget for the military, so quite a few soldiers have them to thank for better meals.

 _Conservative_ s: In principle, conservatism was the belief in smaller government and fiscal responsibility. That did lose quite a lot of meaning lately, but thanks to ADVENT it is beginning to make something of a comeback. Conservatives seek to increase the efficiency of ADVENT by using the resources they have at hand responsibly. The 'small government' part has appeared to be dropped entirely.

Conservatives keep heavy track of anything to do with ADVENT budgets, and most often introduce amendments to legislation which add or cut money depending on circumstance, and have rarely introduced full bills themselves. To an extent, their philosophy is simple: If it works, give it more money, if it doesn't, put the money somewhere else.

In some respects they are utterly ruthless. There were several programs dealing with researching different cancers, and the Conservatives successfully cut funding for each one because it wasn't producing results. To be fair, they did redistribute the cut money into programs that _were_ producing regular results which is the only reason they were able to pass something like that.

Also in contrast to the original notion of Conservatives, they are not inherently pro-military. They have no issue with cutting military spending in certain spots on projects they don't believe will have sustained usefulness. There was once a new kind of fighter jet that had been in development for an obscene amount of time and Conservatives immediately cut funding for it because it was a massive money drain and they put that money towards the Shieldbearer project, which has actually produced results. That should give you an illustration of their stances.

 _Innovationists:_ The focus for this ideology is on scientific and engineering excellence. Research and development is their primary goal and they want to turn ADVENT into a technological utopia brought to life by the advancements made possible by alien technology and resources. What is curious is that many don't have the ethical standards you would expect from a group that is primarily composed of, and supported by, scientists and engineers.

For instance, they were the ones who successfully passed legislation allowing dangerous Human experimentation, and the right for a convicted murderer being sent to the ADVENT Experimentation Labs as a substitute to the death penalty (which Stein approved of, by the way). They were also the ones to lift any sort of restriction on research into genetic bioweapons, and bioweapons in general to use against the aliens.

However, the majority of their work is benign; largely increasing funding for specific scientific branches, projects, and institutions. They are also heavy proponents of drug and substance research, and have expressed a desire to fund projects that look for useful properties of currently illegal drugs, and the development of non-addictive alternatives.

 _Libertarians:_ I will state right now that this has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the minor political party that was in the United States, so remove any assumptions you have about what a Libertarian in Congress actually is. Now, to answer that question, they are the most atypical ideology because they deny ADVENT convention in several ways.

They have taken up the mantle of supporting 'smaller government', and their general focus is not necessarily to _weaken_ ADVENT, but give more leeway to nation-states in certain areas and give each part of ADVENT a little unique identity. They are also generally opposed to some of the harsher parts of ADVENT, and believe that the punishment for certain crimes is too harsh, and the conditions in prisons not conducive to an effective prison force.

Note they have not actually _done_ anything in regards to that topic, largely because that idea is deeply unpopular, and Stein would not support it. Right now I'm suspecting they're waiting for more data to draw conclusions one way or another. Note that is the only part they take issue with; the death penalty and human experimentation as punishment they don't have an issue with.

They are sometimes derided as 'free speech' activists, largely because they don't necessarily think individuals should face years in prison for writing "Death to ADVENT" or something like that. Most Libertarians are of the opinion that more effort should be put into regulating the media, not silencing it, and they take a similar stance on the internet itself.

They are the smallest ideology by far, and haven't enacted much legislation at the moment. That either means they are waiting for their ideology to grow, or they are waiting for hard data to back up their proposals. Either way, it will be curious to see what happens with them.

 _Alliances:_ Now it is unlikely that congressmen will hold only one ideology; most of the time there are two main ones they subscribe to, and there are clearly some that make more sense than others. _Militarist-Expansionist_ is a very common one for obvious reasons, and members of both Ideologies get along very well. _Militarist-Innovationist_ is another common one, since Innovationists are happy to support the research of new weapons and military projects.

 _Capitalist-Conservative_ is something that actually synergizes quite well, since Capitalists seek to improve business efficiency, and the Conservatives actually keep track of what businesses are returning dividends, or if regulations or lack thereof are actually having an impact on spending. They work very well together, which isn't surprising given their ideological history.

 _Socialist-Innovationist_ is another one that has some level of synergy, especially in regards to aspects like healthcare and drug regulation, of which Socialists care very much about on a public level. They generally work together to get funding for projects related to disease, prosthetics, mental health and drugs, all of which have clear room for scientific application and public benefit.

 _Other notes:_ There are several additional notes about the various ideologies as a whole that I personally found interesting. The first is that there is no generic "environmental" ideology, nor anti-military or isolationist equivalents either. It is common sense, as holding such views would conflict heavily with the core of ADVENT, and since environmental issues aren't considered partisan anymore, there isn't a need for a dedicated ideology revolving around that. If anything, that role is filled by the Innovationists.

While there are different focuses, there are _no_ congressmen who are anti-military, anti-law enforcement, or who oppose the war in any way. Nor are there any heavily religious people either, which is not to say that there are no religious congressmen whatsoever, but they do not let their religion dictate policy (As a whole religious influence in government has disappeared almost entirely).

Unlike previous governments, congressmen are quite willing to work together and blatant partisanship for the sake of it (on any subject) is subject to investigation if it happens enough times. Saying "I do not support this" is not enough anymore; you have to give factual or logical reasons for a 'nay' vote or abstention. Simply voting no without at least trying to improve the bill through an amendment or debate is highly frowned upon and shows a laziness on the part of the congressman which can lead to him being investigated.

Ultimately, the result is a Congress that is much smarter, more effective, and far more trustworthy than potentially any democratic body before it. Regardless of differing focuses, every congressman only wants to make ADVENT the best it can possibly be, and with each Ideology being distinct from each other, I believe it will ultimately lead to the best iteration of ADVENT that is possible.

 _\- Central Officer Ariel Jackson_


	52. Vitakara - Races: Oyariah

Vitakara: Races

Oyariah

* * *

" _Calling them fanatics is incorrect; calling them idiots is a mistake; thinking they are inferior is dangerous. The Oyariah isolate themselves, but don't think they aren't cunning when they need to be._

 _And never make them angry."_

\- Zar'verinian'boreal

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Oyariah

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

The Oyariah are nearly as fascinating as the Vitakarians in terms of their biology and genetic mutability. While they sadly no longer retain their genetic versatility, they are by no means inferior as they have evolved a far different kind of protection. While this will focus on their unique plating, I will note that stripping an Oyariah down to the initial skin layers does reveal a figure very similar in construction to a Vitakarian, further cementing the theory that Vitakarians were the original Vitakara.

Beyond that, it bears some investigation as to both _how_ and _why_ the Oyariah evolved what is simply stone-like skin. The _how_ is curious as I cannot come to a reasonable conclusion as to how the Oyariah would develop the ability to grow stone skin to such a degree without outside intervention. What is curious is that there _are_ underground insects on Vitakar that have been observed to have a similar kind of stone-growth.

Oyariah history is almost non-existent before two thousand years ago when they first made contact with the Vitakarian Republic, largely because writing was not a skill developed due to their own culture not utilizing writing utensils. However, what has been recorded is preserved in their Stone Halls; carvings that the Oyariah refuse to either identify as history, or what could have passed for their own form of entertainment.

What is relevant to this is that there are carvings depicting ancient Oyariah (who appear to be still Vitakarians) wearing odd kinds of bulges on themselves. While it is not proof by a long stretch, it is entirely possible that at some point the Oyariah wore these insects as a form of armor, and soon adapted similar traits into their own biology.

Could the same effect be accomplished by ingestion? Unlikely, but still a mystery, and no longer relevant.

Modern Oyariah biology is not nearly as understood as many believe. There is this infuriating myth perpetuated that Oyariah are blind. This is not, strictly speaking, true. They have simply adapted to see clearly in the dark. While their eyesight is quite poor compared to other Vitakara, calling them 'blind' is a gross mischaracterization. They require genetic modification not to see, but so that natural sunlight isn't overwhelming to them.

What should also be understood about their sight is that they do not rely on it like many other species. If anything, they are more reliant on smell and sound, and this is reflected in their architecture and mapping. They do not hang lights or other visual aids when conducting these activities, but use specific plants that have distinctive smells, and is complimented by designs that echo or direct sound, which gives the Oyariah a better understanding of the environment than simply by sight.

An Oyariah will be far more crippled if their hearing is removed, than their sight taken away.

Now to focus on the most obvious trait of their biology; their stone-like skin. The substance itself is not related to anything else in their body, further suggesting that this was not a naturally occurring phenomenon, and is not something that is impenetrable or impossible to be destroyed. It is _not_ as strong as stone, and surprisingly highly weak to extreme heat.

This makes them extremely vulnerable to laser weapons and other heated projectiles. A weakness they compensate for by usually wearing additional overlaying armor. Against all other projectiles though, it is a superb defense. Melee weapons of all types are essentially useless against them, as are physical projectiles. Plasma is effective, but not to as large an extent as thermal weapons.

Oyariah do not to begin to grow this natural armor until approximately seven standard years of age, which has likely occurred because any younger and they might not be able to comprehend plate maintenance, and eventually become encased in their own skin without parental assistance. This is another extremely misunderstood point about the Oyariah: Their plates grow _everywhere_ their skin is. Yet they quite clearly do not have armor everywhere. This is because Oyariah between the ages of seven and fifty must carefully maintain their bodies to prevent themselves from being locked in their armor.

The growth of the Oyariah skin-plate has several stages:

 **Stage One:** The Oyariah will grow a kind of scale that covers the area of skin. These are transparent at the start, but will harden to a dark grey if left unattended for at least two weeks. They are fairly easy to remove with simple cutting instruments and the Oyariah have developed a tool that easily cuts out unwanted scales, ensuring that no plate growth will appear there. This stage repeats over the course of two weeks, although most Oyariah conduct this kind of bodily maintenance weekly to be safe.

 **Stage Two:** The scales will harden into a thin plate which offers moderate protection and is essentially stab-proof. The coloring will darken and the plate will be extremely difficult to remove, and the process is moderately painful without anesthetic, but it is possible to accomplish without modern medical equipment. Scales will soon begin growing over this plate, repeating the stages over again.

 **Stage Three:** The plate is thick and strong enough that it is impossible to safely remove without modern medical equipment. Even laser weaponry will have difficulty penetrating it. This largely happens to older Oyariah, or those in the Titans, as many Oyariah will live with their plates in a stage between stages two and three.

After the age of fifty, the Oyariah will stop growing scales, and thus, armor. Experiments have demonstrated that attempting to restart the process on those who exceed this age is extremely difficult, and has additional detrimental effects on their health. Scale growth rate also declines over time, stretching to three weeks between the ages of thirty to forty, and four weeks from forty to fifty. It takes a minimum of five years to an Oyariah to have a plate grow from scales to what is considered 'standard' plate protection, which is equivalent to a stage between two and three. It takes a minimum of seven years to fully develop stage three plates.

The Oyariah have adapted to this in various ways, and now that they have multiple ways to control plate growth, it is quite common to see them turn it into something of an art form; shaping their armor into curious shapes and engraving various symbols and icons that have no meaning to anyone other than an Oyariah.

However, they are useless if their natural ability cannot be adapted, but there is considerable progress being made towards applying it to non-Oyariah species. Unfortunately, it has the current effect of quickly killing the one affected by it due to uncontrollable plate growth, imprisoning and killing the subject within days.

Inconvenient. I have yet to pinpoint the exact issue.

However, it could indeed be an effective weapon. Perhaps Earth would be a suitable testing ground? Humans react mostly the same as Vitakarians currently, and the effects would certainly be fatal, and there is little they could do to stop an outbreak.

Yet this might interfere with the Imperator's plans for Earth. Wide-scale deployment might not be feasible.

I shall have to inquire further.

* * *

The Oyariah are considered one of the more isolated races on Vitakar, rivaling the Sar'Manda in isolation. Yet unlike the underwater Empire, the Oyariah are quite open to visitors, but very few of us are willing to make the journey to their underground cities out of a misguided fear that the Hegemony themselves do not bother addressing.

The question of why the Oyariah would allow negative stories of their race to propagate without addressing them is foreign to the majority of Vitakara, but it is quite simple: The Oyariah don't particularly care. Words are not something they are intimidated by; only action is important to them. The other reason is that Oyariah are very slow to assume the worst of others.

To fully understand the Oyariah, you must learn and interact with them personally. I undertook the journey to their Hegemony and returned with a much better understanding of their mindset and outlook.

 **History:** The Oyariah are extremely secretive of their history, although much of it is unwritten due to them not developing a written language until recently. The Stone Halls are where Oyariah keep immaculately preserved stone carvings of various people and events. It is impossible to fully comprehend without being an Oyariah yourself, but even outsiders can piece together some of their history from just observing the carvings.

Much like the Vitakarians in the beginning, the Oyariah were nomads who wandered the caves beneath Vitakar. During this time they were besieged by beasts that I presume are extinct today, as there are no similar animals or insects that resemble those in the Stone Halls. It can only be presumed that the Oyariah wiped out all predators that posed a threat to them over an unspecified period of time.

The Oyariah settled down in the now-established Hegemon City soon after they finished their purges of the offending wildlife, according to the carvings, which depict an unnamed Oyariah establishing the Sigil of the Hegemony in a field of corpses of unknown beasts. While there is nothing concrete, there are similar carvings of the Sigil being planted in differing locations, without the unknown corpses, indicating the spread of the Hegemony.

The first contact of the Oyariah is well-documented, and after a brief period of tension, peaceful relations were established, and when the Aui'Vitakar was created, the Oyariah were welcomed as members and have participated ever since. Their history is very short, largely because the majority of it is undocumented, and can only be inferred from the pieces in the Stone Halls. This will be detailed below:

 **The Stone Halls:** As the Oyariah do not wish to reveal much about the Stone Halls, there is some debate if they can actually be considered historical, or merely what passes for their entertainment. Regardless, most historians agree that there is enough evidence to infer some pre-history of the Oyariah. There are also several specific murals, statues and carvings that are worth noting. The names are not official, and are the best description I could ascribe to the pieces:

 _Proto-Oyariah:_ There is only one statue that seems to portray Oyariah before they evolved their natural armor. It is a single faceless figure holding a primitive spear facing a snarling toothed and spiky creature there is no name for. The figure appears to be wearing little more than crudely attached stones for armor, but is nonetheless unique among all the other pieces in the Stone Halls. Non-Oyariah are portrayed rarely in the Stone Halls, and there is an ongoing debate on if the figure is indeed a proto-Oyariah, or a Vitakarian. If the latter, the question then becomes why?

 _Hunting the Beasts:_ This is one of the more memorable pieces due to the scale of the carved mural. It takes up nearly an entire wall while depicting an army of primitive Oyariah seemingly only armored by their plates, and equipped with stone blades and spears, preparing to fight what seems to be a nest of insect-like creatures with six legs and crushing jaws. Whether this has any symbolic meaning, or is simply a piece of history they felt needed to be recorded is still unknown.

 _Stalker of the Hegemony:_ The helmet and cape of the Stalker is well known throughout Vitakar, but the oldest instance I noticed with it was a simple mural carving of an Oyariah lifting the helmet upon his head, and attaching the 'cape', which at the time appeared to be the pelt of some underground animal. It is quite possible this is the first Stalker, and likely the best of their hunters, who earned the title by eradicating a species or destroying a hive of these creatures. If this is the case, the Oyariah are hesitant to confirm it.

 _The Execution:_ This is one of the most disturbing of murals because it is a rare instance where the Oyariah use color. It is only the golden yellow of blood, and depicted is the execution of several unidentified Oyariah by the current Stalker of the Hegemony. This is the *only* instance of internal conflict, as all other times the Oyariah are always portrayed as united. It is unlikely the Hegemony will reveal the story behind this mural.

 _Surface Dwellers:_ All of us are familiar with the history of how the Vitakarian Republic first made contact with the Hegemony under less-than-pleasant terms, which involved the Hegemony taking the Vitakarians prisoner. While this was resolved quickly, the Oyariah have chosen to portray the less-peaceful part of the meeting, which has the Vitakarians bound and on their knees in the Square of the Hegemon City, with who I presume is the Stalker Heg'yorah'hegemon standing above them, the ceremonial stone sword in his hand.

Interlude Note: As stonework is largely considered an archaic art, most people assume that the Oyariah stopped when writing was developed. However, this is not the case, and this practice of immortalizing events and people from history has continued to this day, including some scenes that any Vitakara will recognize.

 _Plague:_ This is another instance where the Oyariah used color, and the scale is equal to _Hunting the Beasts_. It is a sickening depiction of the Oyariah affected by the Plague, with them lying on the ground, bleeding out, plates falling off, all awash in the color of blood. It also speaks to how deeply this affected them, because they conducted similarly-sized additions that portray each of the races under the effects of the Plague, even the Sar'Manda. The days of the Plague are long in the past, but looking at the Oyariah murals reminds those who see them how horrific the entire ordeal truly was.

 _Elders:_ The arrival of the Elders is the largest carved mural in the entirety of the Stone Halls. The Elder envisioned is depicted in what can only be described as a radiant light, with the possible meaning of bringing salvation and uplifting the species. The connecting piece is the statue of Stalker Heg'tretiga'hegemon pledging loyalty to the Elder Sana'Ligna. In addition there are statues of every known Elder, which includes Sana'Ligna, Revelean, and the Battlemaster.

 _Muton Subjugation:_ This piece is curious for several reasons, namely how the Oyariah know the event in the detail it is portrayed as. The Hegemony was not part of that event, and even the Aui'Vitakar do not know the full details even to this day. Nonetheless the carving portrays the Battlemaster cutting his way through the Muton tribes, the entire ground around him covered in corpses. The only part of the carving that is colored is the Battlemaster's sword, which is splattered irregularly with the orange color of Muton blood.

 _Godkiller:_ This is by far the most odd of the pieces in the Stone Halls. It depicts an Elder, one with a tattered robe and scarred helmet, on its knees, unleashing psionic power towards what appears to be Vitakarian-like figures in strange armor, who are responding by usin psionic attacks in return, and firing from strange weapons. The meaning and allowance of this carving is a complete mystery. It appears to portray the death of an Elder, but why the Oyariah would even permit the creation of a piece that depicts that is questionable. There are some arguments that it could be considered a warning of some kind, but of what? A rebellion? A vision of the future? No one knows, and the Oyariah will not explain.

 _The Alien_ : This is also a recent addition, and it is arguably just as confusing as the _Godkiller_ piece, as it is simply a carving depicting an alien, with a striking resemblance to a male Vitakarian, in the midst of fire, wearing the strange armor from the other piece. Behind him is a symbol that I have never seen before, it is a strange shape with odd markings, but is identified by the letters on the top: XCOM. What this is, I do not know, but it is possible that it has a similar meaning to that of the previous one, which is possibly a warning.

 **Modern Culture:** The Oyariah are largely a peaceful society, and this is ironically due to the creation of the Fighting Arena. This arena is where Oyariah battle each other for sport. Unlike what might be expected, they do not fight to a conclusion, but rather until they feel satisfied with hitting each other as hard as they can.

They are nearly invulnerable to melee weapons, and use fully lethal and modern equivalents against each other, with the full intent to cause damage, even if both know it will have no effect. The fight ends when an Oyariah yells the word that roughly translates to "I conclude this battle". Their opponent will immediately stop, and either depart as well, or if they wish, continue and fight the next combatant.

It is not recommended that members of other races attempt to participate in the Fighting Arenas since there is a high chance of death. But to Oyariah, it is a welcome distraction and their means of both relieving stress, and for those of the Titans, as a means of honing their skill with less common weapons.

Oyariah architecture is nonsensical by what is largely considered modern standards, with their own buildings being geometrically irregular and otherwise in cube-like haphazard designs. This is because the Oyariah do not rely on sight, and thus they design their buildings around a weak kind of echolocation which allows them to better visualize areas.

Visitors to the Hegemony will also note that it is very dimly lit, with them only using a glowing blue fungus grown on their farms. This is not because they are incapable of using more powerful lighting, but that even weak electric lights are simply too strong for them without becoming disoriented. The vast majority of Oyariah have not undergone genetic modification that reduces their sensitivity to bright light.

Visitors will also notice that there is a noticeable mix of smells that can be overpowering at first, but this is simply another means of how Oyariah navigate their cities. They have specific strands of certain plants that emit smells, which are identical to us, but are quite varied to Oyariah. They use these to mark important places, specific beings, and direction. The Hegemony is very strict about controlling this aspect to prevent what to them would be considered fraud, since to Oyariah, impersonation is not simply pretending to be another, but having their distinctive smell as well.

Another aspect of Oyariah culture that most people are unaware of is that the Oyariah do not generally use electronic and holographic devices in the cities. Most are familiar with the technology, but their "documents" are written on thin plates of stone. It is largely impractical for large quantities, of course, which is why the Oyariah use specially designed machines to do the carving, which it then does in a short amount of time, and the finished tablets are taken to the Black Library, which is the only part of the Hegemony that is managed with electronic means.

Oyariah are not beings who change easily, nor will they unless forced to. They believe that there is nothing that is a threat to them any longer, since they took command of the underground, and overcame the Plague with the arrival of the Elders, and now believe that with the Elders protecting them, they cannot be stopped.

Reading the words I write here is the first step towards understanding them, but you will not fully comprehend them until you visit the Hegemony for yourself. It is an experience I recommend each Vitakara do at least once in their lives, and only through understanding each other can we strengthen the ties between the races, and become a stronger species.

 _\- Vit'narrian'vitiary, Vitakarian Republic Historian and Record Keeper, writing on the history and culture of the Oyariah Hegemony_

* * *

REPORT: 110100111110

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE OYARIAH HEGEMONY

SPECIES: VITAKARA

CLASSIFICATION: LOCAL GOVERNMENT

LEADER: HEG'TRETIGA'HEGEMON, STALKER OF THE HEGEMONY

CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY

VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION: LOW

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: MEDIUM

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: LOW

INFORMATION OF NOTE: OYARIAH HEGEMONY LOCATED UNDERGROUND – AREAS OF PENETRATION LIMITED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL SUPPORT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: QUESTIONABLY INFORMED ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ATYPICAL RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: MILD TENSIONS BETWEEN OYARIAH HEGEMONY AND AUI'VITAKAR

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Oyariah Hegemony is quite possibly the most dangerous of the Vitakara local governments, with the possible exception of the Sar'Manda Empire. The difference is that we can make some logical assumptions about the nature of the Hegemony, when the same is simply impossible currently with the Empire.

The Hegemony itself is what is largely considered the most crude of all local governments, which is reflected in their culture of ritual combat, titles, and unique method of recording history. Their governmental structure is one of the most curious, which is detailed below.

The Hegemony is led by the Stalker of the Hegemony, a title which appears to be one from a history when the Oyariah were ravaged by unknown underground creatures that no longer exist. Very little is known of how the Stalker is chosen, as the Hegemony does not keep easily accessed records, but it does not appear to be a hereditary or democratic role. This question will likely be answered in the coming decades as a new Stalker is chosen.

The Stalker does appear to have complete control over the Hegemony. He is surrounded by exactly six advisors, three male, three female, all of whom are appointed by him (Note: The Stalker will be referred to as 'he' as there have been no indications that it is possible for a female to achieve this rank. However, this is unconfirmed). Each advisor appears to be directly responsible for managing certain territories of the Hegemony, as well as local policy, which in general is limited.

The other figure that associates with the Stalker is the One Encased. The language spoken by this Oyariah is not on any records, but it appears the Stalker can understand him. The name is likely due to the fact that this Oyariah has been consumed by his stone skin, effectively sealing him in place, though this appears to be intentional. He is kept alive through nutrient injections, and resides exclusively in the Black Library, perhaps indicating the rank is that of a historian or loremaster. This is unable to be confirmed due to the security of the Black Library.

Another figure of note is the Ravager of the Hegemony Titans, what passes for the Hegemony military. It is an exceptionally small group for a military, the numbers more akin to a special forces group, but they make up for it by being extremely difficult to kill in battle. The majority of Titans use heavy melee weaponry, but there is a group that will use ranged cannons if pressed. Curiously, there have been three Ravagers since contact with the Vitakara, and all of them have been female. The reason for this is unknown.

The final figure of note is the Revealer, the leader of the organized religion of the Hegemony. There have been both male and female Revealers, and their primary goal is conveying the so-called 'will of the elders' to the Oyariah. The Revealer commands the Messengers, which function in spreading this to the Hegemony itself.

The Revealer is also curiously absent much of the time from the Hegemony, but each time they return, the Hegemony seems to know more than the current Aui'Vitakar. The messages are also laced with what both appears to be propaganda and preemptive orders concerning events that appear to be more contingencies than anything else.

The Oyariah religion around the Elders is perplexing for a number of reasons. The first of which is that out of all the races, they are the only ones to have formed any religious doctrine or beliefs, which were never ever considered in other races, or died out long ago. Yet the Oyariah, since the beginning, appear to have always believed in a higher power.

The second perplexing thing of note is that the Oyariah have no interest in spreading their beliefs beyond the Hegemony. They will certainly profess their faith in the Elders, but there has never been a recorded instance of religious conversion or persuasion. The Hegemony seems to only want to keep their gods to themselves, which is atypical.

Further research into the religion itself reveals some interesting information. Despite the reputation of Oyariah being 'fanatics', there is little fanatical about them. Nor is their belief in the Elders entirely what it seems. To most, the concept of "God" is one who is responsible for one or more aspects of the creation of reality itself. To put it simply, the Oyariah do not recognize the Elders as gods in the traditional sense.

They do not believe the Ethereals are responsible for the creation of any aspect of the galaxy, but they _do_ believe the Ethereals are beings of a higher power; that they are beings that can perform impossible feats that no others can replicate. They are under the belief that they have some greater understanding of the galaxy that no one else can comprehend.

Given what we know of the Ethereals, this appears to be true on some level. Yet the religion seems to be based on the Ethereal usage of psionics, and their long lifespan. To date, there is no proof of a correlation between psionics and greater logical comprehension. It cannot simply be psionics that can be responsible for this odd devotion, as both the Sectoids and Humans are capable of such. Once more it seems uncomfortably likely that the Hegemony may know something we don't.

Their religion also appears very personal in nature. The Messengers may gather Oyariah to share the latest words of the Elders, but otherwise Oyariah do not display any hallmarks of religious societies. There are no services or public devotion of any kind. And as mentioned above, they do not appear to want to convert others to their faith.

But it should also be noted that there has yet to be an Oyariah encountered that does not follow this religion. One more strange part in this puzzle.

There are several other areas of note about the Hegemony, the first of which is the Black Library. As the Hegemony does not use electronic documents, it is impossible to recover information in the designated repository or information, known as the Black Library, which supposedly has every single Oyariah record since the formation of writing. Supposedly their history, their baffling customs, and their plans are recorded within. Any Oyariah can enter, but foreigners and aliens (With the exception of Elders) are not permitted entry.

The Black Library is guarded by twenty-five Titans on the outside, and an unknown number inside, and standing orders are to kill anything that is not authorized to be in there. Penetration is not recommended, and even if that were the case, stone tablets are not an ideal source for storing information that can be accessed in an effective manner.

The other main location of note is the Stone Halls, which is a combination of a museum and art gallery. Within the Oyariah have statues, murals, and carvings of what is commonly assumed to be various parts of their history. It is constantly being added to, and completely constructed and maintained by hand, overseen by the Stone Shaper who often meets with the One Encased. There are rumors that there is a secret wing of the Stone Halls that is not accessible to outsiders, but this is unconfirmed.

The Hegemony itself is a fairly standard operation, with the exception of their justice system. Oyariah quite curiously, do not appear to believe in punishment as recognized by other races. However, the means by which they _do_ punish their criminals and deviants is one that might be considered inhumane.

Quite simply, it does not matter what the crime is, the punishment is always the same: The punishment referred to as the "Screaming Prison" which is what happens when the Oyariah become encased in their armor due to poor plate maintenance. The Oyariah is bound and kept in position, with nutrient tubes established, and kept in the same place for a minimum of two weeks, when the scales start to harden. How long they stay in this positon depends on the severity of the crime.

After the sentence is fulfilled, they will be released and the plating that has built around their joints and other sensitive areas will be surgically removed, and they return to fully integrate into society. The Hegemony operates on the assumption that no one will want to repeat that experience, and so far they appear to be right. To date, there has never been a repeated conviction in the entirety of recorded and observed Oyariah history.

The Hegemony is a large mix of questions we do not have answers to. But we must take care in investigating this further. If the Ethereals are involved, we do not know how far they will go to protect their most loyal allies.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF OYARIAH HEGEMONY; INVESTIGATE MEANS OF PENETRATING THE BLACK LIBRARY; ACQUIRE ZARARCH OR ETHEREAL RECORDS ON OYARIAH

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 182; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION


	53. Vitakara - Organizations: The Nulorian

Vitakara: Organizations

The Nulorian

* * *

" _We are not freedom fighters. We are terrorists."_

\- Miridian

* * *

 _Message written by Miridian distributed throughout Vitakar. Zararch attempts at containment were not completely successful._

Your lives are an illusion; a waking dream controlled by those far more powerful and intelligent than you. All who sleepwalk through this life are willing puppets, and as such, are not worthy of any consideration.

The Aui'Vitakar are a sham, propped up and controlled by the Elders. The Aui'Vitakar have sold our species to fight in their wars and serve in their armies. The Borelians are cowards who have failed to adhere to their calling of facing down threats to themselves and the Vitakara. To not see the threat posed by this outside force is willful negligence.

The Vitakarian Republic is a spineless mouthpiece of the Elders; hiding behind the 'will of the people'; drones who have been conditioned to accept what the Elders push as truth. The Cobrarian have succumbed to their selfishness, placing their foolish crusade on control of their race over the good of the species. They will not be judged kindly.

The Dath'Haram have showed their true colors by refusing to move beyond their forests and into the wider galaxy. It is harsh. It is bloody. It is cold. And they have willingly bowed to the Elders and turned their own people in by the dozens. The Oyariah are traitors to our species; blind fanatics to the Elders who would sacrifice what little we have left at their whims.

Their race is a stain on our species, and they will be purged.

The Zararch are mere pawns of the Elders; they watch our people for any sign of defiance; of expression; of _questioning_ the way things are. There are no delays; no risks taken. Those who threaten the order the Elders have imposed are removed and those who know join them, or keep their silence. Such cowardice and submission is a disease on our species, and those afflicted by it are forever in the grasp of the Elders.

This is not a call to arms. It is not a manifesto. It is not meant to inspire.

It is a warning.

There is no neutrality in this conflict. There are no bystanders. Every Vitakarian has a choice in this. We are always watching, and actions are not unnoticed.

All will die one day, but we will ensure that we kill as many of the puppets as possible before doing so. Take care that you are not one of them.

\- Miridian

* * *

Operation: Terrorist Danger

Division: Counter Terrorism Investigation

Report Author: Zar'gillo'vitiary

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

Due to the Nulorian enjoying a surprising, but ultimately pointless resurgence, I have completed the task assigned and shall provide a comprehensive overview of these traitors both to the species and the Collective itself. The first thing to reiterate is that their overall goals have not changed at all, and if anything, have grown even more radical and fanatical.

It is ironic considering their hatred of the Oyariah.

While you are familiar with their unique ideology, I do wish to add an overview for those who are unaware of the danger the Nulorian pose not just in a military capacity, but to our citizens as well. The Nulorian are terrorists, and while that word in the past has had negative correlations, it is something the Nulorian not only embrace, but actively emphasize.

Contrary to what many believe about the Nulorian, they have no endgame. Their only purpose is to kill as many of us as they can, before they themselves are killed. They are, as their leader Miridian puts it, "not freedom fighters". They reject any notion that they are doing this other than a desire to spill blood.

It is a movement that is based on vengeance, usually out of a misguided anger at our own organization for removing disruptive elements in our society. Nulorian are troublemakers that we were simply unable to locate before they turned. The threat they pose to the Collective itself is so low as to be laughable, but on Vitakar they have made their presence quite known.

Nulorian tactics in the past have held nothing back. While we have ensured that the worst of the attacks do not spread, people are aware when the Nulorian have struck. The last major attack seven years ago with the raid that resulted in an entire shipment of plasma weapons stolen, with the workers killed, was a stark reminder of what these terrorists are capable of when they put effort into their plans.

However, the Nulorian as they exist today are not quite the same. I suspect based on what I've found that both their resources and manpower are low, and have instead moved from the more traditional terrorist activities to information warfare, which comes in the form of what we have now designated as 'watchers'. From interrogations, we have determined that this is a relatively recent low-ranking Nulorian operative that does exactly what the name suggests: Watches.

They appear to work on a need-to-know basis, only being contacted by higher-ranked Nulorian agents when they deem it necessary. There is an odd percentage that are resistant to enhanced interrogation techniques, and keep insisting they don't know anything. This unfortunately appears to be true in a lot of cases. It is entirely possible that the Nulorian have either managed to fabricate or steal memory-altering drugs and are using them on their agents to counter us.

To date this is not proven, but any trace of similar drugs would have likely faded long ago, and as of now we currently have no better explanation. The Nulorian would see us all dead, but they are loyal to their own, and those watchers spreading their propaganda is indisputable.

As always, the most dangerous factor is Miridian himself. We have still be unable to locate anything related to him, be it his race, age, or name. He could quite honestly be anywhere on Vitakar, and the Nulorian structure we have been able to map out as such seems specifically designed to make it almost impossible to locate him. He works through messengers and intermediaries, and I have never heard mention of him personally taking part in an operation.

However, it has been nearly forty years since Miridian first appeared. At some point he will begin suffering effects of aging if he is a Vitakarian, Dath'Haram or Cobrarian. If he is an Oyariah or Borelian, then he might be a concern for a while longer. I have not included the Sar'Manda because the rare audio recordings of him bear no indication of a synthesized voice, nor any of the hallmarks of Sar'Manda speech. Unless he is using a decoy, Miridian is not a Sar'Manda.

The question of what race he belongs to is difficult. The most likely candidates are Vitakarian or Borelian, as speech patterns and voice match well to known Vitakarian speech patterns and sounds. But a Borelian would suit well in terms of personality, and since Miridian _is_ established as male, that might even reinforce that theory. Borelian males are far more refined and strategic than females, and their voices are far softer as well, so the role Miridian has taken does fit with a male Borelian.

The other factor to consider is of course that the recordings where Miridian is speaking are dubbed, and are not accurate. This we have yet to see disputed, and with three separate recordings with the same tone, we can at minimum establish that Miridian is male, he is not a Sar'Manda, and he wants nothing more than to kill all of us.

His background is open to speculation, but his range of skills could range from Zararch agents to one of the Aui'Vitakar themselves. It is simply impossible to narrow the search without more physical data on Miridian himself. I suggest that be the next step in this operation, should you continue it.

* * *

REPORT: 000010011111

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE NULORIAN

SPECIES: VITAKARA

CLASSIFICATION: TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

LEADER: "MIRIDIAN" – ERROR: TITLE NOT RECOGNIZED

MEMBER COUNT: UNKNOWN

CURRENT STATUS: HOSTILE

VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: UNKNOWN – REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: LOW

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: UNKNOWN – OUTSIDE FACTORS HAVE YET TO BE CONFIRMED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: DETAILS OF LEADER MIRIDIAN UNKNOWN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: WELL-EQUIPPED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LOCATION OF OPERATIONS UNKNOWN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: NON-TRADITIONAL MOTIVES

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Nulorian should not exist in their current form. Despite Zararch assurances that the issue has been dealt with, all indications from Special Operators on Vitakar are that the Nulorian are not dying off – but expanding. The observed methods are slow and subtle, and have been the culmination of what appears to be years of work.

Nulorian attacks on Vitakara locations/outposts have dropped dramatically, and this appears to be an intentional choice on the part of the Nulorian, perhaps as a means to lull the Zararch into complacency. Further investigation into Nulorian activity has revealed the most notable tactics they have employed over the past decade.

The Nulorian have systematically and slowly radicalized specific parts of the population through a combination of propaganda, subversion, exploitation, and manipulation. These will be covered briefly below:

 **Propaganda** : Ever since the infamous message Miridian released (Which was quickly quieted by the Zararch), the Nulorian have acted far more subtly. It is my conclusion that what Miridian wrote was intentionally designed to be both provocative and far more combative than his true goals. He planted in the minds of many of what Nulorian propaganda is, and therefore people are more susceptible to more moderate forms of persuasion, as they are convinced they can identify obvious terrorist propaganda.

The Nulorian rarely spread propaganda on their own. To them, propaganda is the simple art of asking questions. The original chain may be started by the Nulorian operative, but as Vitakara are a social people, conversations, arguments and debates tend to spread, and soon people begin to wonder about things that were considered unthinkable.

Nulorian propaganda is, quite simply, a means of planting doubt.

 **Subversion** : The Aui'Vitakar and Zararch have underestimated the Nulorian. _Badly_. This is why:

What was a Nulorian agent ten, or even twenty years ago, is not the same one they use today. A classic Nulorian terrorist would be responsible for destroying a Dath'Haram school in a suicide blast, or making an attempt on a member of the Aui'Vitakar. Those kind of terrorists do not exist any longer, or if they do, they have either been stopped or Miridian is holding them in reserve.

The Nulorian terrorist today is trained well enough to be considered a Lurainian, or a skilled enough diplomat to hold a reasonable conversation. These are certainly not the _only_ Nulorian operatives, but they are the most public. The Zararch have yet to figure out that the Nulorian have moved beyond cheap terrorists, and into _intelligent_ terrorists.

They are still looking for mentally unstable shooters, and suicide bombers. I suspect they only think Miridian is the actual threat, when in reality he likely has a core of well-trained officers. There is the question of just _how_ Miridian turned the Nulorian into this, but that I will address further in.

 **Exploitation** : The Nulorian appear to know how the Aui'Vitakar and Zararch think, and therefore they can predict what will be their response. The reason the Nulorian are both bigger than they are, and larger in general is because the Zararch do most of the radicalizing for them. The majority of "Nulorian" they interrogate are not actual agents at all, but largely people asking questions that are Nulorian in origin.

At no point do the Zararch appear to realize that these aren't agents that are simply not being told anything (They are referred to as 'watchers' as in they watch and report to the Nulorian. This is largely not true.), but civilians that don't realize they are spreading Nulorian propaganda.

That slight distinction does not seem to matter to the Zararch.

The Nulorian will then act in a much more direct manner. The sibling or other related individual connected to the one taken is far more vulnerable to radicalization than one who is content with their life. The Nulorian only want true believers; they only want people who have nothing to lose; everything else is expendable. They are perfectly content to sacrifice dozens of the 'puppets' as they deridingly refer to the civilians, if it means they acquire one _actual_ Nulorian agent or observer.

 **Manipulation** : This is where the impressive ruthlessness of the Nulorian is on full display. From our brief investigations, it appears that every single Nulorian recruit has been specifically chosen and driven to join the Nulorian. The methods used to achieve this goal are notably brilliant, and once more manipulate the Zararch into doing most of the work for them.

Understand that the Nulorian, and Miridian in particular, do not care about their species. No matter what they claim, they do not care about them. Only a few are not expendable, and they will do what they can to manipulate them to their side. The Zararch are extremely overzealous in their efforts to stamp out anti-Collective sentiments, and the Nulorian exploit that to the fullest.

Once their target for radicalization is chosen, they will slowly and surely begin implicating those around him or her; making them targets for the Zararch. This is done through propaganda as discussed earlier, or even planting irrefutable evidence of Nulorian involvement on computer systems or boxes of contraband in their homes.

After all, the Nulorian would _never_ sell out their own.

Those marked by the Nulorian will have every single person they care about systematically taken or killed by the Zararch. To avoid suspicion, at times they will perform a more conventional form of removal. A speeder crash. A fatal poison. The methods don't matter as long as those around the target die.

Miridian is intelligent. There is little that is more dangerous than one who has nothing to lose, and as it is likely that this has been going on for at least a decade, chances are that the Nulorian are far more dangerous than even we understand.

 **Concerns** : Reading this, there are certain questions that have no doubt arisen. Those familiar with Nulorian history will note that this does not sound anything like the terrorists that existed two decades ago. The question is how this came about: There are only a few possible explanations.

One: Miridian adapted, and shaped the Nulorian into what it is today because he _had_ to if his movement was to survive. However, the level of coordination and resources involved seems too large if this was done at the hand of one Vitakara and perhaps a few of his close advisors.

Two: The Nulorian had, or are still getting, help. This would provide a far better explanation as to their evolution as opposed to the first. The question then is, who would be helping them? It is highly unlikely that there is an outside _organization_ funding them, but it is entirely likely that they have important contacts established within the Aui'Vitakar, Runianarch, and Lurainian. They do not need many, but a few Lurainian defectors would explain how their operatives are far beyond mere terrorists, and potentially equal to the best of Vitakara soldiers.

That does not account for everything, of course, but unfortunately there is little more we can do without either infiltrating or making contact with the Nulorian themselves. Infiltration will be extremely difficult, if not impossible without the resources to introduce a Vitakara agent, and have them subsequently be targeted by the Nulorian for radicalization. They unfortunately do not post job offers or internships either, which negates that admittedly slim means of entry.

The goals of the Nulorian are not aligned with our own. They seek the destruction of the Collective, and that is not a supported goal. Their effect of destabilizing the Vitakara is a far more useful application, and one that we should consider supporting. Unfortunately, Miridian is unpredictable, and until we have sufficient information and a psychological profile on him, it is entirely likely he may expose Andromedon contact in an effort to destabilize Collective-Federation relations.

Should Miridian be removed, the chances of this outcome drop significantly. However, the chances of locating, let alone killing him, are miniscule at this point without additional data. Use this information well when deciding how to handle them. They are a bomb, and without proper handling, they may hurt us as well as themselves.

RECOMMENDATION: ESTABLISH MEANS OF DETERMINING PROFILE OF NULORIAN LEADER MIRIDIAN; BEGIN RECONNAISSANCE OF ESTABLISHED NULORIAN OUTPOSTS; CONTRAMAND RECOMMENDATION OF SPECIAL OPERATOR 011 – DO NOT ESTABLISH OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH NULORIAN UNTIL MIRIDIAN IS CONTROLLED, OR OUTSIDE SUPPORT IS IDENTIFIED

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 291; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA CLASSIFIED]

END REPORT

AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

* * *

 _Recorded audio of Miridian and several unidentified Nulorian members. Recovered by the Sar'Manda Empire_

[Miridian]: "The Hierarchy is under control."

[Unidentified Male 1]: "They are still dealing with the current exodus of males. This has to be a Zararch operation. This would not happen otherwise."

[Unidentified Female 1]: "What would the Zararch gain from that?"

[M]: "It doesn't matter. Kill the loyal males, we collapse the Hierarchy."

[Unidentified Male 2]: "Situation will reach critical in two-point-one years at current exodus. We will need to switch resources to the region if we want to convert as many targets as possible."

[M]: "Noted. That can be arranged. The Cobrarian are not a necessary race to preserve. Their biological issues and culture are more trouble than they're worth."

[UM1]: "Don't let some certain people hear that."

[UF1]: _Unintelligible_

[M]: "The Cobrarian give our species no advantage. Neither do the Dath'Haram. The Oyariah deserve to be wiped out. The loyalists will be preserved, but they understand they are mistakes of evolution and nature. There were too many races, and that served nothing but to divide us and cause more problems. Their purposes to our species are at an end."

[UM2]: "This is questionable, even for you."

[M]: "If half our species were composed of something other than pacifists, cowards or weaklings, then we might not be in the situation to begin with. Remember who originally brought down the Plague upon us, and who were the first to proclaim that the _Elders_ were our saviors?"

[UM2]: "Hope you have a plan for it. Because I somehow don't think this is going to either be easy to pull off, or convincing your friend to support it."

[M]: "My _friend_ was the one who suggested I take advantage of the Zararch's failure. I have simply expanded on it."

[UF1]: "Right. So we have a good possibility of collapsing the Hierarchy. That still leaves most of them alive, if I'm not missing something."

[M]: "I wouldn't worry about that. Should we play our roles correctly, the Elders will wipe out that race for us. They are as predictable as they are fanatical."

[UF1]: "Let's hope they don't figure out something is off."

[UM1]: "Please. If there's one thing the Zararch like doing, it's taking out the 'terrorist Nulorian agents'."

 _Group laughter_

[M]: "That aside, I want this done slowly. Let the Zararch think they are being corrupted over a period of years. This war with the Humans works to our advantage. We can exploit that to eradicate the Hierarchy. Once they are purged by the Zararch, they will drive the survivors to our cause. Then we will move on to the next phase."

[UF1]: "If this goes according to plan."

[M]: "It will. The Humans will be destroyed and normalcy will be returned to Vitakar soon enough. And normalcy is all we need."

[UM2]: "One thing to consider. If it reaches the point where the Cobrarian are purged, I suspect the Elders will not sit idle."

[M]: "They do not care about us. They only care about control. And if an entire race is destroyed to achieve that objective? Then it is justified. They have not shown themselves since the Arrival. They will not show themselves until they are threatened."

[UF1]: "Then we have nothing to worry about."

[M]: "For now. See to it this is carried out. Let the Hierarchy and Zararch tear each other apart. They deserve nothing less."


	54. Vitakara - Races: Vitakarians

_A/N: If you think you have seen this file before, that is correct. However, it was really bad, especially compared to the Oyariah file which actually had some effort put into it. So I rewrote the original Vitakarian file, with only the beginning part preserved. The rest is all new._

* * *

Vitakara: Races

Vitakarians

* * *

" _Let's just say that the statement that Vitakarians are similar to humans is…misleading."_

\- Zar'nartha'intha

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject:_ Vitakarian Experiments and Theories

 _Location:_ Blacksite ***

 _Author:_ Geneticist Revelean

The Vitakarians are key to the project, this I have determined without a doubt. The Faceless creatures are useful, but they lack the link the Vitakarians have to the species entirely. They are remarkably adaptable, even among Vitakara and their benign appearance and lack of any major distinguishing features is extremely telling.

Vitakara affectionately, or perhaps maliciously, refer to the Vitakarians as the "Template Race" due to their unremarkable attributes in comparison to the other races. Yet I believe there is much truth to this secondhand remark, truth enough that I suspect the Aui'Vitakar and their scientific groups know as well, yet for some reason don't want to say.

I had wondered why they had named their species after one specific race, and then named their _planet_ after the same one. Those who truly believe it was due to the Vitakarian "assistance" and "because they were the ones who revealed it" lack a critical understanding of the psychology of the various races.

The Sar'Manda would not accept it without a more factual reason, neither would the Oyariah. And the emphasis that is placed on the Vitakarians during this time is false. The Dath'Haram and Cobrarians were just as essential in preventing the collapse of their society, yet they are often barely mentioned. Thus, what is the explanation?

The explanation is that the Vitakarians are indeed the original Vitakara.

How this actually started can only be speculated, but this theory lines up with the pre-Republic Vitakarians who were nomads wandering their planet. They never stayed in one place for very long, and left when conditions became difficult. Thus, they never developed any kind of specific environmental attributes as they refused to settle down.

Every race has clearly adapted to their environment of origin and suffers when outside it. The Sar'Manda cannot breath above water, Dath'Haram are flexible and can maneuver through jungles and enjoy humid temperatures, Oyariah cannot see above ground without modifications, have far better senses and can see in pitch darkness, Borelians have fur to keep their bodies insulated from the winter storms, and Cobrarians are clearly only comfortable in scorching temperatures, and can burrow under the sand if it gets too hot even for them.

Yet the Vitakarians lack such features, but instead have an adaptability over their body that is not present in the other species. Given time, and the long-term experiments have already shown this, a Vitakarian could eventually morph into a completely different race over the course of several hundred years.

Such genetic divergence and malleability is…suspicious. I cannot help but wonder if this was yet another engineered species in a galaxy where that seems oddly common. Is such evolution truly random? Or are there civilizations and powers beyond even our comprehension that have or are manipulating the inhabitants of this galaxy for specific ends?

The Imperator is right to be wary of the Sovereign Ones. Beings of that power are not to be trusted, and that they have led us to such a species through the Voice clearly indicate they know more than they are aware of.

Yet if they insist on directing us towards useful tools to destroy the Synthesized, I have no qualms perfecting the species they present to us. It shall be thus, and I am amused at the poetic conclusion that will be gifted upon the Vitakara.

The Vitakarians were the beginning of the races, and they will also be the end.

* * *

 **XCOM File V271**

Subject: The Vitakarians

Author: Nartha

 _Note: Addendums have been added by Aegis in specific portions of this document – Patricia_

Vitakarians as a race are one of the most peaceful overall, at least when compared to the Borelians, Oyariah, and Sar'Manda. This is one of the first distinctions when compared to Humans, as I am certain you have already done. Humans are extremely diverse, not superficially, but in the spectrum of beliefs and emotions. Thousands of Humans hold widely different opinions and values, and this is seen as completely normal.

Vitakarians _do_ hold differing views, but not nearly to the extent I have seen on Earth. A controversial topic for a Vitakarian is if new colony plans should include citizens from three cities, or two. As you can likely tell, we are not faced with the same social concerns as Humans are. Most Vitakarians live very quiet and peaceful lives, with the exception of those who join the Zararch, Runianarch, or Lurainian.

We prefer diplomacy to conflict, and this is reflected in our history. Before the formation of the United Vitakarian Republic, and then the Aui'Vitakar, we were divided into differing tribes that wandered the land. The exact number is unknown, but it was at least fifteen major ones, and during our entire history, there was never one instance of conflict.

Vitakarians see combat as a last resort, and an ultimate failure on the part of both parties to come to a reasonable agreement. At the same time, we are not helpless and the reason Vitakarians still maintain fighting forces is largely as a contingency, and honestly because the benefits are superior to civilian work, such as access to top of the line equipment, better housing, access to more restricted areas, access to the Vitakara database, and the general respect from Vitakara as a whole. Most Vitakarians do not actually believe they will see combat, or at least this was the case before the discovery of your species.

To be blunt, Commander, Vitakarians are not good soldiers. We can adapt to many things, but the psychological toll of actual combat is one I fear the Vitakarians in the Runianarch are ill-prepared for. Violence is not in our history, nor is it something we encourage, and this will eventually become a problem for those in the military.

However, one area where Vitakarians do excel is in the more administrative aspects of the military. There are, and will be, Vitakarian officers who will be able to formulate strategies and tactics against you. With that being said, they will also not be able to withstand the psychological toll of large numbers of their soldiers under them dying in combat, no matter how natural that is in war.

Vitakarians are not good soldiers, as I said.

With that understood, we can be trained to overcome our inherent peacefulness. The Zararch and Lurainian have programs for all Vitakarian recruits that change our mindset over the course of several years. The Lurainian train with the Borelians, who eventually remove all inherent mental constraints holding the potential soldier back, and the Zararch simply have their Vitakarian agents undergo a procedure that alters the chemical composition, adrenal, and hormone levels of our bodies.

Do not inquire as to how this works, as the details are only known to the Zar'Chon and a small team of scientists.

I can personally attest to that it _does_ work, and as far as I am aware, my personality at the time was not overly affected, but I was able to perform an interrogation of a Nulorian terrorist and not completely hate myself. Ironically, because of this procedure, Vitakarian Zararch agents are considered the most lethal and ruthless of the entire organization.

This is not without its consequences. Vitakarians, and Vitakarian Zararch agents are treated very differently. It is not racism as you understand it, but we are almost treated as a different race entirely, even by our own kind. It is very easy to tell the difference between a Vitakara who is a Zararch, and one who is not. While the procedure does not remove our emotions, we are far more solemn, we take subjects seriously, and we hold opinions that no unaltered Vitakarian would even consider.

We have never faced a true war, and I do not believe that we would emerge unscathed if one were to arrive at our doorstep. But the Vitakarians must grow beyond our pacifism; our capability for it exists, yet is continually shunned, and once the Ethereals truly invade your world, we will begin to truly experience war, and that is when the Vitakarians will either adapt, or we will break.

 _Addendum: Aegis's notes: I will confess to being unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Vitakarians, but the sentiment that Vitakarians are not good soldiers has been raised by the Battlemaster, and there has been discussion with Revelean about how to handle it. Revelean believes that the Vitakarians would eventually adapt to the stresses of combat, but the issue is how long it would take. Natural psychological changes are something that Revelean has not actually observed, even though physical changes are possible, and the Borelians seemingly have methods of inducing these results in Vitakarians over a period of years, which is not currently feasible._

 _At the moment, I suspect Revelean will want to observe how the initial Vitakarians react to facing combat, and then the Battlemaster will make his decision. Knowing the Battlemaster, if the Vitakarians react as poorly as Nartha insinuates, then he will likely mandate all Vitakarian Runianarch soldiers undergo the procedure that the Vitakarian Zararch agents undergo._

 _I can also attest to the fact that most Vitakarians do not join the military out of a desire to protect their people or what would be considered patriotism to you. The reasons are typically related to a higher compensation, exploring the galaxy, interacting with other races; like Nartha said, most have never expected to actually fight, and do not join expecting such. This also extends to those who wish to join the Lurainian and Zararch, although those motivations eventually change once their distaste for violence is removed._

 _I will also be curious to see how they hold up in combat. In the early stages of the war, I would recommend giving Runianarch units with a heavy Vitakarian presence an opportunity to surrender. I suspect that their loyalty to the Collective will not compel them to fight to the death. I also expect that they would be shaken by acts of brutality and mercilessness, as well as additional methods designed to intimidate and terrify them._

 _I suggest you talk with your Vitakarian captives as to how feasible an idea this is. They have not undergone the procedure Nartha has, and they might provide some insight that Nartha does not have. If there is any part of the Collective that could be convinced to stand down, it is the Vitakarians._

 **[Additional material – Provided by Sala'voriah'melonda, Vitakarian scientist and alien assistant to XCOM]**

Quite typical of a Zararch Vitakarian to give such a scathing report on what our race is capable of. I am aware of this procedure, and the chemicals that would be needed to even create the accepted response are ones that would be lethal if combined. This is clearly not lethal, since there are millions of Zararch, so either they have discovered a way around this, or are using some other kind of drug. Either possibility is concerning. The odd notion he has that his personality wouldn't have been altered by such a procedure is patently false by all rules of modern chemistry, and I suspect that is his way of coping with sudden personality shifts without psionic therapy.

However, it is ultimately irrelevant because he is largely correct.

The idea of death is not one we are comfortable with as a species, this is likely common sense to you, but in the face of it, I have observed Humans retain their defiance and fight to the death all the same, sometimes for some greater purpose, other times not. We simply do not think that way naturally.

In that respect, we are one of the weak links in the Collective, because if we feel that our current course of action will lead to our death, or the death of the ones around us, we will do what we can to avoid that fate. Even if it means surrendering to an alien army. This was why Baranth surrendered to you when it was clear we weren't going to stop you.

Vitakarians value life. This does not, generally speaking, extend to defending it with violent force. We are explorers and scientists by nature, and it is often difficult to fully understand why there are so many that choose conflict over peaceful resolution. Logically, it can be explained to me, but I will not truly _know_ or _feel_ it without changing myself.

This Nartha is optimistic if he believes we will be able to change so easily, and I question this method by which Vitakarian Lurainian undergo these Borelian trainings and achieve similar results. My own research has indicated that we are physically adaptable, but psychologically stagnant. Our own history and evolution confirms this. All natural predators on Vitakar are in the extreme environments. The jungles; the Borelian Wastes; the _Manda_ ; the Underground. As a race, we were never threatened by predators and conflict was never something we considered.

Our psychology is the result of millennia, and to think that it could be naturally changed in just a few years is strange. It can be altered unnaturally, but I fear that my race may indeed not be prepared for a long war. The Vitakarians will not change without being forced, and I do not like the implications of such. Either we will break, we will be forcibly altered, or we surrender.

I do not know which of those is the preferable option.

* * *

 _Transcript of an alleged conversation between Miridian and an unidentified figure. Recovered by the Andromedon Federation_

[Miridian]: "The Vitakarians will be preserved. We will need them in the future."

[Unidentified Figure 1]: "They are not suited for combat."

[M]: "The fact that a Vitakarian is leading the Zararch indicates otherwise."

[UF1]: _Unintelligible_

[M]: "Of course he is not representative of all Vitakarians, but do not also forget the Vitakarian Zararch and Lurainian as well. Their adaptability will be needed, and no other race has their capability."

[UF1]: "Then they must be changed."

[M]: "Of course. They are pacifists by nature, but unlike the Dath'Haram, they have a biological purpose for preservation."

[UF1]: "I hope you have a better plan than simply subjecting all Vitakarians to this drug they force on the Vitakarian Zararch agents."

[M]: "You will…" _Unintelligible_

[UF1]: _Unintelligible_

[M]: "Incorrect. They are the largest weakness in the Collective. Even the Dath'Haram in the military, the few that exist, have at least committed themselves to the reality of combat."

[UF1]: "So if sufficiently broken, that would take out a large portion of the Runianarch."

[M]: "Correct."

[UF1]: _Unintelligible_

[M]: "Quite. Not that I have any plans to let the Runianarch live, but if they break, they will be easier to execute."

[UF1]: "This relies on everything being executed to perfection. The timetable is still decades off."

[M]: "That is not a concern. I have waited decades, I can wait for as long as it takes."

[UF1]: "Unfortunate that we must wait so long. A distraction could drastically speed up the timetable."

[M]: "It could, but the Collective will not move on the inner Galaxy for decades. I do not foresee a war brewing in that period, unless the Andromedons get ideas."

[UF1]: "They will not. Not yet."

[M]: "Then we proceed as planned."

[UF1]: _Unintelligible_

[M]: "And the same to you."

* * *

REPORT 000000001101

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE UNITED VITAKARIAN REPUBLIC

SPECIES: VITAKARA

CLASSIFICATION: LOCAL GOVERNMENT

LEADER: VIT'YARRA'VITIARY

CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY

VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: HIGH

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: HIGH

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: LOW

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGH GENETIC MALLEABILITY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SMALL STANDING ARMY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LARGELY PACIFISTIC SOCIETY

THREAT LEVEL: LOW

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Of all the local governments of the Vitakara, the United Vitakarian Republic is perhaps the most 'basic' with the possible exception of the Council of Dath'Haram. It is largely predictable, vulnerable, and exploitable. This is due in large part to their own culture, which is both extremely trusting and values diplomacy above all else.

What is interesting then is that there is a not-insignificant number of Vitakarians who are employed in the Collective Military. Vitakarians make up nearly a third of the Runianarch, a fourth of the Lurainian, and over half of the Zararch. This, it seems, is down to propaganda and the excellent recruiters within the branches.

What has been observed is that the recruitment exploits typical Vitakarian psychology, and what is extremely interesting is that all recruiters are Zararch, regardless of branch. Whatever front they put up is very likely a lie. The tactics depend on the branch. Recruiters for the Runianarch will emphasize the benefits of the branch, the travel, and whatever else can be gleaned from their conversation. The recruiters are very good at what they do.

Recruitment for the Lurainian and Zararch is exceptionally different. The Collective as a whole does not generally consider the Vitakarians reliable soldiers, so the ones they target for the latter branches are targeted and approached using the psychological profile of the Vitakarian in question. This is dangerously effective, and there is a ninety-seven percent success rate from recruitment numbers we've recovered.

Vitakarians are then altered when they join these branches. With the Zararch it's a simple medical procedure, and with the Lurainian, it's a combination of drugs and mental conditioning that turns them into stoic killing machines. Altered Vitakarians are exceptionally dangerous, ruthless, and logical. It is no surprise that one leads the Zararch, and that Vitakarian Lurainian are nearly equal to Borelians in lethality.

It is fortunate that the entire race is not like this.

Their military recruitment aside, there is the matter of the Republic. As their name suggests, they are a democratic republic, and have what largely functions as a mini-Aui'Vitakar, and in fact the Aui'Vitakar was based on the Republic. A set number of representatives are elected from the various cities, and serve their time there enacting legislation that only affects their Republic.

Government service is also not something that is heavily regulated. It is considered a boring, but necessary job by Vitakarians, and thus the only ones who ever try to get elected are the ones that truly want it. There have also been no Vitakarians who have attempted to use it as a chance to consolidate power, or otherwise misuse the authority of the office.

Even if it is considered a boring job, there is a remarkable turnout, with the past elections stretching from the beginning of the recorded history of the Republic having a 100% turnout, and this devotion to performing this duty extends to the Aui'Vitakar as well. However, most Vitakarians prefer to take positions as scientists or engineers; jobs they consider much more interesting.

Culturally, there are a few interesting things to note in the Republic. Unlike some of the other races, there appear to be no specific gender roles, with male and female Vitakarians being able to achieve any position or job they wish. Given their genetic adaptability, it is an unsurprising observation. They also generally get along well with the other races well, even the Oyariah, even if it is a tenuous relationship at best.

A statistic somewhat related to this is that Vitakarians have the highest percentage in interracial relationships, especially with Dath'Haram and Borelians, surprisingly enough. The Republic is one of the few places on Vitakar where there is little stigma attached to such relationships, and as such the Republic has a higher-than-average percentage of non-Vitakarians. This is another potential vulnerability of the Republic.

Despite their inherent peacefulness, the Republic _does_ have a small standing army, but it is largely ceremonial and they are literally armed with the old melee weapons of the early days of the Republic. However, they do have an armory, and should the need arise, I suspect they would utilize actual weapons. But they are too few and outmatched to pose any real threat.

In the end, the Republic is not a threat to us, nor are the Vitakarians as a whole.

With the exception of the ones who are altered. Should the Vitakarians begin following suit, or the Zararch launch an operation to modify the species, the Vitakarians just might become the most dangerous race in the species. Observation should continue unhindered.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF UNITED VITAKARIAN REPUBLIC; FOCUS ON ZARARCH POINTS OF INTEREST; ACQUIRE SAMPLE OF PSYCHOLOGICALLY ALTERING AGENT FOR ANALYSIS

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 088; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION


	55. ADVENT - History: Purge of the Vatican

ADVENT: History

The Purge of the Vatican

* * *

" _Whoever decided to do this on Reformation Day sure had a sense of humor."_

\- Sally Eridan, ADVENT Peacekeeper

* * *

 **ADVENT Peacekeeper After-Action Report**

Operation: Lustita Omnibus

Author: Chief of Peacekeeper Operations Amalda Stein

Recipients: Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations Kyong Suk-Chul

As expected, the operation against various members, administrators, priests, and other figures of import in the Roman Catholic Church has been executed successfully. Considering that the ones involved were amateur criminals at best, and had poorly attempted to discredit witnesses, wipe computer drives, or hide financial transactions, it took surprisingly little time to build multiple solid cases that will be wrapped up in the courts within days.

We specifically targeted suspected criminals in the Vatican leadership as per your request to gather leverage against the Pope, yet even along the way we opened dozens of additional cases, not necessarily because there were that many perpetrators, but because the chain of people working to cover up these crimes kept expanding.

Once we had reached a certain point, the operation was amended to begin full investigations of all major Catholic Churches in ADVENT Member Nations, which involved full interrogations of church leadership and noted witnesses or victims. We also discovered during the course of this that the Catholic Church was, unsurprisingly, dragging their heels on conforming to the standards outlined in the ADVENT Directive, and have moved to file monetary fines against them, as well as additional warnings.

Given the conclusion of our operation today, I expect they will find the motivation to bring their cathedrals up to standards.

There were two main categories of offenses, neither of which are likely surprising. Accusations of pedophilia have dogged the church for decades, and unfortunately it was and is still a problem in the local churches. Higher-ranked figures connected to this are generally implicated in the cover-up, not the act itself.

We are still working to locate additional victims, and given your approval, I expect we will expand the probe significantly, especially with the Pope taking an active part in purging this filth from the world. As expected, the majority of the victims were young males, though there were some young females also located and all have been willing to provide us with descriptions, names, and other official needed documents.

We have yet to verify that any of the claims are false, though that will likely be a concern in the coming days as the probe expands.

The other major category of crimes not connected to internal obstruction of justice are surprisingly mundane monetary crimes. Tax evasion, money laundering from the Church to various Cardinals and associates, unreported off-shore accounts, this is largely related to the Vatican leadership and doesn't generally connect to the more local churches.

Another, much smaller segment of perpetrators have been found to be guilty of blackmail. I am honestly surprised it's not much higher due to the, ah, _questionable_ tradition of confessions. This gives the priests an _extreme_ amount of influence and blackmail over the person in question. Religious people are more vulnerable to this than others; the threat of revealing to their family that they had sex outside of marriage is an actually serious matter.

Interestingly enough, this was indeed one of the common examples related to blackmail we discovered. Infidelity, especially among those married was used to extort the man or woman of either money or resources, or in some cases was an ill-guided attempt to force them to give more to the church. It should be noted that this was, again, not the prevailing crime we have noted, although this might change as our probe expands.

We are fully expecting to act once more outside ADVENT territory, and I have prepared multiple statements to be sent to all foreign nations informing them of our intentions. I have made it clear that refusing to cooperate is grounds for annexation and additional investigation of offending parties. As of right now, there are foreign governments promising to assist if needed without being prompted.

China was one of the first, ironically, although this might be due to the fact that organized religion is not nearly as prevalent there and Catholicism is nowhere near as popular. An easy PR move for them, but an admirable one.

Your agreement with the Pope has made this significantly easier going forward. Now that we have his blessing to proceed, there are plenty who are eager to talk to us. Good job on making him an ally; it's good to know there some decent people in power left.

* * *

Battlemaster,

While we have been making efforts to solidify our own positions on Earth, ADVENT has been making similar moves in the diplomatic and geopolitical sphere of Earth, which is still not completely under their control. But even if they are not taking the same drastic steps such as the annexation of Canada, they are moving to expand their influence in other areas of the world, and it seems like there are very few who are openly standing in their way.

You are aware of the various religious institutions of Earth, and while the Christian religion is the most prominent, the one that preceded it, the Catholic Church, is the second largest overall, and the largest unified religious body in the world. Nearly one-seventh of Humans openly follow this belief, and are spread out across the world.

Mostly in ADVENT member nations, I will add. China and most African nations have a much smaller presence, but Europe, North and South America have a strong Catholic presence.

The headquarters of the Catholic Church is in a unique city-state called the Vatican, and it is where the main head of the Church, the Pope, resides along with his advisors. The Pope is not a military leader nor does he have a significant role in government (with the exception of the Vatican itself, which is considered an independent state, yet is not comparable to actual countries in any meaningful way), yet he retains an extreme amount of influence over the entire Church body, and by extension, the congregations of believers.

Because of this, many world leaders of Earth made a point to speak to the Pope, and it is largely considered an honor even by those not of the faith. The Pope himself is generally a figure that restricts himself to improving the image of the Church and assisting with the masses, as it were. Various Popes have had different levels of piety, but in general they are considered good people who are touched by spiritual power.

Ridiculous, but do not discount the effect a figure like this can have on not only the morale of the military, but also the civilian population.

So with this context, it should not be a surprise that Chancellor Vyandar has taken an interest in bringing the Catholic Church to her side, and as should be expected at this point, she does not hold back to get what she wants. In what appears to be a massive operation, ADVENT has performed what is best described as a purge on the entirety of the Church at all levels, and been extremely public with it as well.

The justification for this is supposedly that some in the Church were complicit in criminal activity such as minor crimes like monetary crime such as tax evasion and laundering, and much more severe crimes such as pedophilia (The sexual assault of Human children). Additional research has shown that it is likely that ADVENT is not _just_ using this as a way to pressure the Catholic Church into working with ADVENT, but as a legitimate way to remove criminals from the institution.

But make no mistake, this was and is intended to be a message to the world that ADVENT does not care for convention or fairness. I suspect that Chancellor Vyandar would have carried this operation out, regardless of whether the Pope was willing or not. As a result this is making the non-ADVENT nations either go quiet, or preemptively say they will assist ADVENT.

Intelligence gathered that this is likely a strategic move by Saudia to bring all major religions under ADVENT control, as the planned summit for it is scheduled in a matter of weeks. With this Chancellor Vyandar has effectively secured a major ally, and one she is almost certain to use further on.

This will need to be monitored closely.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

The photo of Pope Marcellus the Third and Chancellor Saudia Vyandar standing together, surrounded by the silent figures of the SSR and Swiss Guard in the aftermath of the ADVENT operation against the Vatican and greater Catholic Church will go down in history as one of the defining moments not just in the history of the Church, but the history of the war itself.

The Church is no stranger to controversy and accusation, and have been dogged with reports of pedophilia and misconduct in the church leadership, as well as talks accusing the Church leadership of working to protect those accused rather than the victims. The main argument levied against them has been they put the protection of the Church above anything else.

Pope Marcellus has repeatedly stated his intent to address these accusations and has said that the Church needs to do more, and as a result there has indeed been a concerted effort to try and excise these predators in the Church. The success of course, has not been transparent; another common complaint of the Church. The Vatican has said that they have worked to remove dangerous people from the Church, though they have not released names or locations, aside from saying they have been turned over to law enforcement.

So for the past half-decade, no one knew for sure if the Church was indeed making progress addressing this issue, or if they were simply keeping it quiet. Regardless, it has remained scandal-free during this time, and much of the credit goes to Pope Marcellus for at the very minimum, not ignoring it.

With the rise of ADVENT, no one knew for sure how the Vatican was going to respond to the new leadership. The regulations and restrictions imposed were far more severe than the Church has ever experienced before, and there was certainly talk of fighting it. Those talks were quickly shot down by ADVENT who simply stated they would shut down non-compliant churches, and given how widespread the Church is in ADVENT, that was simply not acceptable to the Vatican.

ADVENT has allowed a grace period for all major religious institutions to conform to the new guidelines, but it does appear that the Church is not going to quickly jump to complete what is required, at least without prompting. There were fears that ADVENT would use the required database as a means of control, and that there would be a decreased turnout and declinations of piety as a result of ADVENT surveillance not only in the Cathedrals themselves, but in the Confession Booths, an extremely private tradition between believer and priest.

However, given the events taking place in the world at this point, it was not an unreasonable belief that ensuring the Church conformed to these standards was not a priority for ADVENT. In the aftermath of this purge, that appears to only be partially correct. ADVENT indeed had higher priorities, but they had most certainly not forgotten about the Church.

The day of the largest purge of Church leadership was ironically the day of the Reformation, a coincidence most believe was intentional. There was no warning, no indication that the Church was being watched, let alone that arrests would be carried out. This was also the first time the general public was introduced to the SSR, the fearsome and silent State Special Response that is only used for high-profile operations.

At best, a warrant was given to the one of the highest authority, but otherwise no one stood in the way as the SSR did their work, shackling the offenders and carrying them off in a span of minutes leaving the congregations and bystanders in shock. Those who attempted to placate or block the SSR from doing their job were either arrested or shot, although there were thankfully no casualties that day.

The trials that followed took place over mere weeks instead of months as would be normally expected for cases this high. It is a mistake to even call them trials, they were sentencings where the only unknown factor was the severity of punishment. Witnesses were called, evidence was displayed, and those convicted were taken away.

Justice in ADVENT is carried out quickly, and the criminal will almost certainly long for the days of trials that took obscene amounts of time. The ages of those affected by this operation were almost exclusively elderly, which was an interesting change, and showed that ADVENT does not take any half measures.

Many pleaded to reduce their sentences or severity as they were older, some approaching seventy, but ADVENT was unrelenting. Because of this, almost all of them were put away for a minimum of twenty years if they maintain good behavior, and the unlucky ones convicted of sexual assault and pedophilia would indeed be castrated and sentenced for thirty years, which was essentially life.

The Pope himself has since demonstrated a willingness to work directly with ADVENT, and there are rumors his new advisors are screened by ADVENT Intelligence to ensure they are clean, and he had openly stated that ADVENT will be allowed to continue their investigations deeper into the Church.

It has been decades since the last time the Church has worked so closely with a government, yet there are many who wonder just how much leverage ADVENT has over the Pope, and now that they have removed so many, how much influence they have over the successors. Time will tell if the Catholic Church has undergone a reformation, or if it will emerge as a puppet of ADVENT, and their means of exerting their will on one of the largest religious communities in the world.

 _\- Special Report on the Aftermath of the Vatican Purge for TIME Magazine, Journalist Gillion Yarrow_

* * *

Most people will view the so-called "Purge of the Vatican" through only that lens. ADVENT arrested some deranged and dangerous predators through a massive investigation the likes of which has rarely been seen. While that is not incorrect, what is also important to realize is just how much _bigger_ this is than simply affecting the Catholic Church itself.

ADVENT is not run by people who are not aware of this; it was not just about cleansing the Church, but sending a message to every single organization and government that _they do not care_.

What do I mean by this? I mean that ADVENT does not restrict itself to its own sphere of influence. They have power, they _know_ they have power, and they _know_ no one is capable of stopping them. They demonstrated that day that if you have made an enemy of ADVENT, there is nowhere you can run.

There were several convicted priests that fled before the SSR arrived, and _did_ receive asylum in foreign nations. This was when the international community realized that words like 'asylum' and 'diplomatic immunity' were not in the vocabulary of ADVENT. They located the priests and promptly arrested them. I suspect the guards took one look at the SSR and decided they would prefer not to die.

This was not restricted to those seeking asylum either. Those who were connected in any way to the investigation, regardless of country, were arrested and taken back to ADVENT territory for trials. ADVENT was courteous enough to let the respective nations know beforehand why their elite Peacekeepers were operating in their countries, but not one dared to challenge ADVENT's authority, because they knew both that their own soldiers would not last against the SSR, and to refuse ADVENT would be tantamount to declaring war.

And no nation wants a war with ADVENT.

Such brazen extrajudicial operations would be unthinkable before ADVENT, but times have changed and ADVENT is ensuring that no one is ignorant of this. This is a warning from ADVENT to the world that intentionally meddling through proxies or foreign agents will not be tolerated. They do not fear reprisal from any other nation, and they feel they can strike back with however strong a force they want and get away with it.

Because ultimately, they can.

The effects of this event have gone far beyond a simple warning, ADVENT has shown that it does not matter how large or influential an organization is, they will take down any criminals found within it. Amalda Stein's unbending commitment to justice is now beginning to win over people who were otherwise skeptical of her, even if she is still seen as overly harsh.

But no one can deny her integrity in the face of this operation.

And now that ADVENT _has_ shown their commitment to prosecuting those in power, the floodgates have now opened. It is not only those who have suffered abuse through those in the Catholic Church who are freely approaching ADVENT, but those of all religions who have similar experiences. This extends beyond religion as well, those who have been abused and assaulted in business and entertainment industries are coming to ADVENT in the hopes things can change.

And it is now likely that it will.

This has affected the international scene as well. Immigration to ADVENT nations has spiked to unprecedented amounts, with many of the prospective immigrants fleeing to ADVENT with evidence of criminal activity that they hope will be enough to convince ADVENT to take action abroad. To date, that process takes some time, but ADVENT is committed enough to it where it is forcing other nations to take action and extradite the accused party to prevent ADVENT Peacekeepers from coming to their country.

With this one operation, ADVENT has fundamentally changed the dynamics of power in the world, and for now, it seems to be a universally positive improvement.

If it stays that way will be a different story.

 _\- Op Ed for the New York Times by Attorney Bob Faraday_


	56. Mutons - Planets: Desolan

Mutons: Planets

Desolan

* * *

" _If you go to Desolan, don't complain when the planet tries to kill you."_

\- Advisory warning for visitors, abridged

* * *

Desolan is a planet no sane being would willingly travel to without excellent reasons, heavy survival equipment, and preferably an armed escort. There are two starkly different parts on the planet, that which is controlled by the Collective, and the remaining wilderness. However, before the differences are laid out, there should be some discussion on just what Desolan is composed of.

It could easily be classified as a volcanic planet, as the amount of volcanic activity far outweighs what is considered a habitable zone. Collective engineers and scientists have made efforts to reduce the ash output and eruptions of volcanos, and have been largely successful. However, they have not bothered to make similar efforts on other parts of the planet.

There is speculation that at one point Desolan had much larger oceans and bodies of water, which were slowly filled by lava from volcanic eruptions. However, at this point the only bodies of water that are drinkable are those in underground springs that are not nearly large enough to support the population that currently resides on the planet.

There are several larger bodies of water, but the water has become so polluted with ash and contaminants that it is not drinkable, and even water purification is not always successful without significant resources invested. At this time of writing, the Collective is looking to expand water purification programs, but it will be several years before we see immediate results.

The question has been raised as to how a species like the Mutons could possibly evolve and develop in such conditions, and there are no clear and provable answers. The clearest one is that the extreme volcanic activity has been a recent development, and it was far more stable during the time when the Mutons evolved. What could have prompted this continuing volcanic activity is unknown, much less if it is natural. It is entirely possible that there was some kind of cataclysmic event that took place well before the Collective discovered it, but then again, there would have likely been some evidence such an event took place.

Perhaps the planet itself is evidence of this? Without a baseline of comparison, this is a valid possibility.

In addition, it should be noted that there is very little vegetation on the planet. One example of plant life is a kind of weed/root which is high in nutritional value, but is rare in comparison to the planet. The grey color of it camouflages it, making scavenging more difficult for early Muton tribes, but it has evolved to survive the harsh climate and rocky terrain of the planet.

There are very small bunches of trees that once existed, as well as some small plants that grew in the contaminated lakes. It is speculated that the trees were only able to survive by being outside the worst of the volcanic eruptions, and they were highly contested places of conflict, similar to the springs, only becoming more valuable with the discovery of gunpowder.

The terrain is almost exclusively rocky, with towering mountains in all directions, almost all of them active volcanos. Navigating the terrain is almost a death sentence without proper supplies, and the heat and dust storms alone may ensure that even that is not enough. Desolan is an arid planet, but it would not be entirely accurate to call it a desert as there is little sand or dirt.

One thing that is interesting is that at one point, there were at least two other animal species on Desolan, one aquatic-based, and one terrestrial. The aquatic one has never been seen, and was extinct well before the Collective arrived, but examination of Muton relics and unearthed fossils have shown an oddly aquatic specimen. It is not difficult to see how it was wiped out.

The next was an omnivore predator that was both a danger, and a source of food for early Muton tribes. It also hunted for the root mentioned earlier. It had a long snout, six legs with clawed feet and sharp teeth strong enough to kill full-grown Mutons. The more dangerous ones were as tall as a Muton, and nearly twice as long. These animals are additionally notable because their eyesight was exceptionally poor, but their smell and hearing was excellent. This is likely the result of them having to endure the dust storms over generations, which continuously eroded their eyesight and enhanced their senses as a result. However, the species was deemed too dangerous by the Collective and wiped out soon after they took the planet, and if there are any specimens existing, they have not been revealed.

One final note of import is that the gravity of the planet is higher than most other worlds. It is nearly twice that of Vitakar, and this takes a physical toll on anyone not familiar with the gravity. This is another danger for explorers and investigators of the planet, as it can be more difficult to judge what exactly is needed for longer journeys.

The higher gravity is one of the more accepted explanations as to how the Mutons could have developed. The ash that is spread from volcanic eruptions can cause a host of negative side effects, but the higher gravity of Desolan does ensure that the radius of ash is far smaller, thus affecting less of the planet with each explosion. If this is the case, and volcanic activity was not as high back then, it could conceivably provide an answer to Muton evolution.

Now, it would be remiss to not say that the Muton War Camps are as good as it gets on Desolan. They are protected, buildings are climate controlled, water and food are always in supply, and you are protected from the worst of the elements. Outside of the War Camps, however, you are on your own. The Collective does not have dedicated rescue parties, and the only official groups sent out are heavily protected and equipped engineering and science teams, where outsiders are not permitted.

But that is unlikely to be an issue. Desolan is not a planet you should ever go to unless you absolutely have to.

\- Hir'sslintha'hiar

* * *

REPORT: 110011010001

PLANET OF INTEREST: DESOLAN

HELD BY: THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

POPULATION: 8,243,827,001 (ESTIMATED FROM LATEST REPORTS FROM DESOLAN)

PLANET TYPE: VOLCANIC, ARID, ROCKY

INDIGENOUS SPECIES: MUTONS

ANIMAL LIFE: NONE (EXTINCT)

POSSIBILITY OF COLONIZATION: NOT RECOMMENDED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXTREMELY WELL PROTECTED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PRIMARY SOURCE OF MUTON SOLDIERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: POINTS OF ENTRY LIMITED

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: EXTREMELY LOW

THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): LOW

THREAT LEVEL (HOSTILE): OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Ethereal Collective has devoted extensive resources to the Muton homeworld of Desolan. This is, for all intents and purposes, the heart of the Collective War Machine. While there are no vehicles or spacecraft produced here, it is the primary source of their Muton soldiers, by which millions are produced each month.

There are two main components of Desolan that are relative to the Federation: Ground and Space:

 **Ground** : Fighting a sustained ground war on Desolan is quite possibly one of the worst ideas that could be conceived. Not only are there upwards of eight billion Mutons on the planet at a time, but the Collective has not skimped on additional defenses beyond that. The planet is broken into specific War Camps, which are primarily used for training Muton soldiers. However, that is not nearly all they can be used for.

Each War Camp has automated laser and railgun defenses for both air and ground hostile forces. Each one has an armory of nothing but the best equipment for the ranking staff there. This is _only on the surface_. What many do not know is that each War Camp has an entire underground component to it, and in it contains enough food, weapons, water, and medical supplies to last upwards of a year for _every single_ person in the Camp, Muton or no.

What is additionally notable is that the birthing centers in each War Camp can be lowered underground, allowing there to be a steady stream of Mutons still being birthed weekly, allowing potential reinforcements to eventually be used, although this time period is years, not months. However, another piece of information that is extremely concerning is the presences of nearly one billion cloning vats constructed underground all across the planet, many of which are _outside_ the War Camps and maintained by Zararch agents and Sectoids who report directly to the Zar'Chon.

Unfortunately, determining the exact location is impossible without direct investigation. Desolan is a dangerous planet, it is survivable, but the Collective has gone to great pains to construct the perception that if you go outside the War Camps, you will die. This is not, strictly speaking, true. The reason they discourage exploration is because they do not want anyone else to stumble upon the cloning chambers.

We do not have exact numbers on how long it would take to grow Mutons, if indeed that is what they would be used for, but it is abundantly clear that this is a worst-case scenario contingency which would immediately provide them an army nearly one billion strong, and there are likely more unknown facilities that have similar functions.

This is to say nothing about the forces in the War Camps themselves. No one is allowed on the planet unless they meet certain criteria, and are nearly exclusively Collective Military, Zararch, Runianarch, or Lurainian. The few exceptions are teachers for Muton younglings, and even then they are fully vetted by the Zararch before they step on the planet. Officially, any member of the Federation, Greater Hive Commanders, or Aui'Vitakar, is not permitted to enter without explicit permission.

There are three types of beings on Desolan aside from Mutons: Trainers, Medics, and Guards. We will discount the few civilian roles as they are not numerous enough to be relevant, let alone a threat. Trainers are perhaps the most dangerous of the three, as they are not only experienced leaders, handlers of all weaponry, and tacticians, but also are experts in alien anatomy, survivalists, and almost always completely ruthless. These people will put down Muton younglings without a second thought and sleep soundly at night. It should be noted that these are generally composed of Borelian females, Vitakarian males and females, Oyariah males and females, and the rare Andromedons. Also assume they are more physically fit due to the higher gravity of the planet, and apply this assumption to any individual who has spent any amount of time on the planet.

The Medics are not initially more valuable than other ones in the Collective, but Desolan ones become different over time. These are battlefield Medics through and through after several months. Each and every day they deal with nearly every kind of battlefield injury that can be sustained, and after months of similar experiences, they would be considered experts in their designated fields. While some initially specialize in one aspect or another, by the end they are proficient in multiple aspects of battlefield medicine. By the end they also tend to become soldiers in their own right, capable of taking down several Mutons all on their own thanks to their own training and knowledge. Medics are traditionally Vitakarians, Borelian males, and the rare Dath'Haram and Cobrarian representatives.

We can classify Guards as the designated garrison of the planet. They are the soldiers that guard the War Camps, and usually participate in war games conducted, giving them valuable combat experience. Soldiers from Desolan are generally smarter, stronger, and overall _better_ than any others in the Collective, and are extremely dangerous, far more than standard Collective soldiers.

 **Space** : It is impossible to penetrate Desolan without throwing the entirety of our military at the planet. And even then, it is unlikely we would succeed in doing more than giving them time to react.

There are approximately four entry Gateways to the planet, all evenly spaced apart around the planet, each one with a self-destruct sequence, and no less than sixteen spacecraft pointing guns at it, as well as several dozen automated systems doing the same. This is speculated to be one of the few Gateways the Ethereals can either lock or shut down, but this is unconfirmed.

But those are the only means of arriving at the planet, outside of FTL travel, which is wholly impractical. What is…concerning is that there are several other Gateways in the system that do not appear to be connected to anything at all. Some are close to the resident sun, some are at the last planet in the solar system. It is unknown if these are decoys or have some other purpose such as providing reinforcements.

Concerning the fleet, most would consider it both overkill, and a waste of resources, but no one can deny that it has ensured that no enemy will threaten Desolan for the foreseeable future. The fleet itself consists of the following. I will include a brief description of each piece of spacecraft in question:

 _\- 240 Sectoid Hiveships:_ These dwarf anything that isn't the _Elder's Maelstrom_ by a significant margin. These take the saucer model up to extreme sizes, and hold hundreds of Sectoid fighters, and are almost incapable of being defeated by individual ships. Internal sabotage is also dangerous because there is a full Sectoid army usually on board, in addition to Muton support. Sometimes there will be a Hive Commander as well, but this is not as likely.

 _\- 300 Federation Carriers:_ You are aware of the capabilities of these spacecraft, so I will not repeat specifics. But these many carriers would tear any Carrier and above ship apart in minutes.

 _\- 600 Federation Cleanser Ships:_ While you are aware that these specialize in orbital bombardment, their primary use here is likely because of their anti-fighter capabilities. It is extremely unlikely that smaller fighters will last long in a fight as long as these ships are in play, and any ground forces that manage to get past the blockade will almost immediately be wiped out.

 _\- 6 Ethereal Dreadnoughts:_ This is one of the few types of spacecraft that could fight a Hiveship – and win. It has within it several million drones of various configurations, be they suicide, bomber, fighter, all of which are weak, but can overwhelm nearly any enemy. To make it even more dangerous, it sports anti-fighter and anti-ship capabilities with plasma, gauss, and laser weaponry, not to mention several thousand missile defense systems.

Hostile boarding parties are not recommended for the same reasons as the Hiveships, there are hundreds of soldiers, but not quite as many as a Hiveship. Another aspect that is dangerous is that it can split into a minimum of six different, independently controlled ships. In fact, their usual configuration is separate from each other, but they can join together into a Dreadnought that can take down a Hiveship. You saw what one of these parts could do on Earth, now imagine something six times this size. It also has configurations to hold Sectoid craft as well, though this isn't used as much. Why they did not use their drones on Earth is a mystery, but perhaps it was to hide the true capabilities of the Dreadnought from the Humans.

 _\- The Elder's Maelstrom_ : To the best of my abilities, it appears that the _Maelstrom_ was developed solely to combat Dreadnought-class enemies and above. It is the first time that the Vitakara have fully collaborated to create such a machine, and if this is what they are capable of, we have perhaps made a mistake in underestimating them. This has enough firepower to destroy a Hiveship or Ethereal Dreadnought, as well as the accompanying fleet.

It is dotted with point-defense lasers, gauss, plasma, and laser weaponry of varying sizes for any enemy. Its primary weapon has never been used, but the few classified reports I was able to recover described it as a kind of energy weapon powerful enough to destroy a Hiveship in one blast. The ship seems built around this weapon, and it is entirely feasible that it could perform this task easily.

Furthermore, there is an entire fleet of Vitakarian fighters inside, as well as Sectoid Scouts and Fighters. The standing army is solely from the Runianarch and Lurainian, one of the few to have no additional alien presence. It is also the only ship in the Desolan fleet to have multiple phases of shielding, for nearly all known kinds of attacks.

To date, the only thing that might be able to destroy the _Maelstrom_ is the Ethereal Temple Ship.

Before the conclusion of this report, it should also be mentioned that in addition to the fleet, there are sixteen orbital stations around the planet, covering it completely. Each station has its own garrison of soldiers and fighters, not to mention the missile and anti-fighter defense systems. There is no such thing as a surprise attack against Desolan. If anyone arrives, they will know about it long in advance.

In conclusion, we have little to gain from ever moving against Desolan, and attacking such a planet is currently tantamount to a suicide mission, one that will likely have no impact whatsoever.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF DESOLAN FLEET AND GROUND STRENGTH; DETERMINE FULL CAPABILITIES OF THE VITAKARA DREADNOUGHT "ELDER'S MAELSTROM"; DETERMINE CAPABILITIES AND EXTENT OF CLONING VATS AND ADDITIONAL COLLECTIVE UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 009; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

 **XCOM File 8821**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Desolan

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Overview

In the event that Humanity manages to push the Collective out of the Solar system, and begins to expand further into space, at some point, the destruction of Desolan will become a priority. You did not mistake my wording, Commander, the _destruction_ of Desolan is the priority. The planet itself is not worth capturing or assuming control over.

It is the Muton homeworld, or at least was. Now it is the center of the Collective military. This is where the majority of their Mutons are grown, trained, and otherwise produced. The planet itself is dangerous, but not nearly to the extent that they claim. The planet is more than a training ground, it is a trap. It is built up to be the largest threat in the Collective, and for good reason.

But it is a major misdirection. Desolan isn't solely for the purpose of growing Mutons, it is coordination for the entirety of the Collective military itself. It isn't a coincidence that the fleet alone dwarfs most others, and for just one planet, it would be considered overkill. The fleet is not for protecting the War Camps, it is for protecting Collective Military Command.

This requires further elaboration of course, which is detailed below.

SECTION 2: Collective Military Command

The War Camps are only the surface level. Most mistakenly believe that those are the only parts of Desolan the Collective controls, when the truth is much larger and dangerous. The Collective has completely taken control of the planet, Fectorian and Revelean learned how to harness the volcanos of Desolan, and now thanks to them, the Collective has complete control over them.

This in essence means that every single volcano on Desolan is no longer natural. Each volcano is a command outpost, and under the ground is a planet-wide network of tunnels, barracks, communication arrays, and hangars. There is an equally large army hidden away that the rest of the galaxy has not, and will likely not see for some time. From here they are connected to every part of the Collective and the defenses. At this moment they are likely appraising the situation on Earth.

This is something I am acutely aware of, since I helped design it.

There is more than just an army. This is where any experiments related to the Mutons, as well as any weapons testing takes place. This is a home to dozens of contingencies ranging from a multi-species epidemic to an attack by the Synthesized. There are cloning vats that can flash-grow any species in weeks, bioweapons that will turn any planet sterile, nanoweapons that accomplish the same thing.

I hesitate to reveal this, but there are weapons there specifically designed for killing certain Ethereals, myself included. No one other than myself, the Imperator and the Battlemaster knows, and those are assumed to just be another collectable in the long list of experimental weapons. They were contingencies in the event of a rogue Ethereal, and I do not know for sure they would work.

But they would cause damage, that I can be certain of.

However, the chances of you acquiring them are nonexistent, Commander. The Battlemaster would no doubt have moved them by now where I would not know, and managing to even breach the atmosphere would be an impossibility unto itself. All that would be accomplished by fighting a ground war on Desolan is the loss of many Human lives.

Unfortunately, Desolan is likely one area that we cannot rely on Gateways to attack with. They were specifically built per my recommendation to only sync with certain ones, or reject incoming syncing without approval. Or worse, incoming traffic can be redirected to other Gateways, which can lead directly into planets or the sun. No fleet can enter Desolan without being let it. The same is for the ground, except more extreme.

Collective Military Command cannot be accessed by Gateways. You can arrive on Desolan via Gateways connected to the orbital stations, but accessing the underground base is impossible, and there are standing orders to kill anyone who is not authorized, regardless of rank or station. I was thorough in my design, wanting it to be impenetrable, and unfortunately, I'm afraid that will be a hindrance to us.

SECTION 3: Avenues of Attack

The only way to neutralize Desolan is to destroy it completely. Nothing less will suffice. This fortunately makes it so we would only need to fight the Desolan fleet, although the ground forces will likely not sit idle. There are millions of ground to space defense systems, but those are much weaker than most other Collective weaponry that will be encountered.

The fight for Desolan cannot be won without an overwhelming number of spacecraft and psions. Nothing could be held back, and the battle for Desolan would likely decide the fate of the war itself. Even with myself supporting your fleets, there will be other Ethereals also involved, and they will wreak havoc on our own fleets.

There is no subversion or backdoor, Commander, Desolan can only be destroyed with a fleet, and to do that, they need to fight the most entrenched fleet in the Collective. There are Hiveships, Ethereal Dreadnoughts, Andromedon Carriers, and the Vitakarian Flagship. No attack should be attempted until Humanity has the numbers or capability of those ships.

You will be heavily outmatched here, Commander, but the reward is throwing the Collective military into permanent disarray. You will need to decide if the reward is worth it when the time comes.


	57. Sectoids - Planets: Helion-7

Sectoids: Planets

Helion-7

* * *

" _It's the perfect planet for the Sectoids. Artificial, elegant, and soulless."_

\- Aui'oyarra'harrel

* * *

Helion-7 is, of all the places I have visited, purely _alien_. Even the Andromedons follow some kind of format and structure, they have systems, and their cities feel like people inhabit them. The Sectoids, now they understand architecture, or at the least it appears like they do. For such a small species, their buildings are some of the most elegant and beautiful I have ever seen.

It is difficult to describe it without seeing it for yourself, but there is nothing like it in the Collective. The Sectoids have mastered the art of functionality, and yet I feel like all of it is nothing but an accident. It is one thing to wander their Hives in wonder, marveling at how it all seems to work together so effortlessly, and realize that you are the only one impressed by it.

The reason I believe comes down to this: Helion-7, and all other Sectoid planets, are sterile and cold. There is no energy, there is no life. Sectoids are emotionless creatures, and they go about their tasks with no excitement or joy, nor even resentment or anger. The cities they inhabit don't feel made for them, like if insects were put into a model town. They will soon adopt it as their own, but they ultimately don't care how much effort or care was put into it.

It is bizarre, because it doesn't feel like the Hives were designed by Sectoids, but instead some other alien species, and now they are just inhabiting them, though I know logically this cannot be true. The homeworld of the Sectoids is Helion-7, and this kind of flowing architecture can be found throughout their spacecraft and space stations.

What's more, these Hives are clearly not designed for alien life. In the entirety of the Hives, there are approximately four rooms that would be considered appropriate guest quarters, and it genuinely appears that the Sectoids do not know how to properly prepare for such events. It feels fake, like they are imitating what they imagine hosting planets would have, but not knowing exactly _why_.

Food looks like what I am used to, but that is where the similarities end. Every single dish, without exception, tastes exactly the same. Bland, dry, and just…nothing. Every drink tastes like water, regardless of coloring or texture. Furniture that appears to be made out of exotic materials like wood or plastic is exactly the same alloy the rest of the Hives are made out of, just textured and painted to resemble something familiar.

Plants are made out of a rough fabric constructed to look similar to the real thing, but fail under close scrutiny. Blankets, clothing, and other similar amenities provided feel exactly the same, but look wildly different from each other in form and function. Do the Sectoids genuinely believe that these imitations fool those who visit? Do they even understand the concept of luxuries?

Or do they just not care?

The Sectoids are disquieting because they are not _like_ us. Even the Andromedons we can understand and empathize to a certain extent with. They have outlooks and desires that are similar to our own, they have individuals. They understand us, and we understand them. Sectoids are different. They are truly alien, and we simply cannot understand or comprehend how they think, because in the end, they are not even remotely similar to us. They can only pretend to be.

Helion-7 is a monument to this. Art without purpose; imitation without explanation; a home with no soul. And one of the most disquieting parts of walking around the Hive was thinking of the Sectoids not as an alien species, but some kind of drone inhabitants, whereas I was the only living being that mattered.

Only with the Sectoids can you feel as though you are alone in the city.

 _\- Vit'poria'vitaria, Vitakarian Xenobiologist recounting a visit to Helion-7_

* * *

REPORT 000011111010

PLANET OF INTEREST: HELION-7

HELD BY: THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

POPULATION: 1,627,722,011,199 (ESTIMATED)

PLANET TYPE: URBAN

INDIGENOUS SPECIES: SECTOIDS

ANIMAL LIFE: NONE (PRESUMED EXTINCT)

POSSIBILITY OF COLONIZATION: NONE (OCCUPIED)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PREVIOUS ANIMAL SPECIES HELD IN SECTOID GENETIC VAULTS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED PLANET OF HIVE COMMANDER CREATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SEAT OF POWER FOR THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: WORLD COMPLETELY URBANIZED

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: LOW

THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL (HOSTILE): UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED HIGH TO OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Helion-7 is the center of influence for the Sectoid Hive Commanders, united under the Greater Hive Commanders. The planet itself has been turned into an incredibly efficient resource that holds one of the greatest production outputs anywhere in the Collective, as well as a city planet that holds over a trillion Sectoids.

The planet itself is not large, and gravity is slightly weaker than standard, but the Sectoids have made sure to use every single resource of the planet, as well as any available space. To understand just how tightly controlled Helion-7 is, it is important to understand how it is constructed. There are several major parts to the planet: The Hives, the Veins, and the Underground. This is not taking into account the Helion System Fleet, which is an entirely different section.

 **Hives** : Sectoid hives are the most well-known Sectoid piece of architecture. From the smooth metal ground of Helion-7, they rise like massive obelisks, smooth and flawless from a distance. They are deceptively uncomplicated, and it is only when you take a closer look do you understand just how complex the Hives actually are.

To begin with, they are spaced exactly half a Hive apart from each other, in any direction. Why the Sectoids follow this convention is a mystery, but as a result there are large swaths of land where there is absolutely nothing. There is no soil, sand, or any other covering on the surface of the planet itself. Only a smooth alloy. Any mountains or uneven terrain were removed long ago, leaving only unbroken surfaces dotted by Hives.

These Hives extend upwards to the Stratosphere, all with internally controlled pressure and oxygen. However, this is not the most fascinating part of the Hives themselves. They are pillars of a sort. Most people at a distance mistake Helion-7 for a smooth ball, when in reality they are simply seeing the first layer of the planets defense. Helion-7 is covered by a sphere of alloys, held up by the Hives with only heavily defended points of entry to enter the planet itself. If those inside look up, they will simply see the sky is a white light that never dims. Sectoids do not follow sleep patterns, and the concepts of day and night do not matter to them.

With the scale of the Hives established, we can devote some time to their inner workings. Each Hive is made up of six hundred levels, each of which has a specific focus for each floor. Without fail there will always be Engineering, Scientific, Genetic, and Breeding levels, though this is where the similarities with each Hive end.

Each Hive is to some extent, a reflection of the designated Hive Commander. Some favor a focus on bioweapons, and as a result there will be a multitude of floors devoted to nothing more than a constant synthesis of bioweapons, for multiple species animal and alien, each different species getting its own floor. Apply the same logic to a Hive Commander focusing on Xenobiology, and you begin to see how the Hives are put together.

There is no such thing as a 'benign' Hive. Each Hive Commander sanctions experiments that would not even be tolerated in the Federation, let alone the Aui'Vitakar. The Sectoids have no understanding or respect for individualism, and observation leads me to believe they do not entirely understand that most consider the average Vitakara or Andromedon to have some value, whereas the individual Sectoid is a disposable tool. Or more likely, they do understand but reject any notion that this way of thinking has merit.

The defenses of each Hive are extensive. Do not be fooled by the smooth exterior. If needed, each Hive has anti-air defenses for enemy fleets, and internally each floor has automated laser defense systems that are programmed to execute non-Sectoid life on detection unless specifically requested otherwise. In addition to that, each Hive is held by the personal army of the Hive Commander in charge. Helion-7 Defenders, Leaders, Cyberdisks, Sectopods, each of these are stationed throughout the Hive, although the exact composition is difficult to determine unless the Hive Commander is known enough to draw conclusions as to the likely army composition.

The final floor of the Hive, the very top, is the Dome of the Hive Commander. It is impossible to penetrate without being discovered, and only highly valued outsiders are even permitted to enter, which generally only extends to Ethereals.

With one exception, all Hives are the same size with defenses and utilities that are functionally identical. Said exception is a Hive exclusively devoted for the Hive Commanders and what passes for their government. It consists of nothing but Hive Commanders and their defenses, and largely appears to be the only kind of social event on the planet, and even then it is almost exclusively related to business and projects. This is Hive 000, and is only half as large as the other Hives, but there is almost always no fewer than twenty Hive Commanders inside, more than enough to destroy nearly any army.

 **The Veins:** This refers to how the Hives are connected to each other. This is _not_ the Underground, but rather, the layer right above it. This is where the major utilities of the Hives are controlled and regulated. Temperature, oxygen, electricity, all of that is regulated in the Veins, and all individual stations are connected to all nearby Hives, so that in the event that one fails, the Hive does not suffer as a result.

Within the Veins are specific corridors for transport between Hives. Transports are conducted by a high-speed rail system that follows an interconnected railway that spreads throughout the entire planet, and is fast enough that one can reach any Hive on Helion-7 in less than four hours. This system is primarily used for transporting raw materials, which is what the Sectoids designate for nearly every single thing, barring live test subjects which are simply called 'subjects'.

The Sectoids seem to be nearly as uncreative as the Zararch at times.

 **The Underground** : If there is one place that the Sectoids have not truly 'conquered', it is the Underground. The Sectoids have shaped the surface to what they desire, and they are only expanding downwards. It is important to note that there are many different, intertwined and extensive cave networks that exist deep below the surface of Helion-7.

It is also home to the only sources of water on the planet, the underground rivers that the Sectoids carefully regulate and harvest water from. There are massive underground water reserves, and the Sectoids are intent on using them up with no intention of replacing them. If Helion-7 had oceans, it is likely the Sectoids drained them long ago and they will do the same to the rivers below the surface.

This is also where the majority of their mining operations take place, where they harvest the metal from which their alloys are refined from, and they will not be running out anytime soon. They will not rest until they strip the planet clean, and with each mine they clear, they simply expand further down and will likely continue until their actions threaten the planet core.

Even then, I would not be surprised if the Sectoids tried to harvest the planet's core for their own purposes.

 **The Helion System Fleet** : The Helion System Fleet is twice the size of the Desolan Fleet, but as it is spread out throughout the entire system, it gives the illusion that it is smaller. For the purposes of this report, I will simply cover the defenses for Helion-7 itself. The first line of defense is the Helion-7 Shell, which is configured with millions of laser, gauss, and plasma turrets and missile defense systems.

The Sectoids do not have a mid-size warship, so as a result, nearly the entirety of their fleet is composed of Hiveships, nearly four thousand in total, each containing a swarm of Fighters and Scouts. Around the planet itself are the Moon Hangars, which appear to be artificial moons that were placed around Helion-7 in an artificial orbit, and are not moons at all, but sphere-shaped Hangars that contain several thousand Sectoid Fighters each. Minimum.

This is not including the similar structures and ships around Helion-6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The Gateways that enter the system begin at Helion-1, and if any invading fleet attempts to reach the Sectoid Homeworld, they have to go through a death trap to arrive, and even then, victory is far from assured.

The Greater Hive Commanders were smart in designing the defenses of their homeworld, and any enemy that wishes to destroy them will pay a heavy price to do so.

RECOMMENDATION: DETERMINE PURPOSES AND HIVE COMMANDERS OF ALL ESTABLISHED HIVES, INCLUDING HOSTILE UNIT COMPOSITION; DETERMINE EXTENT OF GREATER HIVE COMMANDER PLANS FOR EXPLOITATION AND HARVEST OF HELION-7 RESOURCES; CONSTRUCT PROXY GATEWAYS FOR SURPRISE ATTACK; COMPILE LIST OF HIGH-PRIORITY HIVE COMMANDERS TO NEUTRALIZE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 017; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

RETURN TO FEDERATION FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

* * *

There is little on the Sectoids that they were willing to publically share with us, and history is unfortunately not something my kind is always in pursuit of. Nonetheless, the species of the little grey and orange aliens has intrigued me from the moment I stepped foot on their sterile world of Helion-7. The grand architecture of the Hives seems in direct contrast to their petite size; the juxtaposition already piquing my interest of what exactly _happened_ here that led to the creation of such structures.

Fortunately, Sectoids are easily swayed, and I was able to gather enough information to begin to put together a scattered history of the planet itself, though my encounters where I could safely do this to Hive Commanders were limited, and at the moment the Imperator wishes we remain in the good graces of the Greater Hive Commanders.

Helion-7 was not, unsurprisingly, originally a sterile world. It was primarily a mountainous and rocky planet, with one cold season that lasted the entire year. Sleet storms were the most common weather event, but otherwise they had very little in the way of natural disasters. There were several oceans as well, all of them with thin sheets of ice over them at all times.

It will also not be a surprise then to learn that there was a surprising amount of alien animal life on Helion-7, including several species adapted to the cold, others to the ocean, and still more in the mountains themselves. The first Sectoids, from the best of what I could find, were seemingly just as psionically capable as what they are today. Because of this they never feared predators and often dominated them to do as they wished. Very rarely did they appear to kill them for what would be expected, such as food, but instead they developed a fascination with dissecting them to learn how they worked.

Sectoids have always been herbivores it seems. They consumed much of the plant life that grew around them, harvesting entire patches at a time for later consumption. They had always communicated telepathically, but at the time needed mouths to properly eat the food they harvested, but not once in their history have they used their mouths for communication.

I can only presume that as they advanced and developed ways to inject nutrients into their body, that their mouths became smaller until there was nothing left but smooth skin. Perhaps they made the modification themselves, which would not be surprising.

Sectoids were seemingly far more independent in their earlier history, with one clear leader who tended to telepathically dominate the others, but even the ones under him were capable of independent thought and since the various tribes and groups were capable to telepathic thought, misunderstandings were impossible.

A curious thing happened whenever Sectoids made contact with each other, every single time, without exception, they joined forces and became a larger group. Eventually they developed specific castes of Sectoids, which appeared to be based on telepathic prowess. What is interesting is that at this time there still did appear to be two genders of Sectoids, though it is not easy to tell which were males and females.

As the Sectoids advanced, they began expanding rapidly and constructing cities. Once they reached the point where they discovered genetic modification, it set off a series of events that isn't entirely clear. All that is known is that for the first and only time in Sectoid history, there was a bloody war within the species, which appears to have been between the leader caste of the Sectoids, and nearly every other caste.

The leader caste decidedly won, and after this point, it is assumed they evolved into what are now the Hive Commanders. There were sweeping decisions made after their victory, which included the extermination of animal life for biological resources, and the removal of one gender in favor of a single Sectoid template. The remaining Sectoids were brought more firmly under the control of the Hive Commanders, and individuality was stamped out over a period of millennia.

With full control of their species, the Sectoids began terraforming the planet to their desires. Mountains and hills were leveled, systems to control the weather were developed and deployed, and the creation of spacecraft sped this development tenfold. The exact amount of time it took for Helion-7 to become what it is is unknown, but is at minimum one thousand years.

It is only after first contact with the Collective are the Sectoids beginning to expand to other worlds, whereas before they were only content with the mastering of their own world. But now that they know there is an entire galaxy for them, they are willing to do whatever it takes to claim it for themselves.

 _\- Records of the Sectoids, by Ethereal Cogitian_

* * *

 **XCOM File 0056**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Helion-7

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Overview

Helion-7 is one of the most important planets for disrupting the Ethereal Collective. The Sectoid homeworld is the nerve center of the Greater Hive Commanders, and every single Hive Commander of note is there, and the ability to destroy them would throw the entirety of the infrastructure in place for the Sectoids into chaos.

What many Ethereals take for granted is just how _much_ the Hive Commanders actually do in running their operations. No one likes the Hive Commanders, but none can deny that they are tenacious and driven in their own work. Creation of additional spacecraft would grind to a halt were Hive Commanders to die. This is further complicated by the fact that, as far as I am aware, only the Hive Commanders know how to create new Hive Commanders. I do not know if even Revealean would know, if only because it a contingency so unlikely to happen that almost no preparations have been made.

What makes Helion-7 such a risk is that nearly every single Hive Commander in existence is on the planet, and few ever even venture off the planet, let alone out of the system. They simply do not have the same drive to expand that many other species have, and this tendency can be exploited. The tradeoff is that Helion-7 is nearly as well-defended as Desolan, and this one exclusively by Sectoid forces.

SECTION 2: Defenses

In addition to the anti-air defenses, as well as the main force of Leaders, Cyberdisks, and Sectopods, I will instead focus on the defenses that will actually pose a direct threat to any operations we conduct against them.

The first will be the Hiveships, which will be more dangerous than usual because there is likely to be an actual Hive Commander directing them. They will use their extensive abilities in combat, and I doubt even Patricia will be able to fight against twenty Hive Commanders at once, especially as Humanity will likely be forced to fight through six layers of defenses before even coming close to Helion-7 itself. This is not including the potential reinforcements from the Collective, although the Hive Commanders may be too proud to request help.

Next on the ground will be the Helion-7 Defenders. These are without a doubt the most dangerous Sectoids after the Hive Commanders themselves. They are the primary defense force, and have the ability to be directly controlled by specific Hive Commanders, and are capable of wielding psionic power to devastating effect against ordinary soldiers, and the only ones who will stand a chance against them are genetically modified soldiers, and psions. You are fighting in the territory of the Sectoids here; the advantage will not be yours.

Then there are the Hive Commanders themselves. While you have had several encounters with Hive Commanders before, they were what could be considered rejects and irregulars. Any Hive Commander of any import would never be sent to Earth voluntarily, and now that you have shown you are capable of killing them with relative ease, they will be more prepared.

They are arrogant and prideful, but they are not powerless. The older Hive Commanders especially are exceptionally dangerous to your species, even if they would barely cause trouble for an Ethereal. Patricia would likely be able to dominate one with relative ease now, but you will be facing the entirety of the Greater Hive Commanders, and even she would not be able to withstand the combined might of the Hives. Care must be taken in moving to destroy them. All Human forces will be extremely vulnerable to mind control and hallucinations during this fight, even should I or Patricia attempt to protect them. It would not be an easy fight.

SECTION 3: The Genetic Vaults

While destroying Helion-7 is quite possibly the only feasible option when it comes to the Sectoids, there are a few things that you should be aware of. On Helion-7, there are what is known as the Genetic Vaults. These contain, to the best of our knowledge, every single Sectoid template ever conceived, as well as every documented species both on Helion-7, and encountered throughout the Collective. I suspect that Humans now have a place, quite likely several.

The reason this is worth noting is for several reasons, one being that it has Sectoid genetics from the era before the Hive Commanders took full command of the species. If there were significant differences then, those might be able to be determined from the Vaults. Why the Sectoids are keeping them is a mystery. It is not for sentimental value, and if I had to propose a guess, it is likely that they are keeping them so that in the event that they need a specific trait that they weeded out, they could reapply it later.

But the other, much larger implication, is that we were not the first alien species the Sectoids encountered. No one else in the Collective is aware of this, and the Hive Commanders are not as well. To date we have no further information on what this species was, or how the war was waged, only that the Sectoids eradicated them completely, and their genetic code rests in the Vaults.

If they have one species, they could have more. The Sectoids are old, their world is old, and the likelihood of encountering other alien species by accident is higher than you might think, and if we could acquire such genetic information, we could potentially raise extinct species for our own purposes, if not incorporate their traits into your own genetic programs.

However, accessing the Vaults will be impossible without the complete capture of Helion-7. There are Hive Commanders that observe the Vaults at all times, and any sort of psionic activity is scanned, detected, and purged through a gauntlet of defense systems that would likely pose a threat to even the Battlemaster. The Hive Commanders will never let anyone else enter the Genetic Vaults, so if we wish to take Helion-7, this should be a goal, if not a reason why.

But again, like Desolan, you must decide if the reward is worth the risk such an operation poses.


	58. Sectoids - Dossier: Hive Commander 001

Sectoids: Dossier

Hive Commander 001

* * *

" _Hive Commanders are loyal to none but their own, and 001 is a look into how the Hive Commanders really see aliens."_

\- Quisilia

* * *

 **Analysis Record** : Hive Commander 001

 **Current Role** : Hive Commander of Helion-7 Hive 001

 **Current Interference Level** : Low

 **Threat Level** : Medium

 **Usage Level** : Low

 **RESTRICTION: Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary**

Brief Assessment: Hive Commander 001 is a Sectoid that could only be loosely classified as an 'ally' to the Collective. What little I was able to fully learn of him is that he has no respect for alien species, and would see all who are not subjugated under the Greater Hive Commanders destroyed or enslaved to them. He would be more easily classified as a Sectoid supremacist, and does not make attempts to hide this.

This would not be much of a concern, were it nearly any other Hive Commander, but 001 is one who wields considerable influence within the Hive, and more to the point, is perhaps the oldest Hive Commander currently alive. We have been unable to confirm this, but the designation '001' does indicate that if he wasn't the first Hive Commander, then he is one of the oldest.

Regardless of his age, he has considerable influence over nearly all aspects of the Greater Hive Commanders. The structure of the Greater Hive Commanders is such that he does not have _complete_ control, but knowing how even the Hive Commanders hold extremely similar views to each other, he will put into practice whatever he can.

Hive Commander 001 does traditionally restrict himself to residing on Helion-7, and has only made a recorded trip off-world once, and that was to meet with one of the Elders. The inner workings of his Hive are unknown to us, but they are suspected to be primarily focused on Sectoid genetic superiority and are home to dozens of experiments that would be restricted anywhere else in the Collective.

001 is amoral and apolitical within the Collective itself. I genuinely do not think he honestly understands or cares about alien species, and would go so far as to say he despises them on some level. Remember this is the same Hive Commander that subjected an entire team of Vitakara scientists to their experiments for a simple misunderstanding. 001 showed no remorse and offered no apology for this incident, and was one of the first in a series of events that have soured relations between the Greater Hive Commanders and the Aui'Vitakar.

Despite this, sanctioning the GHC is extremely difficult because at this point in time, they _do not care_. It has not reached the point where the stability of the Collective is threatened, and since the Hive Commanders restrict themselves to the Helion system, it limits their impact on the wider galaxy, and the horrific, but few incidents can be waved away.

Hive Commander 001 is a figure to watch in the GHC because despite his demeanor, he is perhaps the most reliable source into what the Hive Commanders are actually thinking. What others will hide to keep the illusion of peace, 001 will say out loud. He does not hide his disdain for aliens, nor does he capitulate to alien interests without a fight.

He states what all Hive Commanders think, and that is something we can use. Whether this is intentional, or if he simply does not case is not important. Eventually the other Hive Commanders will bring him in line or his voice will only get louder.

We should prepare for either possibility.

\- Zar'ulissi'vitiary

* * *

REPORT: 100011110001

TARGET OF INTEREST: HIVE COMMANDER 001

KNOWN ALIASES: NONE

CURRENT POSITION: HIVE COMMANDER OF HELION-7 HIVE 001

SPECIES: SECTOID

INFORMATION OF NOTE: UNOFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER OF THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONTROLLED HIVE SPECIALIZES IN SECTOID GENETIC ALTERATION AND ENHANCEMENT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: OPENLY ANTAGNOISTIC TOWARDS ALIEN SPECIES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATHY (SUSPECTED)

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Hive Commander 001 is a target of interest for several reasons, namely that despite the official stance of the Greater Hive Commanders having no designated leaders, but working interdependently with each other, 001 is without a doubt the voice of the Greater Hive Commanders and no decisions of importance are made without his approval.

Hive Commander 001 is a clear threat not just to the Andromedon Federation, but all other alien species because he has openly stated on multiple occasions within the Hives and to others that he views other alien species as inferior on a genetic, social, economic, and cultural level. I do not believe this line of reasoning can be fully understood unless you are a Sectoid yourself, as making such a statement, especially when comparing others to the Sectoids, is ludicrous.

We do not know the extent of what exactly 001 can do, and that can pose a potential issue for us in the future, should he fully turn against the Collective. Psionically, we can deduce that he is a telepath as all Hive Commanders are, but it would be a mistake to assume that is all he is capable of. Based on the designation and physical samples we have recovered, 001 is _old_ , one thousand years at the very least, and he is likely familiar with multiple avenues of psionic application.

The known lifespan of Hive Commanders is roughly one thousand years, and as far as we know, the Hive Commanders simply designate new Hive Commanders with larger numbers, and do not replace the designation itself. So should Hive Commander 001 die, he would be replaced by, for example, Hive Commander 982, not another Hive Commander with the same designation.

However, this brings up a disturbing point that has not been realized until now, namely that we have never recorded the death of a Hive Commander before. The fact that 001 is still alive indicates that either the current system of the Greater Hive Commanders is relatively new, or that the Hive Commanders are hiding something significant.

In addition to his significant psionic abilities, Hive Commander 001 has perhaps the most protected Hive in the entirety of the Greater Hive Commander. Each level alone has a flat one hundred Helion-7 Defenders, fifteen patrolling Cyberdisks with twice that number of Drones, and the base is guarded by no fewer than ten Sectopods, and each floor above that has at least one.

The Hive of 001 himself appears to specialize in genetic experimentation and alteration of the Sectoid species itself. What exactly this entails is unknown, as direct penetration of the sealed levels is impossible, but it is a reasonable assumption that there are experimental threats that may be released in the event of an emergency that cannot be predicted.

What is of special interest to us in addition to all the gathered information is that 001 is notably not intimidated by the Ethereals. It is rare even among the Hive Commanders to not acknowledge the power of the Ethereals, let alone openly treat them as inferior, but 001 is perhaps the only one to do so. Whether it is bravado, arrogance, or stupidity is unknown, but it is abundantly clear to the Ethereals that 001 is not on their side, and they know the significance of 001 in context of the Greater Hive Commanders.

Which is that the Sectoids are using the Ethereals, much like the Ethereals use every other species. There is a very low chance that the Ethereals have not realized this, and they likely only tolerate the Hive Commanders, and 001 in particular, because they have more to gain from the Sectoids than removing those who are against them. It is a game of manipulation, and if the Sectoids do not realize the idiocy of plotting against the Ethereals so brazenly, then they deserve their inevitable demise.

I suspect that if 001 continues to be disruptive, the other Hive Commanders may be forced to act if only to preserve their illusion of an alliance. And until the Ethereals have no more use for the species, that is something they will allow.

RECOMMENDATION: PENETRATE HELION-7 HIVE 001; CONCEPTUALIZE ASSASSINATION OUTLINE FOR HIVE COMMANDER 001; EXPLORE OPTIONS OF INCREASING TENSION BETWEEN THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS AND THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 401; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 166**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Hive Commander 001

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Sectoid)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Orange-Grey

 _Height_ : 3'8"

 _Weight_ : 40-50 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : None unique

 _Physical Condition_ : Physically frail like most Hive Commanders, could likely be subdued by a Human of average strength.

SECTION 2: Assessment

As this war progresses, Commander, I believe it is important for all of you to become familiar with more of the leading figures in the Greater Hive Commanders, the rulers of the Sectoid species. They carry limited influence in the Collective itself, but nonetheless have the largest reach of any alien species in the Collective due to being the primary produces of non-infantry units and spacecraft. The majority of the Collective fleet is of Sectoid design, and this is unlikely to change even though the Andromedon Federation has been moving to take a greater role in the Collective fleet.

You are aware that Hive Commanders are not like regular Sectoids, but you should realize that even Hive Commanders are almost without fault identical in their goals and desires. Some are more aggressive, some less so. They develop different means to accomplish their goals of planned domination and subjugation, but make no mistake, they are unified by one vision.

Hive Commander 001 is the embodiment of the Hive Commanders. We know very little about his history, save that he is one of the oldest Sectoids in existence, and from what we have been able to find, has been leading the current incarnation of the Greater Hive Commanders since the beginning.

This raises several questions since the Greater Hive Commanders have been operating for longer than the lifespan of a Hive Commander, but this is covered in greater detail relating to the Greater Hive Commanders itself. Suffice to say that 001 is likely the architect of the entirety of the Sectoid species, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

It would be a mistake to assume that 001 is the undisputed leader, but it is not inaccurate to say that there is nothing that happens to the Sectoids without him being aware of it. When Hive Commanders meet, there is no question of who is actually in charge. In terms of seniority, there is none higher than 001.

001 rarely interferes or interacts with the Collective, and this is likely for the best since his views on alien species are…controversial, and it is likely only a matter of time before he manages to make an enemy of one of us, likely the Battlemaster. He is little threat to one such as the Overmind or Imperator, who see the use he has, but very few are tolerant of what the spindly alien espouses openly.

But Hive Commander 001 is not foolish. He knows he is valuable and cannot be openly threatened without consequences. However, I highly doubt that would protect him forever.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

Hive Commander 001 is amoral, hateful, arrogant, and superior. Sectoids do not have a word that translates to 'morals' or 'ethics' so this is not unsurprising. Hive Commander 001 refuses to see aliens as mere individuals, and has little issue subjecting them to horrors in pursuit of the advancement of the Sectoid species. Notice that I said 'refuses'. I fully believe 001 is aware that species operate differently, but is selective about recognizing that.

He appears to take some enjoyment of preying upon unsuspecting aliens who visit the planet, using them almost as lures for experimental projects which he then forces their participation in, which is always fatal. He has thus been the source of several diplomatic incidents, and he, nor the Greater Hive Commanders, have ever acknowledged the mistake or apologized for it.

The Sectoid mindset is such that they do not see the death of, for example, a Vitakara, as a significant loss. It is simply another alien that fulfills a purpose, much like a drone for the Sectoids is to the Hive Commanders. I do believe that 001 does know this, but ignores it because he believes that outlook is inferior to the one he holds and does not acknowledge it unless he has to, which is generally only when speaking with Ethereals.

It is also important to understand that 001 does not fear the Ethereals, and genuinely believes that they are superior even to us, which is objectively false on every level. While it is certainly possible that he is aware of something we are not, this does not appear to be the case. He sees our power, but is not intimidated by it; instead he sees only opportunity.

Hive Commander 001 only cares about one thing: The advancement of the Sectoid species. This is not just his goal, it is the goal of _every_ Hive Commander in existence, and there is nothing he will not do to achieve this. It is a never-ending goal, and even should they reach a level higher than our own, they will likely only continue to grow more powerful.

This is the only reason he has allied with us. The Overmind was able to dominate their minds, but controlling them indefinitely was not feasible. But he saw this goal, and all that was needed was to plant the seed in the mind of the Hive Commanders that they could pursue this goal faster if they were allied, than as enemies.

The Imperator is well aware that the Hive Commanders, and 001 in particular, is only using the Collective to further this goal, but he is curious to see what could be accomplished. The Sectoids are unreliable allies without intervention, we were aware of this, but in the end, the threat that even a Hive Commander like 001 poses is laughable. Perhaps the Hive Commanders will become as us one day, but it will not be for millennia.

For now, their psychology can be easily manipulated and exploited.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Hive Commander 001 may perhaps be the most dangerous telepath in the Greater Hive Commanders. However, he could still likely be beaten by Patricia in a one-on-one fight, much less against myself. But he will not ever put himself into a position where it is ever a duel, and will surround himself with thousands of thralls.

His telepathy is extremely dangerous for any non-psions, and he does possess a subtlety that will turn soldiers not into raging traitors like Patricia is fond of, but into sleeper agents that only awaken at the worst possible time. He may reject the psychology of aliens, but he knows exactly how to subvert and corrupt it.

Hive Commander 001 is also an accomplished telekine, and possesses some ability to manipulate defensive and offensive psionic powers. He is old enough where there is little he does not know of psionics, at least in theory. Telepathy is his main weapon, but he is also skilled at the more physical aspects of psionics.

While the contents of this document might give you an idea to manipulate 001 into turning against the Collective, or otherwise recruiting him as an ally, I would heavily caution against that. Hive Commander 001 does not 'ally' with aliens, he only uses them. I do think it is very possible that he could be turned against the Ethereals, but the moment the Imperator is dead he would do the same to you.

Hive Commanders have no loyalty to any but their own, and to attempt to use 001 is likely to backfire severely. The species itself is flawed and warped beyond repair, and while 001 is more blatant than most, he speaks what the rest of the Hive Commanders think, and the only acceptable method of dealing with him is execution.

001 is dangerous, so do not underestimate him.


	59. Sectoids - Dossier: Hive Commander 029

Sectoids: Dossier

Hive Commander 029

* * *

" _029 is terrifying because he says exactly what you want to hear, and you don't know if he genuinely means it or is just manipulating your mind."_

\- Aui'rasaka'gassin

* * *

After spending some time reflecting, I do not believe we have anything to gain with completely severing relations with the Greater Hive Commanders as a result of the incident on Helion-7. With that said, we need to carefully think on how diplomatic relations are able to be conducted, because at the moment, there are not nearly enough safeguards on it to be considered safe.

The majority of my discussions were with Hive Commander 029, the designated diplomat of the Greater Hive Commanders. We are all aware that the Hive Commanders are exceptionally dangerous, and despite the friendliness of 029 (For a Sectoid), this was without a doubt one of the most nerve-racking meetings I have ever experienced.

This is likely due to the fact that Sectoids communicate through telepathy, not speech, so the entirety of our conversation would appear to be one-sided, even if both were communicating. I do not know if 029 was affecting my mind at the same time, and while I do not believe that there is lasting harm done to myself this time, I realize that I was placed in a very precarious situation where the outcome might not have been so fortunate.

029 is also an atypical representative of the Hive Commanders. While we have seen just how little they regard alien life, 029 does appear to at minimum care enough to put on a show of diplomacy. He seemed to listen seriously to our grievances, and did acknowledge some failings, but I have no way of confirming if this was actually genuine or simply a Hive Commander who is just as manipulative and amoral as the rest of them.

Because of this, I would propose we begin research into detecting psionic activity and potentially neutralizing it, or otherwise preventing it from affecting our mental faculties. No further contact should be made with the Greater Hive Commanders until we are certain of a means to protect our own minds. I have no doubt that should the Sectoids learn they can use us, they will do so.

 _Initial proposal of Aui'tarridan'lisa, regarding diplomatic relations with the Greater Hive Commanders and research into psionic protection. The latter was rejected soon after proposal and the Aui'Vitakar soon cut off nearly all contact with the Greater Hive Commanders in protest of their refusal to acknowledge the incident._

* * *

REPORT: 100010010001

TARGET OF INTEREST: HIVE COMMANDER 029

KNOWN ALIASES: NONE

CURRENT POSITION: HIVE COMMANDER OF HELION-7 HIVE 029; OFFICIAL DIPLOMAT OF THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

SPECIES: SECTOID

INFORMATION OF NOTE: XENOBIOLOGIST AND XENOGENETICIST

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HAS DIRECT CONTACT WITH DIPLOMATIC ELEMENTS OF THE AUI'VITAKAR AND ANDROMEDON FEDERATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATHY (SUSPECTED)

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Hive Commander 029 is perhaps the most unique of all Hive Commanders because he routinely and regularly interacts with non-Sectoid elements of the Collective. He is what can be best described as a diplomat, and represents the Greater Hive Commanders in nearly all instances where such a diplomat is required.

Nearly every aspect of negotiations, regardless of subject, are handled by 029 who works continuously to ensure that the reach of the GHC is continuously expanding. He is largely the reason that the Sectoids are the primary suppliers of the Collective fleet, and has been behind decisions to push back increased Andromedon influence in the spacecraft construction aspect of the Collective.

Of all the Hive Commanders, 029 is perhaps one of, if not the only, Hive Commander that completely understands the thought processes and psychology of alien species-and doesn't ignore it in favor of the traditional Sectoid outlook. He will openly admit certain failings of the GHC if he feels like such a revelation will make the target in question more amenable to his goals, and understands alien cultures and societies sometimes better than themselves.

We are in the fortunate position of being able to review records of Federation representatives who have spoken with 029, since recordings are impossible due to the Sectoid usage of telepathy. Both the Federation and Aui'Vitakar always go on record about what was discussed whenever they speak with Sectoids, as a precaution or response due to the justified fear of telepathy being used to influence them.

To date, there is no recorded or documented evidence that 029 has ever manipulated the thoughts or actions of those he speaks to, and both the Federation and Aui'Vitakar have procedures in place to reduce this risk, but we do not know for sure if 029 has simply just _read_ the minds of those he speaks to. Psionic detectors are not useful in this instance, because telepathy is a psionic power, and it is unfortunately necessary for Sectoid communication, and we do not have accurate baselines on what level of psionic power is normal when reading a mind, so 029 could very easily be using his telepathy maliciously and we would not know it.

With that said, the content from these discussions has been extremely interesting. 029 is one Hive Commander that will discuss non-business subjects, and from reports we know that he has a thorough understanding of Andromedon, Vitakara, and pre-Collective Muton cultures and entertainment. He has personally visited the homeworlds and capitals of all major species, and made a special trip to the Oyariah cities, and appeared to find it interesting.

The question is, of course, how much of this persona is simply an act. Hive Commander 029 _appears_ to be significantly different from almost every other Hive Commander, but this could simply be a means to an end. If he can soften the perception of the GHC to the rest of the Collective, the more that could potentially be accomplished.

029 is without a doubt a master diplomat and negotiator. He does not possess any obvious ethical or moral code, but he at the very least appears to understand the objections aliens have against his species, and even acknowledges them in some instances. Whether this actually means something or is simply meaningless promises is unknown.

029 is one voice in the GHC, and he could very well be attempting to address concerns, but as the inner workings of the GHC are unknown, we have no way of confirming this. There is an additional point of interest regarding him. Regardless of his obvious bias towards the GHC, he has personally established more Collective, Federation, and Aui'Vitakar contacts than any other Hive Commander by far.

While this is only speculation, it would not be surprising if 029 does want to assume the place of Hive Commander 001 as the unofficial leader of the GHC. The constant acquisition of alien contacts and allies, as well as making clear efforts to understand alien cultures is usually not something done unless there are ulterior motives. We have little concept of what Hive Commander politics are like, if any such equivalent exists, but there are many signs that are pointing to 029 working to position himself as best he can should something that shakes the GHC happen.

He is a Sectoid that is not easily predictable, and this could either be a major threat, or a valuable ally.

RECOMMENDATION: DETERMINE ULTERIOR MOTIVES OF HIVE COMMANDER 029; DETERMINE CURRENT GREATER HIVE COMMANDER POLITICAL SITUATION; DETERMINE EXTENT OF HIVE COMMANDER 029 INFLUENCE WITHIN THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE, ANDROMEDON FEDERATION, AUI'VITAKAR, AND GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 700; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

Hive Commander 029 is potentially the most dangerous Sectoid within the Greater Hive Commanders, because speaking with him is not an unpleasant experience. This is dangerous, especially for a telepathic alien. Throughout the conversation I did unwittingly become less and less conscious of the fact this was a possibility, despite the fact that half our conversation was through telepathy.

He is alien, but reasonable; defending, but understanding; he speaks like an accomplished diplomat, and an extremely talented one at that. I do not know if this is because the Sectoids have access to individual dossiers on various figures, or if 029 reads the minds of those he speaks with to gather this information. Regardless, the end result is a deceptively normal conversation with a pleasant Sectoid.

This is too unusual to simply dismiss.

I suspect Quisilia was listening in on the meeting, and would have informed me had 029 been brazen enough to read my mind, but there are dozens of others 029 has spoken to that do not have this protection. If 029 _was_ restrained enough, then he has enough intelligence to know such an action would backfire, or was able to sense another psionic presence nearby.

029 is someone who has to be watched, because I only see his reach continue to spread as he attempts to expand the influence of the Greater Hive Commanders. To date, he is the only Sectoid that has even shown a passing interest in alien species beyond their usefulness as test subjects or resources to be exploited. And I do not know just what his end goal is.

Is 029 genuine? Extremely unlikely. Hive Commanders do not change, they simply adopt different strategies. But does 029 have additional plans beyond the general goals of Sectoid advancement? That I believe has merit. Now what these goals could be is a question, and 029 is not doing this out of loyalty to the Hive Commanders or out of altruism.

There is a plan here, and that needs to be determined as soon as possible.

 _Notes of Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary_

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 261**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Hive Commander 029

Threat Level: Medium

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Sectoid)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Orange-Grey

 _Height_ : 3'10"

 _Weight_ : 40-50 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : None unique

 _Physical Condition_ : Physically frail similar to most Hive Commanders, however is slightly stronger and more agile than most due to continuous travel to worlds of differing gravities and climates.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Another figure of note within the Greater Hive Commanders is Hive Commander 029. He has become the equivalent to a diplomat, even if he publically doesn't use that title. Officially, he is the Hive Commander of Hive 029, but everyone knows that he speaks for the Greater Hive Commanders and is treated with all the respect a diplomat is due.

He is one Sectoid that is recognized with both respect and suspicion in equal measure. Over the years, 029 has been exceptionally careful not to deliberately make enemies with alien governments and individuals. At worst he has been blamed for not doing enough to correct the excesses of the Hive Commanders, but in general he is the one Hive Commander that everyone tolerates.

The perception of him varies from species, and the Federation is firmly on the side of suspicion. They are more than willing to speak with him, albeit with extreme caveats such as psionic monitors and armed soldiers present, with permissions allowing the killing of 029 should extreme psionic activity be detected. This is almost always a bluff on the Andromedons part, and 029 knows it. But he indulges them nonetheless and as a result relations between the Greater Hive Commanders and Andromedon Federation improved.

That is, until recently, when 029 convinced the Collective Military to continue relying on Sectoid spacecraft for the next five years, which was threatened due to the Federation pushing for greater influence within the Collective Fleet. It should be noted that 029 did also push for increased Federation integration, but didn't push for Sectoid production to be suspended, which is what the Federation actually wanted.

The latest I am aware of, the Federation is still unhappy with 029, but they do not entirely blame him due to the fact that the Federation did get something of import, but ascribe the worst of it to the Greater Hive Commanders as a whole. So as a result, 029 has emerged from the controversy rather unscathed in the eyes of the Federation, while relations have worsened overall. This will become relevant shortly.

The relationship 029 has with the Vitakara is decidedly more complicated. Officially, the Aui'Vitakar does not negotiate with the Sectoids due to several incidents where Vitakara scientists and civilians were murdered, but again, 029 emerged from it with the Aui'Vitakar perception of him relatively intact.

As a result, he does have conversations with the local governments themselves, and has excellent working relationships with the Oyariah Hegemony and Borelian Authoritative Council specifically, and even is working with the Vitakarian Republic on certain scientific endeavors. What is especially interesting is that all projects are targeted to be appealing to the governments in question.

Those with the Borelians are new weapons tests, or gear testing; those with the Republic are on the viability of several colony worlds, and Oyariah are specifically working on something related to psionics. Further deepening the mystery is that all of these projects are not officially sanctioned by the Greater Hive Commanders, but are sourced and funded through 029's own Hive.

029 does appear to have additional motives to his extensive diplomatic journeys than improving the image of the Greater Hive Commanders, and working toward the goal of Sectoid genetic advancement. I have personally interacted with him, and I can at least confirm that he is perhaps the one lone Hive Commander that does not see aliens as something to be hated, nor necessarily inferior, but a resource to eventually be exploited and used.

While that is not strictly speaking 'good', it is a significant deviation from the traditional Sectoid mindset where aliens are inferior and deserve nothing more than to be destroyed or subjugated. How such a mindset is tolerated by the Greater Hive Commanders is a curiosity, but perhaps since he shares the same ultimate goal, it can be overlooked.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Hive Commander 029 has the same interest towards aliens that most Sectoids have towards genetic engineering and grand architecture. Not strictly in an academic sense, but in the sense of 'How can this be used to further my plans?' To clarify further, he wants to incorporate the superior traits and aspects of aliens into Sectoids, after they have been changed to fit his vision of the ideal Sectoid.

This is another significant deviation from the traditional Sectoid mindset, where the inclusion of alien DNA or genetics is one of the few things that are considered taboo. However, 029 has little issue with incorporating alien genetics into his templates, and his Hive is devoted to exactly this purpose. The science is considered fringe to most Hive Commanders, but he persists nonetheless.

In light of this goal, he learns as much as he can about the alien species in question, through reports, interviews, visiting planets, and other ways of learning just how aliens think. He is an accomplished xenobiologist and xenogeneticist that might one day rival Revelean should he continue unhindered.

But 029 is completely focused on swaying those he talks to his direction. He is a master diplomat and while he generally avoids directly utilizing invasive forms of telepathy, he is extremely adept at reading alien body language and tone, and further changes his words to sound like what they want to hear, but are often deceptive in intention.

I firmly believe that 029 wants to make changes to the Greater Hive Commanders. He knows of the Synthesized and the threat they pose, and knows that if the Sectoids wish to survive, they need to adapt and their very mindsets need to be changed. He appears to have taken some steps to do this, but alone he cannot change an entire species.

That, I believe is a secondary goal, and one I doubt the other Hive Commanders are prepared for. There have only been violent interspecies conflict twice in their history, and if 029 wishes to ever move against the Hive Commanders, he will need to tread with great care.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

029 is a telepath of some power, but is by no means exceptionally powerful. His skill is in manipulation and tactical thinking. Psionically, he could likely be beaten by most telepaths and even other specializations of psions. He is also known for also carrying several smaller plasma weapons in the event of an attack, and has trained himself not to fully rely on psionics.

He is not a large physical or psionic threat, but one that is masterful at persuasion. I suspect that any fight with him would start and end with a discussion, he will not hesitate to lie to save his life, and is an expert in making his words seem reasonable, and might even attempt to defect to your side. This you should not ever believe.

029 will not betray the Collective, not when they are the best force against the Synthesized, and he will not ever recognize Humanity as a worthy alternative, at least not before the end of the war where such surrenders will not be genuine. Never forget that no matter how unique 029 is, in the end, he is a Hive Commander, and his loyalty is to his species, not any other aliens.


	60. Sectoids -Organizations: Hive Commanders

Sectoids: Organizations

The Greater Hive Commanders

* * *

" _They are a tenuous ally at best, and more intelligent than they let on."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

Zar'Chon

As part of the progress report on the current project, I believe I know enough to compile a detailed overview of working under a Hive Commander. Joint projects are not something the Sectoids generally do, but after this I believe that we have much to gain if this is repeated in the future. Harsh as the Hive Commanders are to aliens, they know how to conduct research.

I do not know if the template Hive Commander 099 used is a standard one used by the Greater Hive Commanders, or one specific to 099, but it was seemingly tailored for this specific project. There were several different divisions that were established once 099 arrived, all of which centered around specific parts of the projects.

I will note that the additional Sectoid scientists brought almost never directly interacted with us. In terms of importance and seniority, they were by far the lowest, and only 099 was able to order them to perform specific tasks. They performed the bulk of the menial tasks, while we were used for more specific purposes. Through this we saved far more time than normal.

The project was broken into four separate divisions: Infusion, Observation, Testing, and Harvesting. 099 chose four scientists that worked as intermediaries between him and the various division heads; his voice I can only presume, since Sectoids are incapable of traditional speech, and telepathy is restricted.

The Infusion division yielded many initial values, as we have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only species that are capable to harnessing psionic abilities naturally are Humans and Sectoids. Elders are confirmed in all but data. With that said, we have had limited success in artificial psionic infusion by genetic information splices into various species from the results gathered from the Harvest Division.

This project has allowed the freedom to perform what is a largely unpleasant, but necessary task. Unfortunately we have been unable to successfully perform an artificial psionic awakening that lasts for longer than several seconds, as the subject soon dies after this. This is even true for Humans that are not psionically sensitive. It appears that you are either sensitive, or you are not.

However, we are aware that it is possible, and further refinement can continue to perform this with more success.

The Observation Division has proven more useful for learning Human and Sectoid psychological patterns, and how psionics changes and affects them. Surviving subjects from the Infusion Division are sent here, and this was personally overseen by 099 as he was the only psion powerful enough to prevent the newly awakened psions from causing unwanted issues.

Now that we have found a species of some psionic power, we have been able to measure how Humans react to psionic awakenings, both assisted and unassisted. The results are interesting. It is difficult to predict exactly how Humans will react; some naturally adapt, and others go insane. We have sent the failures to the Harvest Division to determine if there is some connecting link between the ones who go insane, or if there is a certain genetic combination that forces this result.

Conclusions are still ongoing.

The Testing Division has yielded the most useful data. Even the Sectoids are capable of dangerous psionic potential when pushed. However, the stimuli that achieves this result is markedly different than Humans. Sectoids rely exclusively on the force of their leader. 099 was able to decimate a Human batch of psions by only commanding basic sectoids, but when left alone, the Human batch easily beat them. When Sectoids are placed against each other, it is usually specialization that determines the victor. A Leader will win against a Scientist, even though the psionic potential of the latter is slightly higher.

This has also provided immediate data for the war itself. Psions have ranges, and we have been able to successfully determine general areas of reach Humans of average psionic potential have in regards to Telepathic, Telekinetic, Offensive, and Defensive psionics. Most are limited by sight, but Telepathy is limited by range. I am certain this can be used against XCOM psions, though we are unfortunately unable to give estimates for higher thresholds of psionic power such as the Human Psion Trask, or any Elder.

The Harvest Division is where the majority of the research HC-099 personally conducted took place. Once the test subjects have fulfilled their purpose, they were taken here and analyzed for specific genetic markers that determined psionic power and capabilities, then stripped of them and stored for further research and development.

From here this division also worked on flash-growing members of various species and genetically modifying them with what has been able to be recovered from previous test subjects. At this point Sectoids are benefiting most from these enhancements, and have already seen large gains in psionic potential. 099 appears extremely pleased with this development, and has made the decision to split the project into two parts: One focusing on improving Sectoid psionic potential, and another devoted to decoding how exactly psionics work in Humans.

Should we have the opportunity to continue assisting in these projects, I would strongly recommend it. Sectoids, for all their faults, are more efficient and methodical than we could be, and are not concerned with rules that only hinder our progress, such as what the Aui'Vitakar demand. In addition, if we refuse to take the same measures the Sectoids do, then we have very little hope in matching their achievements and knowledge in the future, which will ultimately weaken our standing in the Collective.

If our species is not similarly driven to produce the needed results, then at the very least we need to work with those that do.

\- Sci'torian'valla

* * *

REPORT: 100000000001

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

SPECIES: SECTOID

GOVERNMENT TYPE: HYBRID – AUTHORITARIAN/HIVEMIND

MEMBER COUNT: 982 AND CONTINUALLY RISING

LEADER: NONE OFFICIAL – SENIOR MEMBER IS HIVE COMMANDER 001

CURRENT STATUS: ALLIED

VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: LOW

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: LOW

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: ESTIMATED MEDIUM TO LOW

INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO NATURAL RECORDED DEATHS OF HIVE COMMANDERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY XENOPHOBIC

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PRIMARY SUPPLIERS OF ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE FLEET

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ONLY FIGURES OF IMPORT ARE HIVE COMMANDERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: GREATER HIVE COMMANDER FLEET THREE TIMES LARGER THAN CURRENT FEDERATION FLEET

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ALL HIVE COMMANDERS ARE PSIONICALLY CAPABLE AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: TENUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH SPECIFIC ETHEREALS

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED MEDIUM TO HIGH

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Of all the alien species in this Collective, the Greater Hive Commanders pose the largest threat to the Federation. They do not like us, and we do not like them. It is only a matter of time before an incident occurs due to the result of the lax oversight by the Ethereals, and that is the purpose of this document.

The entire structure of the Greater Hive Commanders is based on the Hive Commanders themselves. If they are removed, the species itself collapses as a result. There are fewer Hive Commanders than might be expected for such a numerous species, but this is largely because Sectoids rarely leave Helion-7, their homeworld, and rarely leave the Helion system itself. There are only a few exceptions to this, such as Hive Commander 029.

However, they are not to be trifled with due to their massive fleet, production facilities, and ability to grow millions of Sectoids in weeks. It is suspected, but not confirmed, that they can produce Hive Commanders at a far faster rate than they have officially revealed. As of the discovery of the Humans, they have become increasingly hostile to the Federation's advances into providing resources for the Collective fleet.

But what is more important is that this marked the first time Hive Commanders have been recorded being sent into combat. We have successfully identified that Hive Commander 072 was the first to fall to the Humans, within a small Hive that had been constructed on Earth, and the second Hive Commander to die, during the failed attack on the XCOM base identified as the Citadel, was Hive Commander 043.

You may wonder why I attached the files of 072 and 043, considering they are deceased. This is because there are two Hive Commanders with those exact same designations still very much alive today. I will stress that we _do not know_ if these are clones of the respective Hive Commanders, or if they were simply Hive Commanders that were held in storage as a contingency in case one suddenly died.

The most important piece of information to take from this is that the Hive Commanders have contingencies in place in the event of their death. For all we know, they could have several million Hive Commanders waiting in storage to deploy should a war truly break out. While they are not as powerful as Ethereals, Hive Commanders are still powerful enough to dominate most Andromedons, with the exception of Special Operators.

Unfortunately, at this point if a war were to break out between the Greater Hive Commanders and the Andromedon Federation, with no outside support, it is likely we would lose. We cannot match their sheer numbers, their psionic abilities render our technology pointless, and their centers of command are so isolated even the BlackStar Project would not be guaranteed to have the desired results.

Fortunately, they are several means of attack that have been proven to be successful:

 **Genetic Plagues** : While not our innate specialty, the XCOM bioweapon deployed against the GHC had the effect of decimating their production and fleet for several months, and to date they have not fully recovered, and likely will not for several months more. The viability of this is unknown, as the Sectoids have not revealed the changes, if any, they will make to their known weakness.

However, XCOM deployed a highly specific virus that would not work on anything other than that specific genetic code. We do not need to restrict ourselves, and while we could endeavor to make a disease or plague Sectoid-specific, using the White Prison method for Sectoid planets would have the desired results and put a halt to their production lines and cloning depending on the planets hit.

 **Increase Special Operator Production:** This is an obvious measure, but an effective one. If suitable candidates are not found within the Federation, the controversial step of growing them ourselves must be undertaken. As of this moment, they are the only ones who would be able to match the Hive Commanders in direct combat.

 **Development of Automated or Mechanical Forces** : Psionics is the greatest weapon of the Hive Commanders, and their Telepathy can turn any organic force against us. This weakness is not present in automated systems, and while weaker, they would be able to reliably engage GHC Forces without succumbing to the psionic powers they wield.

 **ANDI** : This must be developed immediately. We will be unable to win against the Hive Commanders without it.

 **Anti-Psionic Measures:** Andromedon Collective Commander J'Loran has aptly demonstrated the need for our own forces to be able to resist psionics, and as of this moment, little has been done regarding the development of countermeasures for psionics. While this is due to the GHC and Ethereals restricting research into this, it needs to be done and any projects related to this subject must have more resources allocated to them.

 **Hive Commander Assassination** : If the Hive Commanders fall, so does the GHC. While we do not know their methods of replacing their losses, we do know that each one lost sets them back significantly. The more that die, the more we know how they replace their losses. It officially takes ten years to fully grow a Hive Commander, but there is nothing to indicate this is true.

Should a Special Operator have the element of surprise, they would be able to easily assassinate any Hive Commander, but of course the issue is luring them into a position where such an act is viable. Specific Hive Commanders should also be targeted for added effect. The death of Hive Commander 001 for example would certainly give them pause.

RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN INVESTIGATION INTO HIVE COMMANDER REPRODUCTION AND CONTINGENCIES; BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OR ALLOCATE INCREASED RESOURCES TO SUGGESTED PROPOSALS; IDENTIFY KEY SECTOID PLANETS RELATED TO SPACECRAFT PRODUCTION AND CLONING; IDENTIFY ETHEREALS WITH TENUOUS RELATIONS WITH THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS; IDENTIFY ALL KNOWN HIVE COMMANDERS AND SUBSEQUENT HIVES OF CONTROL FOR LATER ANALYSIS; BEGIN VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING FOR THE BLACKSTAR PROJECT, WHITE PRISON STRATEGY, AND DEPLOYMENT OF ANDI

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 003; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

Operation: Grey and Orange

Division: GHC Counter-Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'valia'intha

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To the Zar'Chon,

The Sectoids are an odd species compared to every other one we have encountered so far, and unfortunately, they don't easily fit into categories that we have as easy as nearly every other alien government does. While the Federation is different from the Aui'Vitakar, and the Sar'Manda Empire and Oyariah Hegemony are vastly different in function, there is a clear structure and hierarchy to them that makes it easy to quantify.

This is not, strictly speaking, true for the Greater Hive Commanders.

I am not even sure if it is accurate to call them a 'government' in the traditional sense. While it is true that the Greater Hive Commanders are the main organizational body of the Sectoid species, figuring out exactly how they work is anything but straightforward. Much of it can only be learned through trial and error, or observation and intelligence gathering.

 _Everything_ is controlled by the Hive Commanders. The fleets, cloning centers, mechanical production, distribution, everything. The average Sectoid has no individuality, no purpose other than what they were grown for, and no rights other than to live, and if one dies, they can be replaced within days.

So this will focus more on the Hive Commanders themselves, since they are the ultimate, and only authority within the Greater Hive Commanders. The first issues arise in that there is no official leader of the GHC. There are Hive Commanders that are more senior than others, but they do not appear to be that much more influential than any others with the possible exception of Hive Commander 001 (More details below).

For that matter, there is no command structure at all, much less a hierarchy of who does what. I would assume the GHC does indeed have some way of remedying this problem, but for the most part, Hive Commanders are allowed to literally do whatever they want, whenever they want. The only hard rule appears to be that they cannot interfere with the projects of another Hive Commander without approval.

The GHC do not have an overarching policy, laws, or anything that remotely resembles an organized government. At best there appear to be unwritten rules each of them follow, and all of them are unified under one noted vision of Sectoid supremacy, and the means by which they accomplish this are clearly not important. The one, and only time the GHC has actually made a unified decision was when they allied with the Ethereals and joined the Ethereal Collective. This has not been replicated anytime else.

The Sectoid Hives are the haphazard pieces that form the GHC. The closest comparison would be that each one is a nation-state of sorts, or a better comparison would be the Collective itself. Each Hive is part of the GHC, but that doesn't mean all of them follow the same rules or goals. So when determining exactly what runs the GHC, you have to look at the Hives themselves, the most important of which I've documented below:

 **Hive Commander 008, of Helion-7 Hive 008** : If the Sectoids have a weapons expert, this is it. The Hive of 008 is, from what has been gathered, the place where weapons development is the primary purpose of the Hive, and is home to dozens of experimental weapons. What exactly these are is unknown, but we do know this is where the Sectopod was initially produced, and since Sectoid technology and weapons suddenly explode into production, we will likely not know what exactly is being worked on until half their army is handling it.

 **Hive Commander 801, of Helion-3 Hive 801** : 801 is already unique because his Hive is not on Helion-7, but more importantly, this is the Hive where Sectoid spacecraft are designed. Not produced, just designed. But he is without question their primary naval designer, and the designs of every single Sectoid spacecraft, from the Transport to the Hiveship have come from this Hive. Latest intelligence reports indicate that Hive 801 is working on no fewer than four potential designs at once, all of which seem to be in direct response to the medium-sized frigates the Federation excels at, and the one aspect of their fleet that is lacking. I would expect to see deployments shortly.

 **Hive Commander 001, of Helion-7 Hive 001:** You are certainly aware that of all the Sectoids, 001 is considered the unofficial leader, and commands an unknown amount of influence throughout the GHC. He knows everything that happens in the GHC, and I sincerely doubt that projects can even move forward without his approval. It should not be a surprise that unlike most, his Hive appears to be devoted more to data management than a scientific or engineering focus like most Hives.

 **Hive Commander 100, of Helion-7 Hive 100** : The focus of Hive 100 is one of the more disturbing, because even through the emotionless text of intercepted Sectoid documents, you know what they are doing is unnatural. Hive 100 specializes in cybernetic augmentation, which is a benign name for what appears to go on there. You may recall this is where the Cyberdisks were originally produced from, and whatever species was subjected to that transformation no longer exists in its previous state.

"Cybernetic augmentation" is for Hive 100, code for turning a species into an unclassified abomination. They are doing it to Sectoids, they are doing it to Mutons, and it would be naïve to assume they are not doing it to us or the Andromedons as well. Outside of the Cyberdisk, nothing has been produced, but we do not know if that is because everything has ended in failure, or they do not want anyone else to know what they are doing.

But we have reports that they _are_ moving towards some kind of goal. We also know that Hive Commander 001 has visited this Hive multiple times, and 100 has project agreements with fifty other Hive Commanders, all of which take place at Hive 100. There is almost no chance the Hive Commanders would pour this many resources into this Hive unless it was producing reliable results.

I doubt we will learn exactly what these are unless we go to war, or if the Ethereals demand answers.

 **Hive Commander 099, of Helion-7 Hive 099** : While Hive 099 is not the only Hive devoted to psionics, this is the only one we have been able to find that specializes on how aliens use and react to psionic powers. Sectoids are used as well, but the purpose seems to be learning how psionics works in other aliens, and then applying that to the Sectoid genome. Allegedly. What happens in this Hive is something of a mystery currently, and will likely remain that way for some time.

 **Hive Commander 029, of Helion-7 Hive 029** : While 029 is known more for his diplomatic skills, most tend to forget he is without a doubt the foremost authority in the GHC on xenogenetics, xenopsychology, and xenobiology. His Hive is a reflection of this, and experiments and research on every single known alien species are conducted within it, and it is presumed the findings are distributed to the other Hives for practical usage.

 **Hive Commander 101, of Helion-7 Hive 101** : I am including this on the list not because of what it does, or has done, but because of the exact opposite. Hive 101 appears, for all intents and purposes, dead. Since the first contact and observations of the Hives, we have never seen Hive Commander 101, and there has been no activity of any kind from his Hive. We don't know what is in there, what is conducted, or anything else that gives some indication of life. This might warrant an investigation at some point, but you should be aware of the oddity here.

 **Hive Commander 666, of Olganar-2 Hive 666** : The terraformer Hive Commander himself, and at the moment, only the third Hive Commander to establish a Hive outside the Helion system. This is the Hive Commander that turned Olganar-2 into the largest shipyard in the entire Collective. The entire planet is essentially a Hive, but one that is capable of producing up to thirty Hiveships every six weeks, and it is the primary source of most Collective spacecraft, as well as the GHC fleet. 666 clearly molded the planet after Helion-7, and it is only a matter of time before more Hive Commanders begin establishing Hives there, likely after growing a few more for just this purpose.

 **Hive Commander 007, of Helion-7 Hive 007** : Sectoids do not have intelligence organizations, but they do have data processors and analyzers. Hive 007 is the primary location for any information related to the Sectoid species, and as a result, it is one of most heavily guarded in the entire planet. Not only do they supposedly contain the rumored Genetic Vaults, but they also just might have a documented history of the Sectoid species itself.

More than that, Hive 007 supposedly has access to the networks and files of every single Hive in the GHC, as well as anything remotely affiliated with them. If there is one location where we are guaranteed to learn everything about just what the GHC are doing, Hive 007 should be our target. That being said, the chances of actually penetrating it are close to zero.

These are the major Hives that should be investigated more closely, although there are literally hundreds more that I have not mentioned. Each Hive Commander has their own Hive, and is responsible for both building and maintaining it. The process behind the creation of a Hive Commander is extremely secretive, and I would assume that only the Ethereals would have an idea of what the process actually entails.

The Hive Commanders are not predictable. Their actions cannot be anticipated in the same way the Federation's can be, and if they ever decide to do something unexpected, I am not confident we could stop it, much less predict it in the first place.

* * *

The formation of what is now known as the Greater Hive Commanders is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The Hive Commanders would never reveal it openly, not to any alien species, and thus the only way to learn just how such an alien collective rose is through unfortunately distasteful methods. While acquiring information through such dishonest methods is unfortunate, how the Hive Commanders rose to power is not something that should be hidden forever, even if it doesn't need to be widely released.

To my mild surprise, the history of the Sectoids is actually well documented by the Hive Commanders, but is something that many do not consider to be overly important anymore. From speaking to many Hive Commanders and viewing their scrambled language for myself, it is surprisingly unbiased as to what happened. Sectoids have always been blunt, at least within their own species, and they seem to have no reason to lie to themselves, so there is a lack of bias that would otherwise be present from other governments and aliens who would try and justify their actions, while demonizing the other side.

Sectoid history is broken into four different sections: The Prehistoric Era, The Homogenization, The Formation of the Greater Hive Commanders, and the Expansion.

 **The Prehistoric Era:** The Sectoids are surprisingly split as to how exactly they originally evolved. Before they terraformed Helion-7 into what it was today there were several alien species on the planet that they believed they could be distantly related to from an evolutionary perspective. Sectoids seem to accept that they evolved from an underground primate they called Species-152 (Their naming conventions were uninspired even back then), which was a creature of similar grey skin, bulbous eyes and four limbs. The Sectoids were never able to prove it one way or another, but filed it away as a possibility before eradicating the species entirely. However, this is skipping ahead significantly.

The other possibility the Sectoids have acknowledged was that they were altered millions of years ago by another alien species, as they do not have another explanation for their psionic abilities which, much like our own, have been used by the Sectoids since the beginning of their sapience. It is an odd pattern I have been noticing, and it raises questions as to why such a high number of species keep coming to this conclusion.

Regardless of how they came about, the Sectoids were one of the few species that was never threatened by wildlife, or the planet they lived on. Their ability with telepathy allowed them to avoid threats by wildlife, and they formed small tribes that were led by a single individual, a central mind that was the ultimate authority.

During this time period, there were two distinct genders of Sectoids, and reproduction was accomplished via live births. Sectoid records indicate that the male gender was preserved, and the female one phased out due to no need for childbirth and that females were on average of lower intelligence than male counterparts, and were more prone to experiencing stronger emotions; a significant evolutionary disadvantage.

Their physiology at this time was also different. They possessed small mouths, and their heads were not quite as bulbous as they are today, and they were actually shorter on average than they are today. Skin pigmentation actually included several additional colors, which included red, white, and black. This appeared to have been the result of differing climates and sunlight exposure. This will be important later.

This era is significantly shorter than it would be for other species because something peculiar happened to the Sectoids once they encountered other tribes. The Sectoids never had a war during this period, they have always appeared to be a more peaceful species, even if they are more than capable of developing means to defend themselves.

 **The Homogenization:** Sectoid tribes that encountered each other joined into a larger tribe, there are no exceptions to this. As a result after several hundred years of wandering, the largest tribes eventually settled in mild locations and began constructing structures to live in. Soon after the initial construction of these cities, the first formations of a government emerged.

It is not entirely dissimilar to what is today, Sectoids have never once developed a democracy or republic. The leaders of the tribes took the title that roughly translates to "Commander" and began ordering their underlings to perform specific tasks. Even back then Sectoids were extremely methodical and curious; the first proper dissections they ever performed were on their own, and within several decades they had expanded to every other animal species on the planet.

Other tribes developed along different paths, and each time a city encountered another, whatever advancements one had made were shared with the other, and the Sectoids expanded further. Each tribe discovery accelerated their advancement exponentially. Electricity, medicine, engineering, mathematics; all this was perfected over centuries, all until the Sectoids had explored their entire world and had decidedly made contact with every tribe.

Sectoids never truly developed a government. They were, ironically, one of the more selfless species we have encountered. The concept of making a discovery and not sharing it with the rest of the species was unheard of. Money was never developed, nor was really any complicated economy. If one of the Commanders needed resources, they would simply ask another and it would be provided without question.

With that said, there were very specific castes that were created over the centuries. It was most notably visualized through skin color, but for the Sectoids, skin color indicated very specific things about the Sectoid in question. Grey was the most common, and they occupied lower to mid-range castes, as their intellect could either be average, or very poor. Red was considered higher than average, and was usually the result of a Commander mating with a lower caste. They tended to work directly with the Commanders and were often project leads, scientists, and engineers.

Orange indicated a Commander, the highest caste in Sectoid society and unequaled in intellect, psionic power, and size. Orange-skinned sectoids were physically larger and stronger than any other Sectoid, and their brains were more developed as a side effect of greater psionic potential. Black and White-skinned Sectoids were always considered the lowest caste, and even before the first conflict, the Commanders mandated that Sectoids born with that condition were to be recycled and killed. By the time of the Formation of the Hive Commanders, that particular genetic defect had been completely wiped out.

 **The Formation of the Hive Commanders:** The Sectoids soon reached a point where they could successfully perform genetic modifications on themselves, as well as cloning, and as a result the Commanders held a planet-wide gathering to determine the future of their species. This in the records is referred to as Meeting-16652, with no indication as to the significance of the meeting itself.

During this meeting there was much that was decided. The Commanders decreed that they would put the efficiency and enhancement of the species above all else, and that would involve the removal of the inferior female gender, the inferior Red-skinned Sectoid variant, and the transition to Sectoid templates of a limited intelligence for growing.

One thing to understand is that the basic Sectoid during this time was not like it is today. Even the mid-caste Sectoid was capable of independent thought, even if they weren't especially intelligent. They were conditioned to rely on the Commanders, but otherwise had the same curiosity and drive. But the Commanders didn't need that, they only needed roles and functions to be fulfilled; curiosity and drive were not needed, for only the Commanders had the vision to bring their species forward.

However, the Commanders had, for the first time in their species history, made a mistake. They had never once been directly questioned, nor been threatened before. But also recall that there were female Commanders during this time, and they did not agree with the overall decision, despite being a minority. When the upper red-skinned caste learned of this, they had a similar reaction.

However, none of them knew how to respond. Warfare was alien to them, and not one single weapon had ever been developed in their history. They certainly had the capability, but the idea of turning science into a weapon or a means to cause harm was foreign to them. The male Commanders had anticipated this reaction, and had also agreed that the higher-caste Sectoids might cause problems, and had stated that inferior genomes in prominent positions would be repurposed immediately.

The vast majority of female Commanders were killed within moments of coming to this conclusion, and only a handful escaped, and ordered their own underlings, as well as organized the red-skinned caste to develop weapons to use against the Commanders. Thanks to Sectoid efficiency, the Commanders weren't quite prepared as their own thralls, and even some Commanders were killed by the first developed weapons.

The response was swift and brutal. While the rebels had the initial advantage, they were vastly outnumbered and underpowered against the Commanders themselves. They took this to mean there was a fatal flaw within the female gender itself, and instead of their initial plans to slowly phase it out, they simply killed every single one, with most of the lesser thralls simply allowing it.

The Commanders were merciless in dealing with the higher castes and rebelling female Commanders. The red-skinned males they captured alive with telepathy and immediately subjected them to experimentation to see if there was anything that could be salvaged from the genome. The last female Commanders and red-skinned caste had their minds broken and were simply tossed into the wastelands, the highest insult that could be administered to a Sectoid; indicating that there was nothing even worth learning from their corpse (When Sectoids died, their bodies were generally dissected and recycled. Only the truly inferior were left to rot).

The entire war, if it could be called that, lasted approximately thirty-two hours.

The Commanders quickly reestablished order and immediately put their cloning technology to immediate use, for the templates and technology had been built well ahead of time before it was formalized. Then they made an official address to the entirety of the species, formally announcing the formation of the Greater Hive Commanders.

There is speculation as to why they have referred to themselves as the "Greater" Hive Commanders. I believe this knowledge provides an answer to that question. In their view now, there were two castes of Commanders they never acknowledged, males and females, and since that distinction wasn't known, they perhaps didn't want to be associated with traitors who were also Commanders. Thus, with this designation they remind everyone that they are the superior Hive Commanders, Greater than their predecessors.

 **The Expansion** : With full control over the species, the Sectoids began a dedicated expansion throughout the planet. They fully intended to control it before moving to other planets, and over the following centuries slowly terraformed the planet into what it is today. They killed all native life, likely storing it in their Genetic Vaults, flattened uneven terrain such as the mountains and hills.

All natural vegetation was removed, and moved to greenhouses within the preliminary Hives. They soon brought the weather under control, and stabilized the climate to a temperature they considered comfortable. Once this was accomplished, they began the construction of the Hives. The completion of this project took a minimum of one thousand years.

Throughout this time, the original Sectoid castes had died, and had been replaced by the drones you know today. The Hive Commanders also underwent changes, though curiously, none of them were ever recorded as dying. I should stress that this only applies to _Hive_ Commanders, the Commanders of the earlier years were noted as dying of old age, though after living an exceptionally long life.

Space travel was not something the Sectoids were interested in until they had fully secured their own planet, but they were regularly sending out probes and automated drones to map out their immediate system, and encountering one of these probes was how we first made contact, and flew to Helion-7 itself.

The arrival and knowledge that they were not alone was certainly a concern for them, and if it were not for our own intervention, I do not think they would have gone to war with us, nor willingly helped us. The Sectoids are not a warlike species, nor do they seek danger. But they are without a doubt one of the more intelligent alien races, and one that will be needed in the coming war.

It is interesting seeing them adapt to the wider galaxy in light of their history. They do not build their fleets by the thousands, nor develop weapons because they want to. They do it because of a contingency, or out of self-preservation. It isn't done to provoke another alien species, or to make a threat, such concepts they do not believe in.

Those who think the Greater Hive Commanders will ever go to war with another species willingly do not understand Sectoids, and to an extent, I cannot blame them. The Federation is foolish to fear them; all that needs to be understood is that the Hive Commanders will only act out of necessity. I believe that honestly, they would prefer to just be left alone.

But unfortunately, that cannot be permitted. Too much is at stake to throw away the tools we are given.

 _\- Ethereal Cogitian, on the history of the Greater Hive Commanders_

* * *

 **XCOM File 5572**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Greater Hive Commanders

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Overview

The Sectoids, under the Greater Hive Commanders, are an organization that could both be considered your greatest enemy, and least at the same time. In the end, the Sectoids likely do not want war. They can wage it, but they are not particularly good at it. They can develop highly advanced and dangerous weaponry, but they would have trouble applying it correctly.

In the end, it comes down to just how threatened the Sectoids become. The more you threaten them, the more dangerous they will become. Your bioweapon has no doubt provoked them, and it is only a matter of time before they properly respond. This is to say nothing of the two Hive Commanders that have perished in the fighting on Earth.

They are a species that is driven by curiosity and discovery, they find aliens fascinating, if inferior, on a purely academic level. Had we not manipulated the Sectoids into joining the Collective, they would likely still be on Helion-7 and you would only have to fear them if you went out of your way to travel there. It is not to say the Hive Commanders are not dangerous, but at one point they were peaceful.

However, at this point it seems clear the Sectoids have undergone a more substantial change. They are a galactic power in their own right, and the assumption some Ethereals have that they would not use it, especially when Hive Commanders like 001 exist, is naïve. The Sectoids only care about advancing their species, and one of the quickest ways to do that is through subjugation.

You are aware of the general mindset and goals of the Greater Hive Commanders which has been covered elsewhere, suffice to reiterate that there is almost no dissent within the Greater Hive Commanders, only debate on what the optimal path to proceed is. The drones are unimportant, the only ones that matter are the Hive Commanders themselves.

SECTION 2: The Hive Commanders

I suspect that the Imperator knows how the Hive Commanders add to their number, but for most others, the process is secretive. All that I am aware of is that it is an extremely long and complicated process, and the birth of a Hive Commander is one of the only things that is considered an event.

The Hive Commander emerges at full size, is given a designation and Hive, and then sent to go do with it as he pleases. I suspect that there is some level of telepathic information transfer, or flash-training as this is the only explanation for how Hive Commanders are literally able to start working and using Hives instantly.

One thing that is interesting and slightly concerning is that Hive Commanders do not appear to die. Not a single one has died since our first contact, aside from those you fought on Earth. This does not appear to be possible, since they do demonstrate aging and have not developed gene restoration techniques that Ethereals once used. Yet every single Hive Commander from 001 to 982 is alive today, again excluding the ones you killed.

I am aware that the ones you killed were replaced, but those are not the same ones and that brings to light that the Hive Commanders are holding some in reserve in the event of an unexpected death. But if you wish to know one interesting thing that few in the Collective are even aware of, it is that it _is_ possible for Hive Commanders to develop radically different ideologies.

SECTION 3: Hive Commander 101

This is an event that is only known by the Ethereals and the Greater Hive Commanders, and happened before first contact with the Vitakara and Andromedons. 101 developed along a much different path than other Hive Commanders, and to date they are still not sure how such a mindset could develop. The goals of the Sectoid species were ones 101 fully espoused, but his method of achieving them was radically different.

The reason for this is that 101 somehow reached the conclusion that the current path of the Greater Hive Commanders was not correct. He felt that intentionally limiting the intelligence of drones was self-destructive and wasteful, and began work to fix this. Since the Hive Commanders are largely autonomous, no one questioned his experiments.

What they did not realize was that 101 was creating Sectoids that were far more intelligent and psionically powerful than was permitted, and also knew that simply announcing his plans would get him terminated. By luck or accident, another Hive Commander accidentally discovered what 101 was doing, and as a result, 101 launched the first and only attack on Helion-7.

You would not be able to recognize it today, but at least six Hives were destroyed by 101 and his army, his own forces easily beating the inferior ones of other Hive Commanders, and it was only after the fleet was called in, and the Hive Commanders themselves retaliated, that the rebellion of 101 was put down.

At this point we intervened, and since the Sectoids were likely simply going to dispose of the body, Revelean wanted to experiment on it to determine how exactly an event like this could happen. In addition, he also took all remaining forces of 101 for experimentation. I do not know what his final conclusions were, but I do know he shared his findings with the Hive Commanders, and as a result, there have been no further revolts or rebellions.

I mention this as a potential method, Commander. If the process of creating Hive Commanders could be compromised, I believe they would be more than capable of turning on the Greater Hive Commanders on their own. The possibility exists, we would just need to determine exactly what is required.


	61. ADVENT- History: The Battle of the USA 3

ADVENT: History

The Third Battle of the United States of America

* * *

" _A victory; perhaps a turning point."_

\- The Commander

* * *

After-Action Report

Operation: Broken Sword

 _Personnel_

Panther 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Magus Telekine Matthew Hawkins

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 67

Panther 2: Offensive Templar Chan Jin-Taek

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 3 Days)

 **Kills:** 28

Panther 3: Scout Shun Anwei

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 16

Panther 4: Medic Jafari Tulun

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 10

Panther 5: Assault Kathryn Henderson

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 22

Panther 6: Infantry Alan Moss

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 31

Panther 7: Rocketeer Puran Metharom

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 23

Panther 8: Infantry Kita Emiya

 **Status:** Deceased (Sectoid Vanguard)

 **Kills:** 27

Panther A1 ( _Seraphim_ ): Archangel Sierra Morrow

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 77

Panther A2: Archangel Anna Pavlova

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 56

Panther A3: Archangel Psion Ted Holden

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 60

Panther M1: MEC Pilot Zalim Shree (MARAUDER-Class Suit Used)

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 52

Coyote 0 ( _Deployment Commander_ ): The Commander of XCOM

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 33

Coyote 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Infantry Anius Creed

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 25

Coyote 2: Defensive Templar Ellinor Aagard

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 32

Coyote 3: Telekine Templar Pall Johansson

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 27

Coyote 4: Engineer Nuan Kun

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 18

Coyote 5: Telekine Psion Eddison Fisher

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 49

Coyote 6: Medic Cole Pratt

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 8

Coyote 7: Assault Ricardo Jacob

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 18

Coyote 8: Medic Rebecca Carr

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 6

Coyote A1 ( _Seraphim_ ): Archangel Templar Nu Jung-Hwan

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 68

Coyote A2: Archangel Catherine Gosslin

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 44

Coyote A3: Archangel Templar Liliyane Stark

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 53

Coyote M1: MEC Pilot Gloria Page (BALLISTA-Class Suit Used)

 **Status:** Online

 **Kills:** 47

Predator 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Telepath Leviathan Patricia Trask

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** Unknown (Estimated 1000+)

Predator 2: Medic Blake Harkin

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 1 Day)

 **Kills:** 15

Predator 3: Telepath Magus Fatima Tariq

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 0 (Primarily continued via telepathic assistance)

Predator 4: Rocketeer Fakhr al Din

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 4 Days)

 **Kills:** 33

Predator 5: Infantry Oliver Ilari

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 31

Predator 6: Offensive Magus Mona Erkisson

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 47

Predator 7: Sniper Cassandra Rivera

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 45

Predator 8: Gunner Lin Zexian

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 2 Days)

 **Kills:** 28

Predator A1 ( _Seraphim_ ): Archangel Leviathan Viktoria Hammarström

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 300+

Predator A2: Archangel Sebastian Zorita

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 45

Predator A3: Archangel Rafal Rothenstein

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 48

Predator A4 ( _Seraphim_ ): Archangel Jim Cuban

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 99

Predator A5: Archangel Templar Maria Espina

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 76

Predator A6: Archangel Versha Marwah

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 54

Predator M1: MEC Pilot No Sung-Jin (GOLIATH-Class Suit Used)

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 104

Sabre 1 ( _Squad Overseer_ ): Defensive Templar Iosif Bronis

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 15

Sabre 2: Templar Carmelita Alba

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 4 Days)

 **Kills:** 0

Sabre 3: Defensive Magus Said Tariq

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 0

Sabre 4: Telekine Templar Ryo Ha-Sun

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 0

Sabre 5: Sniper Nira Schwab

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 16

Sabre 6: Sniper Vicente Espiga

 **Status:** Active

 **Kills:** 22

Sabre 7: Telekine Templar Saar Aron

 **Status:** Deceased

 **Kills:** 0

Sabre 8: Defensive Templar Hugo Nilsen

 **Status:** Wounded (Estimated 5 Days)

 **Kills:** 0

Sabre M1: MEC Pilot Sung Cho (SHINOBI-Class Suit Used)

 **Status:** Severely Damaged (Estimated Recovery Time 10 Days)

 **Kills:** 0

Pilot 1: Jason Olgard – Call sign: "Big Sky"

Pilot 2: Tzadok Gretz – Call sign: "Morning Sky"

Pilot 3: Chi Yun-Ju – Call sign: "Shattered Sky"

Pilot 4: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

Pilot 5: Natalie Johannsen – Call sign: "Roaring Sky"

 _Artifacts Recovered:_

Note: Numbers are subject to change as more corpses, artifacts and technology is recovered and negotiated over.

\- 1500+x Assorted Alien Corpses (Exact counts to be determined)

\- 100+x Alien Weapon Stockpiles (Intact)

\- 100+x Alien Tech Components (Intact)

\- 40x MELD Canisters

\- 1500+x Weapon Fragments (Numbers may change)

\- 4000+x Alien Alloys (Numbers may change)

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 0900**

 _Operation_ : Humanum Vindictae

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, XCOM Central Officer Ariel Jackson

The latest operation has proved to be the catalyst we need to refocus our efforts on the alien war itself, and halt the falling civilian and military morale, which has been a growing issue since Japan. Not only have we retaken significant ground as a result of this operation, we have restored a measure of confidence in the population regarding our ability to combat the aliens.

It is abundantly clear that the aliens were unprepared both for the scale of our assault, as well as our technological advances. Our victories were decisive, but I would caution expecting this level of success for future battles. The aliens will be much better informed about our capabilities in the future, and with the Battlemaster's near death, I expect he will not take us lightly again.

In addition to the territory itself being recaptured, we have gathered valuable combat data on how some of our more advanced technology holds up during the stresses of combat. Much like the operation, it has performed at, or above expectations. I will separate results into respective categories as follows:

 **SHIELDBEARERS** : The redesigned Shieldbearer units proved instrumental in every single major assault. The emitted magnetic fields did deflect and reflect plasma bolts as projected, and there were no instances of friendly fire as a result of this. There was a noticeable reaction from alien forces upon this realization, and I do not know if such technology has been encountered by them before.

The concerns of power also played a part, but thanks to proper management, it was a mitigated concern. The Shieldbearers are most critical during pushes or initial charges. These can take between five and ten minutes, which is the rough span of a Shieldbearer battery. If necessary, batteries can be replaced and if that's the drawback to this armor, it is a minor one at worst. I anticipate our Shieldbearers will continue to play a major part in the campaign going forward.

Concerning the alien response to this, I would not be surprised if Shieldbearers were designated as priority targets, or that the aliens began incorporating additional kinds of ballistic or laser weaponry into their own forces instead of exclusively plasma. While it will negate the impact of our Shieldbearers, this makes the alien military as a whole much less dangerous as a result.

 **SHIVS** : Much like the MDUs, these smaller mechanized units have proven themselves extremely effectively. Their deployment range was limited as few have been constructed, but the ones deployed performed exceptionally. While the MDU is undoubtedly superior is general combat capabilities, the SHIV has a much different role, and that is one of mobility.

The SHIV Engineers used them primarily in sweeping buildings, houses, and other confined spaces that MDUs would not be able to reach. It also fulfilled the role of a suppressive turret, allowing ADVENT forces to hold positions they might have otherwise lost. With that said, SHIVs are essentially useless if the main weapon is destroyed, and while we barely lost any SHIV units, many were rendered inoperable by localized fire on the main gun by alien forces. This is something that might need to be addressed in the future.

 **PROJECT MOLOSSER** : While I have documented my skepticism of Project Molosser, I am pleased to have been proven wrong. The genetically enhanced hounds proved to be both extremely powerful against entrenched infantry forces (Primarily Vitakara), as well as disrupting and demoralizing to the aliens themselves.

We fortunately only had a few Molosser Hounds die in combat, which I assume is due to their skin modifications. Regardless of how these hounds were created, their effectiveness was proven, and I will officially call for an expansion of the project. Munju will have what he needs if he desires.

However, I would expect the aliens to counter this in some way. Unfortunately, the most likely response is the deployment of their Chryssalids, something they have avoided using so far. Alternatively, supplementing their own forces with psions, Berserkers, or the Oyariah Titans, would be appropriate responses to the issue. We will still need to be selective in how we use them.

 **INTER-CITY STREET SWEEPER PROTOCOLS** : The aliens learned the hard way that infantry does not hold up against tanks, especially not those equipped with Mine Flail attachments. The aliens curiously have very little anti-armor equipment, aside from Cyberdisks and Sectopods, and I am still unsure if they are simply holding it back, or they genuinely do not have any at all.

While the usage of tanks in a street sweeper role proved effective this operation, I expect it will not be in the future. Even in this operation barricades were obstacles certain tanks could avoid and had to take detours, and they are very bottled and vulnerable to anti-armor weapons if, and when, the aliens use them. We will need to be somewhat more careful in future operations so we don't lose our own tanks unnecessarily.

 **LANCERS** : This marks the first time our Lancer Corps has participated in open and large-scale operations, which I was initially against due to their designated role of a more traditional special forces unit. With that said, the Lancers were by far our most effective infantry unit, and suffered very few casualties as a result of their genetic enhancement.

It is extremely clear that the Lancer Corps will have a role in all combat operations going forward, and this may warrant a further expansion of the program itself as a result of their exceptional performance. Their presence also had an impact on local soldier morale, as well as aliens. I expect that the more they are used, the more effective this will become. It may also make the aliens see them less as a special forces unit, and instead a form of shock troopers, allowing the Lancer Corps to continue their traditional operations with perhaps less scrutiny than there would be otherwise.

 **CONCLUSION** : This operation served as a trial-by-fire for our more experimental technology, and a response to the aliens themselves that we can more than hold our own against him. I will repeat that future victories on this scale are unlikely, but we have proven we can rout the aliens when they become overconfident.

This is an embarrassment for them, and I would be slightly concerned with their response. Their primary leader was publicly defeated, and their armies decisively destroyed. There were no victories, and they will not take that lying down. The Battlemaster now knows he can be killed. The concern that we might have awakened a more powerful Collective is troubling, but it was always going to reach this point one day.

We will simply have to be as prepared as we can be.

* * *

 **ADVENT Autopsy Report 1109**

 _Subject_ : Las Vegas Alien Corpses

 _Author_ : ADVENT Pathologist Si Sang-He

Normally the autopsy of the various aliens recovered would not warrant a specific report to be sent to ADVENT Command, but in this case I feel that there should be an exception made due to the sheer irregularity that has baffled my entire team, with the implications ranging from bizarre to horrific. I will also note that while this report will primarily deal with recovered Vitakarian corpses of varying races, Mutons and Andromedons are not excluded.

Also note that these results are only from the Las Vegas battleground. Autopsy reports from Seattle, Salem, and Hillsboro appear to be largely normal.

Notation 1 – Unrealistic Number of Suicides/Self-inflicted Casualties: This point I need to draw specific attention too, since it was by far the most common cause of death for all Vitakara forces. Nearly every single one was found isolated from the main arenas of combat, and further analysis reveals them to have died before, or during times where we had not reached their position.

While I confess to being unfamiliar with xenopsychology, and their methods of suicide (Assuming they have similar issues leading to such), the majority of the means of committing suicide was done with a plasma pistol directly to the head. Based on the autopsy, it was primarily done by placing the barrel to the side, of the temple, or against the forehead, or inserting the barrel into the mouth and firing. All of these are noted and effective methods of suicide-for Humans.

I would assume this may be a coincidence for aliens like Vitakarians, whose physiology is similar to our own, but this was also observed in Borelians, Cobrarian, Dath'Haram and Mutons, most of which are not similar to our physiology. Especially in the case of the Cobrarians, autopsies seem to indicate that it didn't kill them instantly, but only mortally wounded them. Borelians had to be shot multiple times, and sometimes it was from multiple angles, indicating that the Borelian was executed by someone else. In general, the idea of a Muton committing suicide seems suspect, since they do not appear intelligent, nor independent enough to actually consider such a prospect. And to have them carry it out via known Human methods is even more suspect.

This was not the only method of apparent suicide found. There were several corpses that had clearly fallen from large heights, largely around several of the hotels that I now know were snipers nests. The location explains why several dozen similar corpses were found with that kind of damage, and there were no additional marks or wounds on them that might otherwise be on a corpse that was thrown via an explosion or gunshot.

Notation 2 – Mass Killings/Torture: Corpses that fit this description are thankfully fewer, but far more disturbing as a result. In addition to the suicides, there appear to have been several instances where the aliens lined up a collection of various species and just killed them. The corpses are clumped together, and every single one is executed via a headshot. This is primarily just Mutons and several Borelians, but one Andromedon suit was also found with one such group of corpses.

More puzzling are the Mutons that appear to have been tortured before death. The wounds appear to be ritualistic in some way, though the meaning escapes me. None are in vital areas, but finding one Muton partially flayed was not pleasant. This was exclusively Mutons, and no other aliens were affected. Though someone was clearly doing the cutting.

If it hasn't been clear _this is not normal_. There are _no_ instances of the aliens even having anything _remotely_ like this in their cultures. If anything, I've heard the opposite. The question then, is what could possibly explain what happened here. This is an additional point that I need to address, and while it is highly speculative, it needs to be discussed.

Notation 3 – Disparity Between Fresh and Old Corpses: I am not strictly speaking talking in terms of damage. This largely applies to Vitakara, and less so the other species, and the methods of death are largely suicide, as noted earlier. The older corpses have been noted to be a fairly even split on if it was a suicide or execution by another alien. This is _not_ the case for the later corpses, where every single one was a suicide via plasma weapon.

The execution methods are also noticeably sloppier with the later corpses than earlier ones, which had an unnerving precision to them. It was effective and would not cause much suffering. Some of the later alien corpses definitely suffered before death, and it seems odd they would lose their composure now.

However, the main question raised is why their physical expressions are so different. Oddly enough, the earlier corpses look almost peaceful, several even having their lips in approximations of smiles (Another odd Human quirk), at least when enough of the face was preserved to gauge that. This contrasts later corpses which look utterly terrified, broken, or otherwise sad. This is not an isolated case either, this is very clearly documented in the various autopsies. It was as if something changed partway through the battle, but they killed themselves anyway.

Extrapolation: I will be blunt here, there are only a _very_ few amount of possibilities:

1\. This is some kind of alien ritual. I disagree with this because there have been no instances of this being observed before, and heavily disputes known alien psychology and habits. They don't kill themselves, and certainly not _when they are being attacked._

2\. Psionic manipulation. This would explain the situation very clearly, and while I am unfamiliar with the intricacies of psionics, telepathy is possible, and thus I imagine it would be very possible to do this. Since I do not believe the aliens would do this to their own, that only leaves another Human that forced this.

While I have no love for the aliens, this crosses a line that I fear can only lead somewhere worse. I do not know what psion could do this, but there needs to be some efforts made to bring them under control. Anyone who could do this is either a sadist or sociopath, and the idea of someone like that having this kind of power is terrifying, more than the aliens themselves.

This is not a baseless accusation. A Human did this, and they need to be quarantined and examined at once to prove they are mentally sound. As useful as someone like this is, people like these are unstable, and acts like this violate some of our own standards regarding helpless opponents. ADVENT must take action here, and this is why I bring it to your attention.

* * *

 _Internal memo distributed to the Internal Council shortly after the Third Battle of the United States of America_

The recent operations have firmly displayed that our ability to adapt and innovate continues to be our ultimate advantage. While the aliens remained stagnant, we have made efforts to increase our strengths and mitigate our losses. As a result, casualties were very low, and technologically we appear to have a slight advantage, not taking into account our psions who solidified our victory.

This was the first true field test for some of our new equipment, and the data gathered from it will be instrumental in continuing to ensure they are relevant in this war. In addition, the acquisition of eight Andromedon defectors is a massive boon to our own operations, and once they have been fully debriefed, we will determine how best to utilize them. Information beyond Earth is difficult to find, and V'Thrask and his Andromedons will shed light on the wider situation in the Ethereal Collective.

The implications of this will be discussed shortly; there are several topics to highlight here first:

 **The Archangel Program Is to be expanded:** The complete lack of any adequate response to the Archangels was something even I did not expect. The Floaters are inferior is almost every aspect, as the Archangels are more mobile, protected, and intelligent than anything currently in their anti-infantry air forces.

That the aliens appear unable to currently counter this is something that cannot be relied on in the future, but will nonetheless be something to take into account. Based on the data acquired, Psionic and Templar Archangels were slightly more effective than standard Archangels, but we must work on their specific utilization better.

Regardless, the Archangel Program is one that will be expanded as needed.

 **Mandatory Genetic Modifications have Greatly Increased Effectiveness:** In total there were three casualties, two of which came from the Battlemaster. Not only has the mortality rate of XCOM soldiers decreased, but effectiveness has increased by a significant amount. Basic Collective soldiers are no longer a threat to us, and I personally participated in wiping out alien forces many times larger than our own.

We will need to see if this stays consistent in future conflicts, but as it stands, making genetic modifications mandatory has only made XCOM more dangerous.

 **WHEEE Cannon Schematics are to be Distributed to ADVENT Immediately:** Considering the weapon causes Andromedons to explode, not to mention nearly killing the Battlemaster, there is little reason to keep the primary schematics to ourselves. I will authorize a slightly less effective schematic be sent to them, the exact specifications to be determined, but we cannot keep the weapon to ourselves for the sake of it.

With that understanding, I do not expect the aliens to not take steps to address this. The next iteration of XCOM armor needs to be resistant to electrical attacks, because now the aliens may attempt to emulate us in this aspect, and I suspect we would do just as poorly as them.

 **Psions Can Devastate Alien Forces:** In every instance where we deployed psions, the battles immediately turned in our favor. The aliens do not have an answer to our own psions, with the exception of Gatekeepers for Telepaths, and I expect they will not be able to without lessening the effectiveness of their own forces. These new Sectoids may be a response to this, but they are already inferior to our own psions.

Patricia and Fatima also demonstrated once more the usefulness of telepathy against alien forces, and reduced whatever defenses were in Vegas to almost nothing. With that said, ADVENT has brought some information to my attention that will need to be discussed later, but the overall tactic is still extremely effective.

 **The Battlemaster Can Be Killed:** Had Carmelita managed to hit the Battlemaster, I suspect he might not be a problem anymore. While he will likely learn from this, today we proved that we can kill him eventually. It will not be easy, but with the combined power of the Templars, Shinobi, and WHEEE cannons, in addition to projects related to Artemis, the days of the Battlemaster may be numbered.

With that said, he now has a better idea of what we are capable of, and I doubt he will underestimate us further. Caution when dealing with him is still advised.

The Andromedon Defectors: The implications of V'Thrask and his subordinates defecting is something that cannot be overstated. V'Thrask has stated he is acting on orders, which indicates that there are events happening in the Collective which we could potentially exploit. Despite having received nothing from Nartha, I wonder if this is in part because of him.

Regardless, not only can they provide information on the political situation in the Collective, they can likely help assist in the development and refinement of our own technology. V'Thrask also revealed that everyone he brought with him are experts in various fields. It appears they took lower-level positions for the sole purpose of eventually defecting to us.

This was a mission for them, and they wouldn't go through all this trouble unless they had something worth sharing with us. That is something we will now determine immediately.

 _\- The Commander_

* * *

Battlemaster,

There is little point wasting time with this report. You saw that ADVENT and XCOM have made significant and unexpected advances that our own forces were unable to adequately combat. The flaws of our military have been exposed, and steps will need to be taken to properly fix them. It will require investment, but the majority of issues have relatively simple solutions:

 **1\. Creation and Usage of Anti-Telepathy Techniques:** The fact that one telepath, no matter how strong was able to completely cripple our Las Vegas army cannot be tolerated any longer. While I understand the risks to your species that development of anti-psionics poses, ADVENT and XCOM, quite simply, do not care. They are going to keep doing this over and over until they win or we do something about it.

While the cybernetic augmentation that some Mutons have undergone is useful, it is ultimately crude and potentially vulnerable to hacking or other electronic attacks. In addition, the majority of our Vitakara forces will likely not submit to it, nor will many Andromedons.

A temporary measure should be the increased production of Gatekeepers and their deployment in major strongholds. Their ability to disrupt telepathy is worth us not being able to deploy psions of our own. It will not stop all psionics, but it will give our soldiers a fighting chance against the main ADVENT military

 **2\. Creation and Utilization of Anti-Armor Weaponry:** The usage of armored vehicles is something that we are extremely unprepared for, despite knowing about their capabilities for some time. There are easy ways we can mitigate their effect, such as mines, barricades, or mobile units.

In addition, we should consider the development of specific anti-armor weaponry beyond what we already have. This should be done in conjunction with the Federation and Greater Hive Commanders for optimum results. I would also advise the construction of armored vehicles of our own, which is a notable deficiency in our ranks which Sectopods and Cyberdisks do not adequately address.

 **3\. Utilization of Orbital or Low-Atmosphere Bombardment:** Until we gain more control of the world, we need to focus on winning battles and that will now require bringing in heavier equipment to ensure our victory until our tactics have been reevaluated. The Andromedons have plenty of ships for this purpose, and those should be utilized. While it gives us a distinct advantage, the time for toying with the Humans is coming to an end.

 **4\. Expansion of Infantry Weaponry:** ADVENT now has technology that can render plasma fire ineffective. This will need to be solved at once. The development of advanced ballistic weaponry or laser tech must now take priority, because ADVENT is going to keep using this and for now, I see no way to remove it completely.

 **5\. Sectoid Vanguards:** The Vanguards proved extremely effective against standard ADVENT forces, but the moment a psion appeared or long-range support was called, they died quickly. If those two things can be regulated, the Vanguard will be extremely useful in operations. We simply need to be smarter about where to deploy them; otherwise the initial results provided by the Vanguards are promising.

 **6\. Acceleration of Region Destabilization:** I would advise that the plans discussed in regards to taking advantage of several tenuous positions on Earth be started immediately. There is no point in delaying, and we can take advantage of their temporary confidence when they wouldn't expect it.

 **7\. Expansion of Zararch Operations on Earth:** That we were largely unaware of some of the newest developments in ADVENT is unacceptable, and despite the measures ADVENT has taken to reduce infiltration, we have other means of establishing means of information extraction. This needs to be carried out as soon as possible to prevent a defeat on this scale from happening again.

 **8\. Determination of Seattle Defense Failure:** We know quite well how Vegas and our bases near Portland fell, but Seattle is a baffling mystery. ADVENT has not reported the capture or neutralization of Overseer V'Thrask, and any kind of outgoing information has been corrupted or lost. ADVENT reports state that the shield came down at one point; likely allowing several teams within to destroy the shield.

The implications are unpleasant. Either this was an act of severe incompetence, or more likely, internal sabotage. I will need to check with Quisilia to see if Nartha has been more active than believed. Considering there were a fair number of Vitakara deployed, a traitor would not be out of the realm of possibility. Even if it wasn't a traitor, we need to know exactly what happened there.

I want to also point to the fact that the ADVENT PRIEST Program has not yet been deployed, and all of this appears to have been accomplished with little interference from Aegis. It also appears that the Humans have solved elerium, and it is likely that they will become more advanced in the coming months. This kind of technological progress is dangerous, and combined with an army of psions, we might be in a bad position unless steps are not taken.

Consider this when considering our response. We cannot afford to toy with them any longer.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	62. ADVENT - Organizations: The Lancer Corps

ADVENT: Organizations

The Lancer Corps

* * *

" _Imagine an army of SEALs or SAS operatives. Then make them invincible. You have the Lancer Corps."_

\- ADVENT Officer Vincent Rallen

* * *

 **Proposal 0043**

 _Latest Revision_ : 10/17/2016

 _Program Name_ : Lancer Corps

 _Program Type_ : Military Special Forces

 _Authors_ : Kursalin Yuliy Petrovich, Spetsnaz Commander of Russia; Helion Weekes, USSOCOM Commander of the United States of America; Barak Merton, Shayetet 13 Commander of Israel

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : Due to the formation of ADVENT and the ultimate goal of the homogenization of all allied member nations in civilian, military, and law enforcement capacities, we propose a similar unification of the various special forces units employed by current member nation countries, currently designated as the LANCER CORPS.

The LANCER CORPS will serve as the elite special forces of ADVENT, and the world at large, for the purposes of defending ADVENT and Humanity from both foreign and extra-terrestrial enemies. The primary roles of the LANCER CORPS will be special and sensitive military operations in hostile territory, the targeting and elimination of designated threats by ADVENT, ground support during ADVENT military operations, and capture of hostile foreign elements as identified by ADVENT Intelligence, as well as support for ADVENT Intelligence operations.

The LANCER CORPS will only answer to ADVENT, and no other foreign or international authority. Information on LANCER operations is to be kept at a confidential level, only available to ADVENT MILITARY COMMAND, which is composed of the following members:

\- The COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military

\- The GENERAL of the Army Division

\- The CHIEF ADMIRAL of the Navy Division

\- The WING COMMANDER of the Air and Space Division

\- The CHIEF RESPONDER of the Special Response Division

\- The CHIEF OVERSEER of the Oversight Division

\- The CHANCELLOR of ADVENT

\- The CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations

\- The DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence

\- The COMMANDER of XCOM

\- The SPEAKER of the Congress of Nations

The LANCER CORPS will be directly overseen by a designated CHIEF OF LANCER OPERATIONS, who is under the direction of the CHIEF OPERATOR of the Special Forces Division, both of whom will be appointed by the CHANCELLOR of ADVENT and approved by the CONGRESS OF NATIONS.

 **UNIT COMPOSITION** : Squads within the LANCER CORPS will vary depending on the parameters of various operations. The MINIMUM squad size will be FOUR; the AVERAGE squad size will be EIGHT; the MAXIMUM squad size will be TWELVE. Each LANCER UNIT is composed of TWELVE Lancers, though the full unit will not be used at the same time except in open combat operations.

Within the units themselves, there will be THREE primary specializations:

LANCER SNIPERS: These Lancers will specialize in LONG-RANGE combat and strategic target neutralization and elimination as identified by other Lancers or allied forces. In addition, they will also be proficient in medium-ranged traditional combat so as to not hinder their utility.

LANCER PREDATORS: These Lancers will be the primary operatives of the LANCER CORPS, and be fully proficient in multiple weapon types, close-quarters combat, and marksmanship. They will engage hostile targets at CLOSE or MEDIUM range.

LANCER EXECUTORS: The XCOM TEMPLAR Program has demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing melee combat against a primarily ranged opponent, and we have the capability to train our own Lancers to perform in similar capacities. EXECUTORS will primarily wield a melee weapon of their choice from a pre-approved selection, and an SMG or sidearm, and engage enemies at CLOSE RANGE.

Each unit of the LANCER CORPS will be composed of FOUR EXECUTORS, TWO SNIPERS, and SIX PREDATORS. This can be modified if circumstances demand it.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : The LANCER CORPS is to be the ultimate elite special forces unit in the world, and the Human species itself, and in practice will be open to those who are capable of meeting the requirements. As of this point, all current special forces units have received invitations to participate in qualifying for the LANCER CORPS.

While requiring potential applicants to participate in qualification tests may temporarily slow our time of deployment, we cannot simply rely that every soldier is qualified simply because they were in a special forces unit beforehand. The varying standards in the member countries forces us to ensure that all LANCERS are equally qualified.

Please note that this does _not_ exclude soldiers who fail initial qualification from joining the LANCER CORPS at a future date. Candidates will be identified for LANCER training in the future if they perform well, but not well enough to qualify for immediate recruitment. In the future, all future recruits will only be allowed to join the LANCER CORPS via special selection for LANCER training.

Also note that soldiers who fail to meet the requirements will not be returned to the general ADVENT military, but will either be placed in the HUSSAR, DRAGOON, or CUIRASSIER Programs, also under the SPECIAL FORCES DIVISION. In addition, the LANCER CORPS also does not discriminate on the basis of gender or age, provided the applicants can pass the required training.

In the pursuit of developing the most elite special forces unit in the world, the LANCER CORPS training regime is deliberately designed to be incapable for any outside the most resilient, determined, and intelligent to complete. Training is broken into FOUR different stages, which can be completed in any order by prospective Lancers. This has been designed in conjunction with multiple member nation special forces, including the Navy SEALS, Russian GRU, the Israeli Shayetet and Kidon, with consultation from the British SAS (Special Air Service) as well as others.

COMBAT: This tests proficiency with a multitude of ranged weapons consisting of traditional ballistics, laser, gauss, in addition to utilizing heavier weapons and armored vehicles. This will also include training in melee weapons and CQC tactics. Prospective Lancers will perform a variety of activities in multiple climates and multiple times of day in locations across the world. Several scenarios will include live-fire situations. Passing is contingent on a combination of test situation accuracy as well as weapon knowledge and utilization.

ENDURANCE: This will test both the mental and physical endurance of prospective Lancers through a series of exercises designed to exhaust and break them. Prospective Lancers will be subject to a series of potentially lethal conditions (Those in danger of death will be removed) in various climates, in addition to carrying varying weights of gear or clothing. This stage is the shortest at two weeks, and there are no scores. Those who reach the end automatically pass.

INTELLIGENCE: This is the longest stage, and will teach and test Lancers on cryptology, electronics, computer science, bomb defusing, reading and writing comprehension, chemistry, and mathematics. Passing is contingent on acceptable scores on all subjects. Failing to pass even one is grounds for dismissal.

CRISIS RESPONSE: This is a stage where tactics against Human, Alien, and Psionic opponents is taught and tested, in addition to training various scenarios such as hostage situations. Prospective Lancers are also taught emergency interrogation techniques, and are also taught interrogation resistance training which is deliberately omitted from the stage description. Passing is contingent on a majority of training operations being successful, successfully resisting mock interrogations and performing them to achieve desired results, and passing an exam on appropriate tactics for various situations.

I will repeat that a Lancer has to successfully complete each stage to join. Should that happen, their specialization will be contingent on their performances in the various stages.

SNIPERS will be designated if they have overall better scores on the COMBAT and INTELLIGENCE stages.

PREDATORS will be designated if they have overall better scores on the INTELLIGENCE and CRISIS RESPONSE stages.

EXECUTORS will be designated if they have overall better results on the COMBAT and ENDURANCE stages.

In the event that a prospective lancer does NOT complete all four stages, but does complete at least one, they will have the opportunity to join a different unit in the Special Forces Division. The more they complete, the more options are available to them:

Those who pass the COMBAT Stage will be authorized to be recruited into the HUSSAR Unit.

Those who pass the ENDURANCE and CRISIS RESPONSE Stages will be authorized to be recruited into the CUIRASSIER Unit.

Those who pass the INTELLIGENCE and CRISIS RESPONSE Stages will be authorized to be recruited into the SSR (State Special Response).

Those who pass the ENDURANCE and COMBAT Stages will be authorized to be recruited into the DRAGOON Unit.

 **RETRAINING AND RETAKING STAGES** : The following stages must be retaken in their entirety if the prospective Lancer wishes to be recognized for passing them:

\- ENDURANCE; CRISIS RESPONSE

The following can be retaken with a far shorter series of tests (written and physical) simply testing knowledge and skill:

\- INTELLIGENCE; COMBAT

Also note that the prospective Lancer can choose to take the stages in their entirety even if they do not have to. In addition, continued service in the LANCER CORPS requires taking the ENDURANCE stage in its entirety every FIVE years, and the INTELLIGENCE and CRISIS RESPONSE stages every ten. Depending on Lancer performance, the retaking of stages can be required if certain criteria are met.

 **POST-TRAINING** : Upon successful and full completion of LANCER training, the Lancer recruit will immediately undergo genetic modification and have the IRON SKIN, ENHANCED EYESIGHT, DISEASE RESISTANCE and MUSCLE-FIBER DENSITY modifications applied to them. Immediately afterwards they will undergo a brief period of training which will acclimate them to their enhanced abilities. Once this is complete, and they are fully aware of current LANCER operations, they will be deployed as full Lancers.

 **CONCLUSION** : This represents a full and working elite special forces program for ADVENT that will be sufficient to combat threats on and beyond Earth. We cannot simply be content with the current status-quo, and must push our standards and requirements higher as the fate of our species is on the line. I trust that this proposal be carefully considered, and ultimately implemented.

For more information on the HUSSAR, DRAGOON, and CUIRASSIER Units, please refer to the attached documents.

* * *

"I thought the soldiers were XCOM at first, since they looked absolutely _nothing_ like anything we already had out there. None of us had really heard that much about them to begin with, so when three guys in black armor that's somehow thicker than a Shieldbearer's show up, one of them carrying some kind of warhammer, I first thought they were XCOM."

"No, it didn't last long. Took a few seconds to remember that XCOM has colored armor, and they aren't standardized for whatever reason. But these Lancers just came out of nowhere without even giving a warning and just charged the alien line that was holding us back. Mostly Mutons and Vitakara; maybe a little more of the latter."

"I think the aliens were as surprised as us, I mean, we had called for backup, but ADVENT Command hadn't said exactly what would be coming. So the Lancers charge into the open, directly getting hit but it didn't seem to actually hurt them. Three shots, and three aliens fall to the ground. The guy with the hammer smashes a Muton in the head, and my Officer is yelling for us to get moving."

"It was pretty [Censored] unbelievable just how lethal these Lancers were. They fought like machines, I am not kidding. I swear they used those gauss rifles like [Censored] sniper rifles, they were _that_ accurate. So think on that: in about five minutes they'd essentially taken a complete city block by themselves, and I'm going to be honest, we didn't do nearly as much compared to them."

"Yes, they did stay with us until the end of taking Salem. Even learned their names, though I can't say them here, not even to you. Lancers are touchy about the privacy of their operatives, I think. All nice people, they definitely aren't normal, but considering what they can do, I'd say that's an acceptable trade-off."

"Oh, why do I think that? You've seen pictures right? The yellow-rimmed eyes and skin things? I think that's a side effect of injecting that MELD stuff into them. A literal super-serum. [Laughs]. But that's one thing I'm never going to forget. If we don't get XCOM coming to reinforce us, a Lancer is the next best thing."

 _\- ADVENT Soldier Adam Christos, in an sanctioned interview with Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

 _Interview transcript between BBC Anchor Greyson Soto and ADVENT Lancer Dannon Cohen_

Greyson Soto: "Good evening, tonight we have a special guest from ADVENT, one of the now-famous Lancers from the ADVENT Lancer Corps. Would you care to introduce yourself?"

Dannon Cohen: "Dannon Cohen, or if you would prefer my call sign, Predator 03, or just Predator Cohen, of the Lancer Corps of course. A pleasure to be with you tonight."

GS: "Certainly. I am sure there are many who are curious about the Lancer Corps, since ADVENT is sometimes less than forthcoming about the many divisions they oversee. Is there anything you can share with us tonight?"

DC: "Well, ADVENT has a lot to keep track of, and there are certain things that just work better without public knowledge. But that is a different topic altogether, I can at least say what the Lancer Corps are. The short version is that we are the elite special forces of ADVENT, and are tasked with completing high-risk, and highly sensitive missions against designated enemies and threats to ADVENT, in both a foreign or alien nature."

GS: "An answer that gets straight to the point, thank you. So this isn't simply a military unit reserved for fighting the aliens?"

DC: "Just because we're being invaded sadly does not change the fact that there are still nations who stand opposed to ADVENT, and it is our duty to deal with these threats as ADVENT sees fit. While I cannot speak to any operations that may or may not be happening, one example I can give is the Middle East, which we did participate in in order to bring them fully into ADVENT."

GS: "I see. Though what ADVENT designates as a threat is-"

DC: "The majority of our targets are alien, if that makes you feel better. I assure you, we don't act unless the need is dire. Very rarely are we needed for foreign affairs."

GS: "I suppose that is reassuring. If that is the case, I would expect the majority of your work to be supporting the resistance movements in the Oceanic nations?"

DC: "That is classified, unfortunately, but I can say that we are continuously working to remove the aliens from this world. Every day, more of them die. Baby steps, but it's progress."

GS: "Let's talk more about the Lancers specifically. You seem to have undergone some procedures, which, if I understand, are improvements?"

DC: "Ah, yes. The exact nature of the procedures is classified, but in essence it makes me physically capable of performing feats that I would not be able to do otherwise. It is a kind of genetic modification, and a successful one at that. I would not be surprised if we see civilian applications of this in the near future."

GS: "You support ADVENT genetically modifying its citizens? Is there not a risk in that?"

DC: "Mr. Soto, ADVENT doesn't use us a guinea pigs. If we're getting these procedures, they've been extensively tested and tinkered with. Do you honestly believe ADVENT would not ensure the same care is given to their own citizens?"

GS: "While I'm certain your own experience is-"

DC: "And I am more inclined to believe a government who is working to ensure our species isn't wiped out. Which is sadly in contrast to a few select countries in the world."

GS: "You have to admit there is some bias in your personal view, Lancer Cohen."

DC: "As there is in yours, but I think we've gone off-topic."

GS: "Indeed. Now one last question: You were a former Shayetet 13 operative, correct? How does the Lancer Corps compare to your previous position?"

DC: "Yes I was, and it's more different than I honestly expected. The first thing is that the training to actually be approved to join the Lancer Corps in the first place is much stricter. I, and every other current Lancer was 'grandfathered in' so to speak, but we all had to take qualification tests, and quite a few people didn't do well enough on them to join. And these men and women were the elite soldiers of the world. You don't get to become a Lancer unless you really _are_ the best."

GS: "So is recruiting invitation-only, or can any soldier join?"

DC: "There are two primary ways. The most reliable is being selected as a recruit by a superior of any rank, which greatly speeds the process and chances of you getting selected to join the training. Alternately, any soldier can manually submit a form requesting permission to undertake Lancer training. But unless what you put down is exceptionally good, you won't even be looked at for a while."

GS: "Merit-based, then. That's understandable of ADVENT. I'm curious if you know how the gender breakdowns are? Special forces has almost always been exclusively male-dominated."

DC: "Biologically, there are reasons for that. But I can personally attest to some excellent women in the Lancer Corps. They aren't as common in this branch, but each and every one of them earned the right to be here."

GS: "Inspiring to hear. Thank you for your time tonight, Lancer Cohen, and I wish you all the best in this war against the aliens."

DC: "Appreciated. Please also pass that sentiment along to your government. The only way we win this is as a united species."

GS: "I wouldn't worry about that, I think they're well aware of what ADVENT wants."

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 11001010

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

RESTRICTION: COLLECTIVE MILITARY COMMAND; ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

UNIT OF INTEREST: ADVENT LANCER CORPS

SPECIES: HUMAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: THREE UNIQUE SPECIALIZATIONS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ELITE ADVENT SPECIAL FORCES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CURRENT CHIEF OF LANCER OPERATIONS IS HELION WEEKES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HEAVILY GENETICALLY MODIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: UTILIZES MELEE AND RANGED WEAPONRY

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Lancer Corps is a part of the ADVENT Military that has been unusually quiet from the beginning, a sentiment that can also be applied to the entire ADVENT Special Forces Division as a whole, and the reasons for this, while currently still unknown, can be extrapolated to some degree, especially as a result of the recent conflict.

Prior to their first major deployment, we were previously unaware of their capabilities, although we were aware that they were drawn from the special forces units of the countries which had existed prior to the formation of ADVENT and had already considered them a potential threat to our operations. This was officially proven and now we know what they can do.

WEAPONRY: Lancers appear to primarily use gauss weapons, and have not been currently noted to wield laser or potential firearms, although there were several instances of them handling stationary turrets and carrying them into combat, and others who assumed control of turrets or vehicles where the original pilots had died. It should be assumed that they are highly knowledgeable about most or all Human weaponry developed.

Another interesting development is the usage of melee weapons, which appears to have been directly inspired by the XCOM Templar program. There are very few bladed weapons, and the vast majority used by Lancers are blunt weapons; primarily hammers and maces. This appears to have been largely successful against a high number of Collective Units, including Andromedons. Additional tactics will need to be devised to combat this unexpected development.

ARMOR: The Lancers wear armor that can be compared to Shieldbearer or SSR armor, in context of density and protection. Each Lancer, even Snipers, are heavily armored to withstand multiple plasma shots, which implies that each Lancer is a not-insubstantial investment by ADVENT. They are most recognizable because of their domed helmets, which originally arose as the result of an experimental Israeli program, which I can only assume was repurposed for the Lancer Corps.

MODIFICATION: During the course of the observed battles, it became apparent that the Lancers were acting with unnatural accuracy and survivability. While corpses were unable to be recovered, it can be speculated that most, if not all of the Lancers have undergone genetic modification that improves eyesight, speed, and hardens the skin against damage.

This lines up with several intercepted documents by the Zararch months ago. The Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes appears to have been pushing for mass modification since the beginning, and this could very well explain why the Lancers have not appeared in any meaningful capacity before now, and perhaps it could explain this for the other operations undertaken by the secretive Special Forces Division.

The genetic modification also does not appear to have been always implemented, and indeed seems to be a recent development. The rare encounters with the Lancers before today were often lethal for defending alien forces, but they did die during attacks. This is not the case now.

GOALS AND PURPOSE: The Lancer Corps appears to be a standard special forces unit, only enhanced and composed of the elite of the Human race. A logical step for ADVENT to take, but one that we can deal with in the future with the correct analysis and planning. To that end, it can be surmised that the Lancers primarily participate in scaled combat operations from small-scale raids to large-scale battles.

This is not to be confused with the SSR, even though at a brief analysis of the two, they appear similar. The difference is that the Lancers act in a military capacity and work beyond the borders of ADVENT, as well as their operations being more secretive. In contrast, the SSR only works within ADVENT jurisdiction and has been openly active even if they aren't as recognized in military planning.

Based on the latest attacks, it is extremely likely that ADVENT will continue deploying the Lancers in combat and elsewhere. Our primary objectives for dealing with them must first involve determining how to reliably kill them, and then learn where they are currently operating in Collective-controlled territory.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT


	63. Sectoids - Unit: Vanguard

Sectoids: Unit

Vanguard

* * *

" _This might be the most dangerous thing the Sectoids have created yet."_

\- The Commander

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Greater Hive Commanders Vanguard Unit

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

Despite the Battlemaster attempting to kill the undisputed leader of the Greater Hive Commanders, I confess to being slightly surprised that the Greater Hive Commanders have broken with millennia of tradition of their creation of pure drones or enslaved protectors, and put their considerable experience towards the creation of a highly powerful psionic unit.

The Sectoid view of psionics has always appeared to be limiting, but this latest project indicates to me that while they rarely employ their unique understanding of the Gift, the aspects they _do_ know, they have mastered without question. It was perhaps a mistake to ignore their own methods in the manipulation of both psionic potential and manipulation, since the ability to create a moderately powerful psionic unit in such a short time is far beyond that of even the Empire.

In the more detailed examination of the unit in question, the genetic composition of the Sectoid designated as the "Vanguard", is curiously _mixed_ which is even more surprising than their willingness to create this unit in the first place. At least a full quarter of the genetic sampling was originally based on the Human genome.

To clarify, it is _not_ strictly speaking, the direct insertion of Human characteristics, such as what XCOM does to its own soldiers, but something that is _based_ on Human genetics and traits, without being a direct copy. I suspect this is why the Hive Commanders were willing to allow it, since technically everything they have done here has maintained the Sectoid 'purity'.

This implies a much higher level of genetic expertise that even I had not anticipated, and has highlighted just how little we truly know about what they actually experiment on in their Hives. The ability to recreate complete genetic traits from another species without manipulating or inserting from the source itself, but designing them from nothing is dangerously close to Imperial-level expertise, though only the lower-ranking Imperial Geneticists.

Returning to the unit of discussion, the main features taken from the Human species appear to be many of their physical attributes including height, muscle mass, and certain psionic markers present in many psionic Humans. Without sustained field tests, it is as of yet impossible to determine just how these compare to Human psions themselves. However, they are trifling to deal with for any experienced psion of any discipline.

I believe it is clear that the Hive Commanders did not intend for the Vanguard to combat psions, but instead standard soldiers. Perhaps they wanted to combat Templars, due to the curious and inconsequential gauntlets designed. An interesting integration of psionics and technology, but ultimately nothing special.

They have largely been pre-specialized in telepathic applications of psionics, which is unsurprising in the light of the entire Greater Hive Commanders using telepathy as their primary psionic discipline and means of communication. What is curious is their ability to form a link with both an opponent and other nearby Vanguards which gives them the effect of being able to anticipate enemy actions.

While the scale is low, the fact that such a unit can perform a complex telepathic feat such as this is mildly surprising and concerning. This is more proof that this species has the potential to be the pinnacle of telepathic power, as both the Vanguard can perform this with seemingly little effort, and even the drone displays weak telepathic power. Ethereals are the pinnacle of _psionic_ evolution, but until now I had not considered that there may be other species that may be the pinnacle of certain disciplines.

This requires further investigation, and with this in mind, it may be worth revisiting our relationship with the Greater Hive Commanders and solidifying it into something permanent that they cannot manipulate. They have not reached their potential yet, but they must be controlled every step of the way so that we are not one day taken off guard when they ultimately move against us.

* * *

 _Debriefing of ADVENT Officer Susanna Palvis Transcript by Oversight Coordinator Marianne Kennedy_

[Marianne Kennedy]: "Please describe this alien to me."

[Susanna Palvis]: "Humanoid. Probably just over six feet tall. Black armor of some kind."

[MK]: "Species? It sounds like a Vitakarian."

[SP]: "Vitakara don't have psionics. I looked at one of the corpses. Is it some kind of Sectoid?"

[MK]: "That is the current hypothesis. And unfortunately, we don't know much more than that. However, these aliens caused a great deal of trouble, as I'm sure you're familiar with."

[SP]: _Audible snort._

[MK]: "Describe what happened."

[SP]: "We had just pushed past a barricade which was primarily Mutons. Not too difficult, but we'd taken some losses. We called for reinforcements and were ordered to stay put. We had a few Lancers also helping us, so we were in decent shape."

[MK]: "Were you attacked from the front, or was it a flank?"

[SP]: "Front. One of the Lancers spotted the aliens coming up and ordered us to open fire. They then formed a line, and activated some kind of shield that stopped everything that we shot at them. We fired continuously for at least a half-minute and we didn't kill a single one."

[MK]: "Is that unusual?"

[SP]: "It's unusual for us to hit _nothing_ , and remember there were two Lancers with us. And the aliens weren't just standing still either; they were moving their shields to block all of our shots. They had to be reading our minds."

[MK]: "Telepathy was a reported display of psionics. Do you have anything outside of speculation?"

[SP]: "I wish I didn't. Once the front line was established, there were several more of the aliens behind them. Once those started attacking, things went very bad. Four of my soldiers just marched out in front of the alien line and were shot. One of the Lancers started attacking the other, and more soldiers were having mental breakdowns left and right."

[MK]: "Consistent. And there were no other displays of psionic abilities?"

[SP]: "If you're asking if I saw them use something besides telepathy, no."

[MK]: "Did you throw any grenades or launch any projectiles at them?"

[SP]: "No, mostly because we didn't know if they were telekinetic and could throw them back. And our main Rocketeers were dead."

[MK]: "You had good instincts. These aliens do indeed have some minor telekinetic abilities, as several other soldiers have reported."

[SP]: _Sigh_ "Of course they do."

[MK]: "How did you win?"

[SP]: "I'm going to say it was mostly luck. Snipers in a word. That was something these aliens couldn't predict. Turns out that there were actually four Lancers, and two were snipers. Even then it took them a few shots to kill even a few of the aliens. I called for an airstrike, and we hunkered and just hoped it would get here in time."

[MK]: "I presume it did."

[SP]: "Yes. A-10 strike. Ripped the aliens apart. Snipers took care of the rest. We held until reinforcements."

[MK]: "Noted. Thank you for your cooperation Officer Palvis. ADVENT is working to determine the proper response to this new alien, and your own insight is valuable."

[SP]: "Thanks, I guess."

[MK]: "My pleasure. Dismissed."

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy SEC05**

Species: Sectoid

Unit Identity: "Vanguard"

Codename: Violet Blade

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

Alien Armor and Weapon Disassembly Overseer: Head of XCOM Engineering Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"Upon initial sighting of this organism, one would expect the alien underneath to be a Vitakarian or some similar variant. However, contrary to what any of us could have predicted, the alien underneath is actually a Sectoid variant far more dangerous and powerful than any who have come before it with the exception of the Hive Commanders themselves."

"What is immediately noticeable upon performing an autopsy is how similar in stature and size they appear to Humans. At this moment I cannot completely confirm if the similarities are intentional, or they simply wished to emulate other bipedal alien species, Vitakarians being chief among possible inspirations."

"The psionic power, while it appears is not as extensive as our own psions, has already proven to be exceptionally dangerous to non-psions, and reports from the encounters themselves demonstrate an alien with invasive and precognitive telepathic capabilities which seem far too complex for a Sectoid which is not a Hive Commander."

"While the physical appearance of this Sectoid may be a coincidence, what is not is that it is a direct response to our own means of disrupting the species. Based on such a rapid evolution, I can only presume that the genetic virus introduced was successful and forced the Hive Commanders to consider us a serious threat enough to develop a specimen that is dangerous to us."

"The questions that need to be answered are these: How dangerous are these aliens, and is there an effective way of stopping them without resorting to psionics ourselves?"

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Raymond Shen_

"While the Hive Commanders are repugnant and amoral beings, I cannot deny that there is a certain artistry with which they create their tools of war. The armor itself which covers these Sectoids is both protective without hindering mobility and possesses a glossy smoothness that implies a certain delicacy which one would not expect from the thick and crude armor of a Muton."

"As much as we enjoyed the Sectoids not practicing standard means of protecting their soldiers, we suspected in time the Hive Commanders would make some kind of effort, and that has come to pass with these Sectoids. Fortunately, the armor itself is composed of a medium-density alloy, and is perfectly capable of being eventually pierced by sustained gauss fire. It is also vulnerable to plasma, although resistant to laser and other energy weapons."

"What is most interesting is the gauntlet on their wrists. We were unfortunately only able to recover one intact, but even that has yielded some preliminary insights. The device is incredibly complex and delicate, which is why most were damaged upon recovery. The gauntlet is composed of multiple 'pins' which, when arranged in a certain way, allow the wearer to channel psionic energy into it, and the gauntlet will form the energy into a tool or weapon. We observed these Sectoids creating psionic shields and energy blades, but that might not be the only thing it can create."

"I find it interesting that out of all the aliens, the Sectoids are the only ones who consistently integrate psionics into their technology. It is apparent in the very base we are now in, all of their spacecraft requires a psionic connection to the pilot, and now some of their weapons do as well. The Ethereals are more powerful, but they very clearly keep psionics and technology apart, and an argument can be made that the Sectoids are putting this power to better use than the Ethereals have."

"I am loathe to imitate the Sectoids, but this is one area that is worth further investigation. The more we can harness and integrate psionics, the more options we have in dealing with the aliens themselves."

 _Report_ :

 _Overview, Physiology, Psionic Abilities, and Countermeasures sections written by Dr. Moira Vahlen_

 _Equipment section written by Dr. Raymond Shen_

Overview: After a complete autopsy of several of these "Sectoid Vanguards" (What Magus Fatima gleaned from one of the aliens who referenced them with the designation), I can come to the conclusion that this may be one of, if not the most dangerous specimens the Sectoids have yet created. On its own, the Vanguard is lethal against unprotected soldiers, but the troubling implications come in that this is clearly a proof-of-concept, and the Sectoids are unlikely to forego expansion on this concept.

Physiology: While I cannot be sure of the accuracy of this, it appears that the Sectoids are capable of directly manipulating the psionic potential of Humans. There are several reasons for this, namely that the psionic markers that are present in all Human psions are also present in Vanguards. The psionic markers that we had previously identified in Sectoids are no longer there, and have been replaced by ones which, while technically not Human genetics, are identical in every way.

This indicates both that the Sectoids consider Humans psionically superior, and that they can modify their power to suit their needs. Furthermore, while there is actually a small amount of genetic deviance between several of the Vanguard corpses we have (They appear to now be using templates, instead of identical clones), the psionic markers are exactly the same. If I was to establish a Trask level for the Vanguards, based on previous data, they would be placed in the 20-35 range. This is obviously nowhere near the full potential of a Human, and that means they will likely try to only make them more powerful in the future.

Physically, each and every Vanguard stands at six feet, two inches. The skin is no longer a grey-white, but a pinkish color which I presume is a side-effect of integrating human-based genetics. Aside from the muscle mass being greatly increased to Human-size proportions, the hands and feet are largely unchanged, just adjusted for the current heights.

The cranium is noticeably smaller and skull-shaped than previous Sectoids, although still distinctly irregular. The eyes no longer are the orange orbs, but instead pure black with no noticeable pupils. This change does not appear to have affected their eyesight, and appears to be another side effect of Human-like genetics. The eye shape itself is also noticeably rounded and closer to a Human's even if the radius is ultimately larger.

The mouth, like the previous Sectoids, is non-existent. The vocal cords that allow the Sectoid to communicate in their odd chitters are still intact, allowing some level of verbal communication, even if the primary method of communication is telepathy. The endurance and strength of these Vanguards is at minimum equal to an above-average Human, but they would be unlikely to overpower one of our soldiers.

Psionic Abilities: The Vanguards appear to primarily specialize in the telepathic discipline of psionics; not unexpected, but they are considerably more dangerous as a result. Reports by ADVENT and our own soldiers indicate that the Vanguards appear to form some kind of psionic 'link' with a target, which isn't powerful enough to affect their mind, but it does allow them to predict actions, which is a deadly advantage.

Furthermore, there is speculation that Vanguards can also form this link with other Vanguards, but as a means to share information, which in this instance, allows every Vanguard to predict the actions of an entire enemy force. The sheer amount of complexity and delicacy needed to execute just one of these feats is daunting, and yet the Vanguards do not appear to have many difficulties performing these feats.

In addition, they also have demonstrated minor telekinetic and defensive abilities; several Vanguards used small shields to protect themselves from aerial bombardments or sniper shots. They also use their telepathy offensively, causing sudden panic attacks, betrayals, disorientation, and other forms of mental damage. An individual Vanguard does not appear to be able to affect more than one victim at a time, but considering how simple telepathy is to use on an unprotected soldier, that does not mean much.

Equipment: The majority of this section will focus on the psionic gauntlet these Vanguards wear, as the armor itself is nothing special outside of its aesthetic, and the wrist plasma cannon is only a slightly more powerful iteration of the weapon used by previous Sectoid units. The gauntlet itself is the only truly unique piece of equipment used, and is different even compared to other Sectoid technology.

First, the gauntlet itself is not a simple attachment, but would be better referred to as an implant. Cybernetics extended from the gauntlet to implants on the arm which connected directly to parts of the brain, much like how our Archangel and MEC programs work. I imagine this was necessary because it allows the wearer to more accurately direct psionic energy into the gauntlet, as well as modify the formation of the pins which determine what the gauntlet does.

Theoretically, the pins can be configured in near-infinite combinations, all of which would make the gauntlet do something different. In practice, it is best used by the Vanguards as a literal shield and psionic sword. Both are directly formed out of psionic energy, and are nearly impossible to destroy as long as the wearer maintains the energy they put into it. What is interesting is that the gauntlet can directly manipulate the psionic energy, no matter the specialization of the wearer, and produce the same thing every time.

In theory, this could lead to an entire arsenal of psionic-based weapons and armor that only need psionic energy to perform specific functions. Just from this gauntlet, it could be converted to fire psionic bolts of energy, or create a directed telekinetic field. I do not think the Sectoids designed the gauntlet with this in mind, nor do I think they truly comprehend the importance of what they have gifted us, else they would have ensured that these gauntlets do not just break upon death, but are destroyed beyond any hope of recovery.

My team is already looking into this possibility, and we know we can eventually reverse-engineer the gauntlet itself shortly. It is only a matter of time.

Countermeasures: There are three main ways to neutralize Vanguards as of the time of writing this document:

1\. Psionic support: Vanguards, while they are extremely dangerous to ordinary soldiers, are not a threat to any trained psion and can be dispatched without much trouble.

2\. Sniper fire: The telepathic abilities of the Vanguards to link with their opponents is noticeably ineffective against long-ranged attacks, where they cannot predict the exact location of shots. This does not guarantee that snipers will always kill the Vanguards, but they have a better chance than soldiers, especially since Vanguards have notably eschewed cover in favor of their gauntlet shields.

3\. Aerial attacks: Unsurprisingly, Vanguards are both rarely capable of surviving or predicting direct rocket blasts or A-10 bombardments. Every instance where this was carried out has had a success rate of 100%, and should be a default tactic until anti-telepathy measures are developed.

Additional Alien Comments and Notations:

 **[Sala'voriah'melonda, Vitakarian scientist and alien assistant to XCOM]:** _An interesting development to say the absolute least. Having limited experience with the Sectoids as a species, I am well aware of their barely hidden xenophobia and disdain for our own species, so the fact that they have actually gone to the effort of integrating genetic alternatives from other species is a much greater point than you seem to think it is._

 _Sectoids as a rule consider other species inferior from social, emotional, and genetic standpoints, so the fact that these Vanguards have clear Human-based traits in them is an extremely high compliment in an ironic way. The Sectoids making an effort to diversify their forces is also an understated development; you must have made them extremely scared to take these kind of steps._

 _I'm more disturbed by how quickly they were able to make these. They can't have been developed in more than a few months, and if they were begun earlier than that, it means the Sectoids have been preparing for this for a long time, or they can see the future. The alternative is that they were able to determine what Human genetics they needed, recreate them, design the Vanguard, and grow them in the span of months._

 _I don't even know if Ethereals could do it that fast. That is greatly concerning, and like Dr. Vahlen noted, this will likely not be the last._

 **[H'Osarra, Andromedon Xenochemist of the Federation Military]:** _The Federation has been anticipating a development of such a unit for some time. It was not a matter of if the Greater Hive Commanders would eventually move to the development of military units, but when. I suspect that this has been an ongoing project over a period of years, and only now have the Hive Commanders decided to use this conflict as justification for the development of purely psionic units._

 _Contrary to the Vitakarian's assessment, this could have easily been done from the beginning of the invasion. It is likely the psionic potential of Humans was discovered, and like usual, the Sectoids began experimenting to improve their own selves. Their notion of genetic purity is self-propagated propaganda. The Sectoids don't care about genetic purity, they only care about improving themselves. Now it is true that they generally consider alien genetics, with the possible exception of Ethereals, inferior. But the utilization of superior alien genetics is not out of character for them, nor unexpected._

 _The deployment of these Vanguards will raise questions within the Federation, and there will only be increased tensions as a result. The Sectoids do not consider your species a threat, nor do many of the Andromedons. The Federation will likely see this as an excuse for the Sectoids to begin the rapid deployment of militarized psionic units, which are a direct threat to our own species._

 _If Dr. Vahlen is correct, and this is a mere prototype, I would expect one of two things to happen. Upon the deployment of a newer iteration, the Federation will make moves to fully investigate or regulate the production of these units, or the Federation will force the Collective to end this war on Earth in preparations for a war with the Greater Hive Commanders._

 _I do not believe you fully grasp the threat of the Sectoid War Machine, Commander. While this is a potentially extreme step, there has been growing tension between the Greater Hive Commanders and the Andromedon Federation since the first contact. At some point, something will have to break, and this might be what pushes it over the edge._

 **[Aegis]** : _This development of the Sectoids is unexpected. The species is one that is resistant to change, regardless of the circumstances since the rise of the Greater Hive Commanders, and I am skeptical that they would take such an extreme step, both that of integrating alien-based genetics and moving from mono-cloning without outside intervention._

 _If I was to speculate, your genetic plague worked better than you likely anticipated, and the Battlemaster forced the Hive Commanders to make changes. Undertaking this unprompted would be extremely unusual, and would indicate that the Greater Hive Commanders are preparing for something, likely something that the Imperator has not approved of._

 _Concerning Dr. Shen's point about the lack of psionically integrated technology as opposed to the Sectoids, the answer is that such technology is unnecessary. It is a dilution of the pure psionic energy. We have no need to further shape psionic energy artificially, when it can be done naturally. Furthermore, the more psionic energy is integrated into technology, the higher the risk of catastrophes happening._

 _In the days of the Empire, we once encountered a weak psionic species. They were not hostile, but had harnessed their limited power in a variety of different ways. Their weapons, transportation, nearly every aspect of their society had some kind of psionic integration. However, at some point there was a dispute within their species and while we don't know exactly what happened, the planet was soon rendered uninhabitable due to a multitude of psionic explosions which ravaged the planet._

 _I suspect this was due to several of these species exploiting the psionic energy and making it expand, causing it to explode. Unfortunately, when every aspect of a society is wired with psionics, chain reactions are easy to cause. While the concept is excellent in moderation, expanding it beyond what is necessary only leads to higher risks which your soldiers need not subject yourselves to._


	64. XCOM - Unit: Archangel

XCOM: Unit

Archangel

* * *

" _These units from XCOM highlight yet another deficiency in our forces. They are too fast for soldiers to shoot, too low for our anti-air to effectively destroy, and too strong for Floaters to fight."_

\- Collective Andromedon Commander J'Loran

* * *

 **XCOM Project File 0229**

Project Codename: "Icarus"

Project Type: Armor; Air Support; Mobility-Focused

Armor Designation: "Archangel"

Authors: Head of XCOM Engineering Raymond Shen; the Commander of XCOM

Overview: The intention of the Icarus Project is to provide XCOM with a highly mobile aerial infantry unit and serve as a counter to the Floater-class alien type which operates in a similar capacity for the Ethereal Collective. Steps have also been taken to ensure the Icarus project produces results that are far above the noted impact of Floater-class units in combat situations.

The designated Archangel armor is designed to be highly responsive to user commands, and can be modified to handle multiple weapon systems and weapons, in addition to having systems in place to compensate for counterbalances or other disorienting effects which could have a negative impact on the performance of the Archangel pilot.

Armor and Flight Systems: The Archangel Armor is composed of pure heavy-duty alien alloys extracted from recovered alien spacecraft, and has twice the protection as the current Aegis Armor, allowing the Archangel pilot to take a larger amount of punishment. This has resulted in the armor being thicker and heavier, forcing the flight systems to be more powerful. However, with the research of Elerium completed, this has negated this concern significantly.

Underneath the armor plating itself is a light alloy weave based on the alloy plating underweave developed in the early stages of the war, and refined to be able to withstand two to three direct plasma shots before weave degradation.

The main flight power systems are situated in the upper back plating of the armor itself, with two backup generators placed in lower back plating. There are two main propulsion engines situated on the upper back and shoulders, which provide the primary aerial propulsion for the Archangel suit. Both engines are capable of independent control, and automatically stabilize upon flight.

Two secondary propulsion engines are placed under the knees, which are primarily used for steering and flight control. These can be controlled manually by the pilot via physical movement of the engine, or manipulation of a small pressure pad in the front of the boot which provides a brief burst of power to the respective engine.

The primary control for the suit relies on a low-level neural interface similar to MEC units, though not as invasive. This allows the pilot a limited amount of neural commands which allows the pilot to launch, increase/decrease power to all or certain engines, cut propulsion, or otherwise pilot the suit as needed.

With the proper training and familiarity with the armor, the Archangel armor is capable of being highly mobile and versatile in combat, while also providing a high degree of protection from hostile fire of multiple types, including gauss, plasma, and laser. Brief overviews of power level, armor integrity, and weapon systems are displayed in the HUD of the Archangel helmet, which can be hidden by the pilot to avoid distractions.

Weapon Systems: Pilots of the Archangel armor will be able to wield all current arms in our possession. The Archangel armor primarily works best with pulse laser weaponry due to no recoil that could destabilize flight. Plasma weaponry is estimated to be the following optimal weapon type for Archangels, and the final is gauss weaponry. While the recoil is not optimal, it is not expected to cause significant danger unless improperly handled.

Archangel armor is best used with rifles of a regular or sniper variety, since either does not hinder mobility because of size, and they do not provide unmanageable recoil. Autorifles and other heavy weapons have been observed to reduce mobility, in exchange for greater weapon power, and the recoil produced for gauss weapons may be enough to destabilize flight while moving. Shotgun-type weapons are not recommended without extensive training due to the high recoil of the weapon.

The Archangel armor is also capable of having heavier weapon systems implemented into the forearms of the armor. These are not required, and can be switched between uses freely. The currently developed ones are as follows:

 _Chemical Dispenser_ : While this was primarily designed as a flamethrower attachment, capable of handling flammable substances less dangerous than ClF3, the concept has been expanded to be able to handle additional chemicals such as acids and nerve gasses. This requires a small tank attachment to the midsection back which is connected via armored tubes to the dispenser itself. This attachment has to be thoroughly cleaned between switches of substances to prevent potential hazardous mixing of chemicals.

 _Rocket Launcher_ : This is capable of firing a micro-missile at a target. The missile is not limited to being a high-explosive; variants used to dispense chemicals or primarily shred defenses are also usable with this launcher. The launcher itself is capable of only firing three missiles before manual reloading is needed. This low number can be mitigated with landing for resupply or the Archangel carrying additional missiles stored in small armored cases which can be provided upon request.

 _Pulse Laser_ : This attachment is a high-damage sustained laser which is capable of cutting through steel and alloys with milliseconds of sustained fire, and highly lethal to anything caught in its path. It draws power directly from the primary elerium power cell, and as such has a potentially near-infinite usage. Please note that sustained usage of longer than thirty seconds may drain power significantly, and may affect flight speed and maneuverability.

Optimal Deployment/Usage: Archangels are to be used primarily as highly mobile soldiers to attack vulnerable enemy positions and units, dispensing destruction over a large range of positions and disrupting the alien's control of the battle, and inducing more defensive measures. They are not to be used to single-handedly attack armies, but instead disrupt, sabotage, and destroy specific targets.

In the event of Floater insertion, Archangels are to be used to deal with them, allowing ground forces to operate unimpaired by the aerial combat. Archangels are not intended to participate in ship-to-ship aerial combat, and will not target hostile Collective aircraft (Note: This may be waived for Psion Archangels).

Archangels are to be deployed against Ethereals on a case-by-case basis, with specific tactics and instructions for each Ethereals. These are _not intended to be modified_ in any way unless specifically approved by the Commander, Overseer Trask, Director Zhang, or Aegis.

Tactics against ground forces will vary depending on Archangel weapon composition, specialization, Templar and psion status, and suit familiarity. All Archangels will receive extensive genetic modification including the following, in addition to the already mandated modifications:

\- Muscle-Fiber Density

\- Iron Skin OR Biomuscular Regeneration

\- Required neurological implants and modification

Archangel Pilots will be selected based on familiarity with aerial combat, prior combat skill/experience, physical reflexes, and knowledge of aerial tactics and strategies. Those who have aversions to heights will not be considered.

Archangel Hierarchy: The Archangel ranking system is not dissimilar to the current one used by XCOM squads. _Seraphim_ are the designated host overseers/leaders of the Archangel host, and non Seraphim are simply referred to as _Archangels_. In reports the designation may be modified depending on certain other attributes, such as if the Archangel is a Templar or a psion. Archangel hosts will be no larger than three including the Seraphim, although there can be multiple hosts working in the same area.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : XCOM Flight Unit

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Primary Engineer Fectorian

XCOM has expanded their combat units into the aerial infantry combat sphere. One of the likely technological paths they were expected to take, and the results appear to be expertly done. The modified Mutons were never intended to fulfill a role outside harassment and overwhelming numbers, but XCOM was nonetheless inspired enough to create a superior unit.

Useful.

It is unfortunate that none of these soldiers were killed in combat, as they would be useful in supplying the techniques XCOM used for additional projects. Previously I have not considered the idea to have the necessary merit to warrant prioritization over other projects, but I appear to have been proven wrong. The ineffectiveness of the Floater units from this point will need to be addressed in the near-future.

Fortunately, this might allow me to go beyond the obvious limitations XCOM has imposed on this piece of armor. They are continuously trying to mitigate the most useful attributes of cybernetic units in favor of preserving the original state of the being in question. A disappointing weakness, which makes their usage of the MEC units all the more odd.

It is becoming clear that the Humans are not some enemy that can simply be destroyed with brutish idiots. The Battlemaster's reliance on the Mutons is rapidly becoming more of an issue, and with the species being completely inferior to the Humans now, continuing to use them is simply a frustrating waste of resources. I will push for the Muton Conversion Program once more, even if it will likely not be approved.

As it stands now, the entire species is in need of major reworking. The Floater concept will need to be readdressed and redesigned to adapt to the Human's continuous improvements. Amazing that such an isolated and technologically inferior species has managed to perform such feats. The Battlemaster should be careful that they do not get out of control, because all technological paths forward only lead to their becoming our equal, if not superior.

Fortunately, I will take action well before that crisis point arises.

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 11100100

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON OVERSEER L'RAGNOS

RESTRICTION: COLLECTIVE MILITARY COMMAND; ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

UNIT OF INTEREST: XCOM ARCHANGEL

SPECIES: HUMAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: AERIAL INFANTRY UNIT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY MOBILE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ANTI-AIR DEFENSES INEFFECTIVE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSIONIC USAGE CONFIRMED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: IS CAPABLE OF ATTACKS AT SHORT, MEDIUM, AND LONG RANGE

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The new unit developed by XCOM is a sharp contrast to their primarily ground-level focus, and indicates a further military expansion that is directly inspired by other Collective units. While initially this appears to combat the Muton Floater unit, it is far more useful and versatile than ordinary and Heavy Floaters themselves.

The Archangels, as they are referred to, are heavily armed with both the traditional weapons that might be expected for XCOM soldiers, in addition to a mixture of other highly destructive tools including rockets, grenades, flamethrowers, and other chemicals. The name itself is also a curiosity, as traditionally an "Archangel" is a specialization of a Human religious heavenly hierarchy, primarily depicted with wings and various melee weapons. In these depictions, they are often a direct religious punishment, bringing death to the enemies of the God in question. It is unknown if XCOM is trying to invoke similar imagery with the name, but it would not be surprising if that is the case.

The Archangels are just as dangerous as their ground counterparts, if not more so due to their height advantage and exceptional mobility. Without computer assistance, it is difficult to accurately target them as they are constantly in motion. Even direct hits do not seem to slow them down much, indicating that their armor is exceptionally tough, or they have been extensively modified underneath.

Archangels also have been observed to alternate between aerial and ground combat within seconds. This is done against flanked or otherwise vulnerable units, especially those currently engaged in combat in one direction. Archangels performing this tactic have so far had a 100% success rate. Their usage of chemical weapons and flamethrowers also serves to disrupt any hostile operations, as they are too fast for most soldiers to accurately shoot them down.

Their weaknesses are primarily their numbers. They have only been observed attacking in groups of three, though this is subject to change if XCOM continues recruiting more soldiers. The fine control the pilots have over their suits indicates some kind of neural link, similar to the MECs also employed by XCOM.

As with their ground forces, Archangels can also be psions or Templars. Both exhibit slightly differing tactics in combat, with psions either using their destructive psionic abilities to affect larger groups of enemies, or defending themselves and their allies. Templars are far more likely to engage in ground combat, and are much more dangerous against Floaters. In contrast to their ground brethren, Archangel Templars employ longer-ranged melee weapons we have identified as poleaxes, spears, and some lances. Several Archangel Templars have also been observed to carry the shorter ranged melee weapons in addition to those. Psions and Templars do not carry any ranged weapons on them, likely to preserve mobility.

The current Floater unit is insufficient to adequately address this threat, and they fight too close to the ground to rely on anti-air or spacecraft of our own. We will have to accelerate development of anti-Archangel targeting programs and turrets. In addition, we should also consider similar programs to these Archangels with our own soldiers. The neurological link is something we have yet to explore to its fullest potential, and as such we have left ourselves at a temporary disadvantage.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT


	65. Miscellaneous - Aliens and Chocolate

Miscellaneous – Aliens and Chocolate

* * *

" _The weaponization of chocolate was not something I expected."_

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

 **XCOM Proposal 099**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: Introduction of Addictive Agents in Collective Territory

Author: Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

Commander,

Before you immediately dismiss this idea out of hand for the initial ludicrousness, I want to remind you that it has, albeit accidentally, been proven to be effective. The illegal drug trade is not something that aliens, particularly Vitakara, have ever had to deal with, nor are familiar with what it actually entails. I have confirmed this with conversations with our resident Vitakara captives.

This is not to say addictive or narcotic agents are not known, and I was provided a list, but that so-called terrorist organizations like the Nulorian never participate in it because unlike on Earth, currency isn't common, and the Aui'Vitakar have very strict standards in place for narcotics. Addicts are extremely uncommon, and also unlike Humans, it is _very_ obvious if someone is on Vitakara narcotics. Literally every single addictive drug known to them will have an effect similar to injecting pure heroin into a Human.

Now, the science team is working to figure out just why this is, but chocolate appears to have a much smaller, but potent effect on Vitakarians, which could theoretically extend to other races as well. You are aware of the incident involving a Vitakarian eating a chocolate bar, and it appears she has developed a mild addiction to the substance now.

The effects of chocolate addiction are still unknown, but initial results indicate that it is extremely addictive to Vitakarians, wears off within a few hours, and in small doses does not appear to cause immediate ill effects. I specify small doses because large quantities will induce vomiting. Provided this little side effect can be reduced, I believe this weakness should be something we exploit.

I imagine that the Collective figured out the effects of chocolate relatively quickly, and have likely taken steps to ensure that their own forces do not consume it. Thus, there is an untapped market that we can exploit without directly engaging them in combat. The aliens do not have experience with the drug trade, but we have quite a bit of knowledge in how to carry it out correctly.

I propose that, together with ADVENT Intelligence, we work to, put bluntly, get the aliens addicted to chocolate, or at least the Vitakara. Once they are sufficiently addicted, we can use that leverage to potentially acquire rarer materials such as elerium crystals, plasma weapons, or alloys. It is unlikely the aliens will have much currency, but they do have resources we can use.

Upon your approval, we can begin this operation relatively quickly. Although we should develop an antidote as well, at least for the Vitakarians who are working with us on this.

* * *

 **CODEX File *****

 _Subject_ : Human Narcotic ("Chocolate") Effects on Various Species

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

A minor matter that has been brought to my attention that has proved exceptionally interesting is a substance the Humans call "Chocolate", which is used both as an ingredient and sweet throughout their entire species. It is often supplemented with additional ingredients such as sugar, flavored preservatives, and cookie dough, and is extremely popular. The majority of Humans seem immune to the dangers this obvious drug poses, and are only negatively affected if they consume exorbitant amounts.

What is baffling is when the exact same drug is given to other alien species. This was first recorded in Vitakarians who were experimenting with Human food, and subsequently banned from consumption. Nonetheless I decided there needed to be data on just how severe this was to member species of the Collective. The results are curious to say the least. As I suspected, it does produce adverse effects in nearly all species, although it also induces euphoria for certain ones.

Vitakara: Subjecting the various races of Vitakara produced varied results, of a greater deviance than I had originally anticipated. Contrary to what I believed, not every race would be affected just because they were the same species, but had reactions that varied from euphoric to lethal; also with dosage varied.

Vitakarians and Dath'Haram had very similar results. Any amount of chocolate is enough to immediately put them in a lethargic and euphoric state which fades within several hours. If too much chocolate is consumed (Half of one acquired Hershey's Bar was the maximum), it will induce vomiting in them for a brief period. It is also highly addictive to them, and even the smallest amount is enough to hook them on this drug.

Borelians have a similar reaction, although unlike the previously mentioned races, their metabolism is strong enough to allow them to consume essentially as much chocolate as they want. They still enter the same euphoric state, and suffer the same addiction, but they do not have to fear untimely vomiting. Out of all the races, they were the ones who appeared to enjoy it the most.

Cobrarians do not suffer the same effects as the races above, and it appears that chocolate is not something that appeals to them. Yet they also develop an addiction to it, and unlike the others, this addiction has a very high chance of causing an overdose and killing them. Out of the races, they are the ones who are most vulnerable to this drug.

Oyariah and Sar'Manda do not appear to be affected at all, nor do they appear to like the drug very much. Oyariah also do not become addicted, and Sar'Manda develop a much weaker addiction that fades in mere days if chocolate is not consumed. However, the chances of either species finding this drug in the first place is limited since neither would consider it appetizing.

Andromedons: Introducing chocolate to Andromedons has had…lethal results. I expected Andromedons to react poorly, or suffer similar effects as the Vitakara. I did not anticipate that the rather small amount of chocolate given to them would send their body into a state of shock and kill them within several hours. Unexpected and unfortunate.

Although perhaps not so unexpected. Their physiology and biology is incompatible with nearly everything that I have observed in this galaxy. All of their food is specially treated and seasoned, with none of it being organic or natural. I suppose subjecting to them to a known narcotic would have adverse effects. Nonetheless, it would be best if this information is kept from XCOM.

Mutons: Out of curiosity, I subjected several Mutons to consuming chocolate, and it elicited no adverse effects. I do not even believe the Mutons really tasted it. Considering their immune systems and metabolism are superb, it would follow that chocolate does not have any effect, good or bad, on them.

With this known, I asked a Sargon his opinion, and he confirmed that it had no taste, nor did he have any desire to have any more. This also applies to males and females equally. Mutons just do not care for chocolate, and that works to our advantage surprisingly enough.

Sectoids: It was difficult to accurately test this out. There were two means of subjecting them to the drug. The first was using cocoa powder and having them sniff it, and the second was injecting it directly into their bodies. The former was clearly unpleasant for them, though they did not develop any addictive tendencies. The latter, however, sent their body into shock and killed them. Like the Andromedons, it appeared that a high enough dose was lethal to their frail bodies.

Ethereals: I attempted to taste this drug for myself, and while I can say I don't particularly care for it, I have yet to feel any addictive symptoms from it. The issue is that it is too sweet to fully enjoy; even pure cocoa powder is far too sweet. How the Humans constantly enjoy this, and further _sweeten_ it with sugar of all things is baffling.

I regret telling Quisilia this, as it has resulted in every Ethereal being sent an overly large Hershey bar in what I can only presume as a joke. Although the Battlemaster stated he thought pure cocoa wasn't awful, so perhaps my colleagues have stronger tolerances than I do.

Testing and Dosage: The amount of mediums Humans have for distributing this drug is truly staggering. The most common are bars which are traditionally able to be broken into bite-sized squares for easy consumption. Occasionally these bars will be modified with nuts, caramel, and other odd ingredients. I will also add that these chocolate bars are often severely diluted in purity.

Chocolate bars with a large amount of purity are referred to as "dark chocolate", and are as supposed, a darker color than traditional bars. Many humans dislike these as being too bitter (Utterly baffling), and there is no such thing as a 100% pure chocolate bar.

The second most common method of distribution are smaller pellets or cups of chocolate. Like the bars, many times they are supplemented with additional ingredients such as peanut butter and colorings. Pure chocolate is referred to as 'cocoa' and oddly enough, is not intended for immediate consumption, but instead to be used as an ingredient in other foods.

With this in mind, the dosages used were the following:

\- ¼ Hershey Chocolate bar

\- ½ Hershey Chocolate bar

\- Full Hershey Chocolate bar

Note that these were not modified with additional ingredients. Throughout testing the following chocolate candies were also used:

\- M&Ms (NOTE: Not to be confused with Skittles, which do not have chocolate at all. More distinction should be made between the small colored pellets.)

\- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (NOTE: Despite the name, these contain a moderate amount of chocolate. I have had Quisilia send a letter to the company addressing this misleading advertising)

\- Snickers Bars (NOTE: These appear to be made primarily for unhappy people, but I did not observe any noticeable difference in reactions from subjects)

\- Standard Chocolate Chips

\- Chocolate Chip Cookies (Homemade)

\- Cocoa Powder

Several additional things to note are that if the chocolate was used as a supplementary ingredient, or several additional ingredients were used, the chocolate itself was not as effective, and more could be consumed before suffering adverse effects. In addition, the more diluted the chocolate, the more could be consumed. However, pure cocoa powder produced much longer and better euphoric states.

I do not know if this will actually be useful, but in the event of a chocolate epidemic, I suspect this will provide the necessary data to combat it.

* * *

 **ADVENT Operation Report 0882**

 _Operation Name_ : Black Sugar

 _Operatives_ : Agent Desmond Hunt; Agent Layla Collins

 _Operation Location_ : San Francisco Area, United States of America

Overview: The mission consisted of two stages; the first of which was identifying a suitable target for initial addiction, which was done successfully. This was initially done through strategically leaving chocolate bars in locations the target, and multiple other Vitakara frequented. After repeating this several times, we left means of contact and ceased the chocolate flow. After several days we received an affirmative to meet.

We did have sniper support in the event the contact arrived with reinforcements, but that turned out to be a baseless worry. The Vitakarian clearly did not have any idea what was going on, or what to expect. The following audio transcript should clarify any further questions. The initial state has been accomplished, and the second stage is now fully in operation.

Audio Transcript of First Contact:

 _Contact took place at approximately 9:18 P.M. Recording approximately started at 9:13 P.M._

[Layla Collins]: "Think he'll show?"

[Desmond Hunt]: "Well, if chocolate is as addictive for them as the scientists claim, I'm not sure he'll have a choice."

[LC]: "Fine, let me rephrase that: Do you think he's bringing help? Or friends to kill us?"

 _Agent Hunt gestures behind him._

[DH]: "Not a concern. He shows up with friends, we kill them. He proves unreliable, we kill him and start over. We only need one to get this started."

 _Agent Collins sighs._

[LC]: "I can't believe you're actually wearing that hat."

[DH]: "Goes with the coat, don't you think?"

[LC]: "You're a walking bad stereotype of a drug dealer. You've been waiting for this, haven't you?"

 _Agent Hunt laughs._

[DH]: "Oh yeah. Look, these aliens don't even know what a stereotype is. If anything, this is the _only_ idea they have of drug dealers, if they have any at all. Why not give them what they expect? It's not like we're dealing with the Zararch."

[LC]: "Now you've done it."

[DH]: "Oh look, I do believe that's our contact."

 _A figure in the distance appears; closer inspection reveals a Vitakarian male in recognized Runianarch grey-white fatigues. He is only armed with a plasma pistol and appears to be alone. Vitakarian will be designated as Contact 1 for the remainder of this transcript_.

[DH]: "Eh! You there! You here to do the business?"

 _Agent Collins noticeably maintains her facial features as Agent hunt talks in his fake and odd mix of accents. Contact 1 also appears visibly startled._

[Contact 1]: "Human, please be quiet! I thought you wished to be discreet!"

[DH]: "Aye, aye, ya, of course. We want to keep this nice and quiet; no time spent in the slammer if you catch my drift."

 _Contact 1 clearly does not._

 _Agent Hunt sighs._

[DH]: "So, ya came to do some biz or what? I ain't got all night, neither does my friend Candy here."

 _He gestures to Agent Collins, who appears less than amused. Contact 1 appears to get down to business._

[C1]: "Ah, yes…Human. You mentioned that you have more of that…substance…"

[DH]: "Like it do ya? Can't blame you, a good coco bar always hits the spot for me."

 _Agent Hunt makes a mock kissing sound which was supposed to convey it was delicious. Contact 1 only appears confused._

[C1]: "It is a very…enjoyable food, though my superiors have it banned for strange reasons."

[DH]: "Yep, fuck the bosses, am I right? Glad to know not all you xenos are so stuck up all the time."

 _Agent Hunt holds out a fist, supposedly hoping that the alien is familiar with Human slang greetings. He is not. After several awkward seconds, he sighs and lets it drop._

[DH]: "Right, so I guess what needs to be figured out for ya is just what you want to get from me. Got a very wide range of the goods to show you."

[C1]: "Ok, what do you have? I quite liked the Heshy Bar."

[LC]: "Hershey."

[DH]: "Don't be so hard on him Candy, he ain't familiar with this stuff like we are. Anyway,"

 _He opens up his trench coat which is filled with various brands of chocolate candies. The Vitakarian's eyes noticeably widen._

[DH]: "Now here's what I got for ya, I got the M&Ms, I got the Snickers, I got them Hersheys. You name it, I can get it for ya. Dark, regular, sweet and bitter, just make the request and I can whip it up. Trust me, I've got loads of contacts, believe me, you wouldn't believe how much this stuff sells. People just eat this stuff up. Literally!"

 _Agent Collins keeps a straight face._

[C1]: "That…sounds good. Uh…how many of those Hershey bars can you get me?"

 _Agent Hunt scratches his chin dramatically._

[DH]: "Well my friend, that depends just what you got for me. Look, much as I'd like to run a charity, I ain't in a position to be giving my stuff away for free. I got a lot of biz to take care of, but you get me those dolla bills, and I'll bring boxes of that stuff."

[C1]: "I am afraid I do not have any of those to give to you in exchange."

[DH]: "No worries pal, I've got ya covered. It'd be silly to rely on one currency. Them ADVENT Alloys are going to be big; pounds are still worth something, I even take Renminbi, still got swift business in China. Look, much as I'm sure you have a lot of whatever your bosses pay you, alien money ain't no good here. You got at least some of these right?"

[C1]: "I…am afraid not. We are not compensated like that."

[DH]: "Huh, well this poses a mite problem. You sure you got nothin' for me? Can't really run a business on thanks."

[LC]: "You heard him. He's got nothing. Bust, just like I warned you. Dem aliens are just flat broke."

[C1]: "Wait. Does it have to be monetary? Can't you take some other kind of compensation?"

[DH]: "I mean, if you've got nothing else, maybe. Dunno. What you thinking of?"

[C1]: "There are resources I can…find…which I know are valuable to your species. I'm sure you can find someone who can buy them."

 _Both agents exchange looks with each other._

[DH]: "Dunno. Sounds good, but I'm trying to keep a low profile. ADVENT ain't liking that I see to xenos, and taking stuff from the xenos themselves might get me killed, you hear me?"

[C1]: "It's not as risky as that. The Collective has more resources than they know what to do with. They won't miss a few alloys or crystals. I can even get some extra weapons if you really want it!"

[DH]: "Hmm…Candy, what you think?"

[LC]: "We don't know if he's legit."

[DH]: "True, true, but it's not fair to put that on our xeno friend right off the bat. Alright buddy, tell you what, I don't do this for everyone, but I'll give you a deal here. Keep in mind this is just to prove you'll level with me, if you know what I mean, eh?"

 _He does not._

[DH]: "So I can get you a whole box of them Hershey Bars, in exchange for two plasma rifles; for me and Candy, see. You get me that, and I can break out the good stuff, like this."

 _Agent Hunt pulls out a generic tin of cocoa powder._

[DH]: "Pure cocoa buddy, way better than that candy stuff. Bit hard to come by, but you come through for me, and I can get you this stuff at a special rate. You get me? So, what you say to this? In or out?"

[C1]: "That can be arranged. You have a deal."

[DH]: "Excellent! And as thanks for working with me, I'll give you this Hershey bar right now. I'll throw in an M&M packet for good measure. Broaden your horizons."

[C1]: "I can meet again in approximately two days."

[DH]: "Works for me, buddy. Remember, no snitching to your bosses. I see any friends with you, I'm outta here. Can't take chances, you understand."

[C1]: "I do."

[DH]: "Welp, enjoy my xeno friend. I'll see you soon. Pleasure doing business."

 _Both parties part ways, and after they have confirmed the Vitakarian is gone, Agent Hunt pulls out another chocolate bar and begins eating._

[LC]: "Really, just eating the 'extremely valuable and hard to get' goods just like that?"

[DH]: "Hey, I think I earned it."

[LC]: "I can't believe that actually worked."

[DH]: "You clearly underestimate my acting abilities."

[LC]: _"Who the hell talks like that?"_

[DH]: "I, Desmond Hunt, The Chocolate Baron, talk like that. Along with my trusty partner in crime Candy."

[LC]: "Fuck you."

[DH]: "Well, all we need to do is wait and see if our alien friend comes through. I hope he does. I like him."

[LC]: "Bet you a can of pure cocoa he does."

[DH]: "Ha, I'm not going to take that bet, because I think the same thing."


	66. Miscellaneous - ADVENT Action Figures

Miscellaneous

ADVENT Action Figures

* * *

" _The war economy does not forget the children."_

\- Diguon Mercado

* * *

 **To** : ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division

 **From** : Taki Ietsuna

 **Subject** : ADVENT Action Figure Line Proposal

Greetings to whom it may concern,

My name is Taki Ietsuna, and while it is understandable that you might not have heard of me, I would like to take a few moments to correct that. For over thirty years I have primarily been involved in the children's toy industry, specifically that of action figures. While I have been primarily based in Japan with Bandai, and held a position on the Board of Directors, I have worked with toy companies all across the world, including with Hasbro, NECA, and Hot Toys, while also dozens of smaller independent action figure makers.

I believe this makes me uniquely qualified to assist ADVENT into tapping into something no one else has yet realized. While the nature of ADVENT itself is no doubt deeply intimidating to corporations, it is not misplaced. From what I have seen of your organizational structure, you prefer to do everything yourselves without worry of being compromised by outside sources, and have high standards for those within ADVENT to meet.

This I personally find admirable, and I can see the reason for why the idea of taking advantage of your many assets has likely not been raised in light of the saddening and unfortunate events in this war against the aliens. But that does mean you cannot focus on multiple opportunities at once, and I wish to provide such an opportunity that will benefit ADVENT and millions of children around the world.

While I cannot attest to being familiar with the art of war, I am not ignorant of the utilization of propaganda, nor the effects a long sustained war can have on a population. While my goal is not the former, the latter is perhaps something I can help with, and in turn, remind the people of who protects them.

I am speaking, as you have likely guessed, about action figures. It is what I have been involved in my whole life, from a business and creative standpoint, and while eyebrows might be raised at such a proposal now, please consider carefully. This is one of the largest industries in the world, one with an international reach. Children to this day adore these toys, and do not forget there are clusters of adults who enjoy such toys for the collection aspects.

It is a satisfactory transaction all around, the action figure brings happiness to the person who bought it, and the producer receives a tidy profit. ADVENT, if you have not realized already, dominates popular culture now, both in real life, or online. You might not be completely aware of the cultural impact of ADVENT, but I assure you that for as much as ADVENT causes controversy in the news, they are dominating the minds of the next generation. Art, stories, websites, ADVENT has a firm hold in the creative sphere of young minds, whether they realize it or not.

To put in terms you may care more about, an investment in an official line of action figures would result in potentially billions of dollars, and reinforce and spread the influence of ADVENT to the next generations, which I would be surprised if that is not a goal.

I have already taken the initial steps of design, which was not difficult as your military lends itself well to such a concept, and your soldiers were what inspired this in the first place. While it would require some material investment, everything I've seen indicates that, if you put forward the initial cost, you would reap the uncountable rewards.

Since ADVENT has largely given me the impression that they value quality over quantity, I believe there is much more to be gained by a direct formation and partnership opposed to an independent start-up. Not only does this remove the legality issues present, but it also will allow ADVENT to maintain a responsible monopoly on their own assets, and ensure that the products are high-quality.

I have a small team of artists and designers who have also asked to join this potential project. Attached is both our current design documents, and resumes for all of my team. I hope to work with you in the future and do my own small part in ensuring that ADVENT continues to protect our species.

\- Taki Ietsuna

 **To** : Taki Ietsuna

 **From** : ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division

 **Re: Subject** : ADVENT Action Figure Line Proposal

Hello, Mr. Ietsuna,

Thank you for reaching out to us about your proposal. I have sent it directly to several highly placed members in ADVENT regarding approval and possible resources. Expect to hear from us shortly. Thank you again for the interest.

\- The ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division

-\\-

 **To** : Jasmine Vailan

 **From** : Alan Clay

 **Fwd: Subject** : ADVENT Action Figure Line Proposal

Jasmine, pleasure as always,

This was sent to me directly, and after looking it over, I can see why. Why we've never thought of this idea ourselves is mildly irritating, as our army looks like it stepped out of a damn movie set. Better yet this guy clearly knows his stuff, and if we give him what he needs, we could further establish our economic dominance and reach.

Furthermore, we can make a lot of money from this. While I do wonder if it's a bit cynical to target children to this extent, we do what we must in war, yes? In any event, I want to get him whatever the hell he needs, but that needs higher approval than mine to get done. Get this to the Chancellor if you have to. We're sitting on a gold mine here, and we should strike while the fire is hot so to speak.

And I'm sure Intelligence will love this too. Anything to keep the propaganda stream continuous.

\- Alan Clay, Manager of the ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division

 **To** : Alan Clay

 **From** : Jasmine Vailen

 **Re: Fwd** : ADVENT Action Figure Line Proposal

*Iron. You strike when the _iron_ is hot.

But I agree. ADVENT stands to gain quite a bit from this venture. I've run the numbers, and if we produce a line of basic but high-quality figures, and crossing that with demographics and trending known topics (Read: ADVENT), this could be the new hottest toy on the market. And this _isn't_ taking into account Christmas is coming up.

Now if we also advertise that purchasing this directly supports the soldiers, we're going to get even more looking to buy for their kids, grandchildren, or even themselves just out of support for ADVENT. People will be a lot more willing to buy something if they know it's more than just a simple toy, at least adults will.

Far as I'm concerned, this has my approval to go forward. I've forwarded this to Elizabeth, Laura and Saudia. I'm guessing they're going to like it. You know the business side of things and what is needed more than I do, so I'll leave details to you.

Don't be surprised if Elizabeth wants an active part in development. Laura too. Not sure what she'll think of monetizing our soldiers. Then again, this really isn't anything new, but it seems a little different when our army does kind of look like something from sci-fi movie already.

\- Jasmine

-\\-

 **To** : Saudia Vyandar

 **From** : Elizabeth Falka

 **Subject** : Action Figure Deployment Strategy

Saudia,

I assume you've heard of the current plan to launch our own line of toys of all things. Really, not what I was expecting, but I can definitely use this. But I want ADVENT Intelligence to be the ones to direct the marketing on this. This guy seems to know audiences, and combined with our own analysts, we could potentially lock down the 3-12 demographic, and at least endear the parents a little more to us.

This isn't going the 'support the troops' route (Which we will do) yet either, so it's likely we'll get an additional influx just from that. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right and target with the best chances of success. Time to put that Google data to some work besides identifying dissidents. A refreshing change of pace I must say.

And this brings up something else, which is that we should probably expand into other areas of media and toys. I don't suppose we could get a deal with LEGO? I've always been a fan and that would be an excellent nontraditional way of establishing ourselves in the eurosphere beyond media appearances. Get the children on our side, and adults are more pliable.

We haven't even talked the movie and game industry, though for all I know you have preliminary talks going on.

Although, I have a list of companies we can co-opt should you be interested. Let me know.

\- Elizabeth

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Saudia Vyandar

 **Re: Subject** : Action Figure Deployment Strategy

LEGO is Danish, so they might not be willing to talk with us. I can talk to Jasmine about how much worth there is in that idea. But consider my approval granted for ADVENT Intelligence controlling advertising and distribution. This is far from my area of expertise, and I am relying on you, Clay, and Mr. Ietsuna to execute this task effectively.

If it is as effective as claimed, this will assuage the population to a degree, keep the children occupied, and give a boost to our economy. If these plastic toys can fund future developments, I'll be personally sure to give Mr. Ietsuna whatever he needs. You can tell him I said that.

In the meantime, I have a war to focus on. And if you want to have ADVENT break into other industries, talk to Jasmine or someone who specializes in them. I know as much about games as I do about action figures, which is to say, very little. But if you think this will help, I will certainly consider it.

\- Saudia

* * *

 **To** : Central Officer Ariel Jackson [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Alan Clay [VERIFIED]

 **Subject** : Potential Investment Opportunity

 _Message scanned for malicious attachment || Cleared_

 _Attachments scanned || Cleared_

 _Incoming Location || Proxy not detected || Cleared_

 _Allow contents to be freely viewed || True_

Central Officer Jackson, greetings from the ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division, which if you are not familiar, is the organization that helps create and support new businesses by supplying them direct contracts with ADVENT and are provided the tools needed to succeed. Since you don't need a rundown of our services and successes however, I will simply go to the relevant point.

In the coming weeks ADVENT is going to roll out a series of officially approved and sanctioned lines of action figures of various types (Posable, static, voiced, collectors, etc.) based on our existing military forces. The idea is to both normalize ADVENT and promote a positive image in the younger generations, and to provide ADVENT an additional stream of income.

Initial reviews have been positive, as we have recruited the best in the business of designing and modeling, and ADVENT Intelligence is leveraging their own resources to assist with advertising. The one leading the project is both a passionate creator and industry veteran, and his own initiative is what started this venture in the first place.

Now, we believe that it would be an equal, if not greater, event if we announced an XCOM line alongside our own ADVENT one. While your own catalogue would certainly be smaller, XCOM is just as well-known to the population as us, and I can only see such a toy series doing tremendously well. However, we would never do this without your explicit permission, which is why I have reached out today.

If you decide to work with us on this project, you would work directly with our artists and modeling team, and have full veto control over any product designed, as well as propose ideas of your own! You would also have final control over the marketing, distribution, and other decisions relating to the product itself. You would also, of course, receive the majority of the profits (We would take a small fee since this is attached to our main brand after all, but this will be fair and is always open to negotiation), as well as the positive publicity that comes with it.

Thank you for your consideration.

\- Alan Clay, Manager of the ADVENT Entrepreneurial Venture Division

-\\-

 **To** : The Commander [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Ariel Jackson [VERIFIED]

 **Fwd: Subject** : Potential Investment Opportunity

 **CC** : Raymond Shen, Moira Vahlen, Shaojie Zhang

Hey Commander, what do you think of this?

 **To** : Ariel Jackson [VERIFIED]

 **From** : The Commander [VERIFIED]

 **Re: Fwd: Subject** : Potential Investment Opportunity

Hm. I didn't think we'd be getting a marketing offer already. It's interesting, I'll give it that. Can't say I'm too familiar with this sort of thing. As long as we have control, I am not opposed to it unless someone brings up something I'm not thinking of.

Anyone else who has a concern should voice it now, because I'll likely approve this idea.

\- The Commander

 **To** : The Commander [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Shaojie Zhang [VERIFIED]

 **Re: Re: Fwd: Subject** : Potential Investment Opportunity

I can send one of my agents to ensure that ADVENT is only putting out what we approve. The actual products aren't important, we just have to make sure that we're getting what we are owed, and ADVENT isn't publicizing tech we don't want them too.

That, and I know these things will perform absurdly well in China, assuming ADVENT markets them right. I'll be sure that my agent will have an understanding of the markets to give some tangible input beyond approval.

\- Zhang

* * *

 _Letter sent to Taki Ietsuna_

Greetings!

I have recently been appraised of this most recent venture of ADVENT, and would like to express my own interest in joining your Board of Directors (Or whatever equivalent ADVENT has since you're pretty much part of them). Now, I can't claim to have any experience whatsoever in business or the toy industry, so you may be asking: "Why would I give this to a random person who sent this letter?"

Which is a completely fair question!

So I am happy to say that I have a few very important skills and assets I can bring to the table. The first is that I have money, quite a bit of it after a few trips to China, so I can assist with the initial funding and salaries and whatever you need! I don't have many other projects like this going on, and I want to be sure to be a part of the Next Big Thing™, so money isn't an issue for me.

The second is that I have quite a large following on social media (Particularly Twitter), and have a growing Youtube channel that boasts over five million subscribers. Were I to partner with this exciting opportunity, I would be sure to promote your products on my channels for millions of potential customers, which I'm sure you can see the benefit of. (Tell Elizabeth I'll work with ADVENT Intelligence on providing the right message :D)

So, third, and most importantly…this might be somewhat awkward, but I am actually an alien. You might know me as Quisilia, but what very few know is that I am also the executive of the Ethereal Corporation Alienin Dustry, which I will freely admit has never partnered with any Humans before. Now you may wonder why I would be interested in helping my supposed enemy.

Largely because I want to, but there is something special about spreading such joy across the world. And it's a good business opportunity.

So, this is relevant because I'm sure that ADVENT wants to have several lines of toys. You have your military, and I will be surprised if you haven't at least contacted XCOM. I also doubt you were planning to ask us, but you were likely planning to have an alien line as well. Perfectly understandable, since action figures are not really something in the Collective, but I digress.

The thing is, I can anticipate that you're only going to be going off a very limited selection of what the Ethereal Collective has to offer, and will likely do a bad job with your Human interpretations. And you'll butcher our voices for the voiced ones, which I personally find annoying. So, this is relevant because I can provide you will some schematics and high-resolution images of our soldiers, equipment, and our vehicles.

I think you would find it preferable to working off of battered and ruined wrecks/corpses. That, and I can guarantee you'll get the names wrong, so best to correct that right away. And I can also provide real, authentic sounds (Untampered by battlefield noise) so make your products truly authentic!

I don't need money, all I really want is a seat on the Board of Directors and a fifteen percent stake in the company. I think that what I offer is more than worth that price. And to top it off, I'll be sure to promote these in the Collective as well! The Vitakara will probably like them.

Anyway, I do hope you'll respond soon.

Or Director Falka. I'm not picky.

I also followed you on Twitter, so you can get in contact that way (Handle is TheGreatQ).

\- Quisilia, CEO of Alienin Dustry

-\\-

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Taki Ietsuna

 **Subject** : Alien Contact

Director,

How exactly am I supposed to respond to this? Is this a joke? I thought it was, but the Twitter and Youtube channel are real, and it reads like something he'd say so I don't know.

I'm not making this decision. You decide if we want him here or not.

Personally, I'm skeptical.

\- Taki

 **To** : Taki Ietsuna

 **From** : Elizabeth Falka

 **Re: Subject** : Alien Contact

You have got to be kidding me.

What the fuck, Quisilia?

I'll handle this. Honestly, I would bet that he is 100% serious because we have no god damn idea what goes through his twisted head. He was probably serious about giving us _actual_ military schematics, and if he's stupid enough to think we're not going to use that, it's probably worth giving him a seat on the Board and letting him plug _our product_ on his platforms.

Let me contact him and see just how serious he is about this.

\- Elizabeth.

P.S: In case you thought he actually had an 'alien corporation', read the name of his 'company' a little more carefully.

-\\-

 **To** : [SCRAMBLED]

 **From** : [SCRAMBLED]

 **Subject** : Let's talk.

Hello Quisilia, long time no chat.

So, assuming you're actually serious about wanting to invest in our action figure project, you're going to need to provide quite a bit to us. For one, you're not actually stepping foot in our executive building. We've got cameras monitoring it 24-7 so we'll catch you even if you try your disappearing act. Any meetings (If you actually care to attend them) will be through video conference.

Second, you will provide full schematics of _all_ Collective infantry units, including, but not limited to: Mutons, Vitakara (All races), Sectoids, Andromedons, and Ethereals. For the Ethereals, specific information on equipment will suffice, particularly that on the Battlemaster's armor and Caelior's hoverboard. Schematics on mechanical units will also be needed – We need to make a highly authentic product, after all.

Third, we're likely going to want to branch out into sets and structures for these actions figures, so your schematics on space stations and bases will also be needed to ensure our authenticity. Spacecraft too for that matter. While you're at it, be sure and give us some biological data on the various alien species in your Collective as well.

Fourth, be sure to advertise it on your platforms. Really, you'd probably do it regardless but I'm just making sure you know. How you gained a following I will have no answer to outside telepathy, but I digress.

Come on. We both know this is you being the troll you are. So we need all of this _up front_ , and even if we do accept you, we're not having _Quisilia_ on the Board. Video conferences will be voice only for you, and you'll have to pick another name (Or you could have another intern do it). May I recommend Realh Uman?

Elizabeth

 **To** : [SCRAMBLED]

 **From** : [SCRAMBLED]

 **Re: Subject** : Let's talk.

 _Attached is a picture of Quisilia standing in the center of ADVENT Intelligence HQ Commons, waving to the camera. Also attached are several terabytes of Collective schematics and images._

Make threats to those who care about them, Director.

Cameras. Please, do you really think I'm incapable of bypassing a simple electronic system?

But returning to the main subject, I absolutely was serious, and I hope the attached schematics have proved it. Good luck on figuring out anything with the Battlemaster's armor, and the schematics for the bases and space stations is sadly a few centuries old. Perhaps you should have specified before turning your sarcasm on me? Ah, but we can discuss more _modern_ upgrades in due time.

Right now, I have held up my end of the bargain. So am I accepted or not?

\- Quisilia

 **To** : [SCRAMBLE]

 **From** : [SCRAMBLED]

 **Re: Re: Subject** : Let's talk.

Fuck you.

You're hired. Relevant information will be sent your way. Please provide me with a valid non-proxy, non-scrambled email address. Not trying to expose you (You do that enough), but it's for business purposes. An official contract will be sent to you to sign.

Do _not_ post this to Twitter or this deal is off.

\- Elizabeth

* * *

 **Test Commercial #4 script for ADVENT Action Figures™**

 _Camera pans down to an artificial model city, not specifically designed after any major one (Note: This could be New York, Seattle, Tokyo, the background isn't necessarily set)._

 _Two actors are present above the elevated set, one boy and girl. Ages should be between 5-7, recommend shooting with multiple ethnicities in multiple combinations and use them for airing in appropriate demographics. Those with heavily mixed populations should use filed takes with the two largest ethnic groups._

 _On the set are several (5-7) ADVENT Action Figure soldiers, intermixed with several Officers with their primary weapons raised to the other side of the set, where there are 10-15 alien figures of various kinds. The number or type of alien isn't necessarily important, but they need to be clearly seen. Multiple types should be shown to emphasize our catalogue, even if it doesn't make tactical sense._

Boy 1: "Oh no, the aliens are attacking!"

 _Camera zooms onto one of the ADVENT soldiers that is knocked back by the boy, indicating that he is shot._

Boy 1: "Soldier is down! What should we do?"

Girl 1: "We need help, hold on, I'm calling for reinforcements!" (Note: Is 'reinforcements' too complex a word?)

 _Both kids make fake sounds of weapons firing and knock a few alien and ADVENT soldiers down. The girl suddenly attempts to make a whooshing sound._

Girl 1: "Look! XCOM has arrived!"

 _She holds a model XCOM Skyranger, and maneuvers it down to the battlefield, where the boy has continued the simulated battle, knocking over a few more aliens and Humans. The girl walks out an XCOM Templar, and makes it jump towards the aliens._

Boy 1: "Yeah! Kill them!" (Note: Is this a bit too violent?)

 _The Templar will knock down and 'kill' the rest of the aliens. Then suddenly, the camera pans up to the sky, and the Caelior figure is shown, on his hoverboard. His line plays._

Caelior: "You pathetic Humans will die now!" (Note: This sounds eerily authentic)

 _Camera focuses on the Templar, as the girl moves his manipulable parts to look at Caelior._

Girl 1: "Not today!"

 _The Templar jumps and punches Caelior in the face._

Caelior: _Very high-pitched scream of pain._

 _Focuses on Caelior flying away like a coward and threats of vengeance will be played in the background. Heroic music is also playing throughout this._

Boy 1: "Yeah! That showed him!"

Announcer: "Fight your own battles against the aliens with your very own soldiers, available now at your local store or online. Every purchase goes directly to supporting our soldiers protecting Humanity. Each figure sold separately."

 _End_

Initial Notes: Draft seems more XCOM focused, which isn't bad, but right now potentially sends mixed signals. Perhaps replace the Templar with a Lancer? Some dialogue should be checked by the psychologists and Intelligence for accuracy and tone. The script skeleton is solid. Dialogue issues should be solved in a few days. Hopefully they've found actors by now.

* * *

Operation: Surprise Replication

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'reosin'vitiar

Authorization: Zar'Chon

While I initially questioned the need for such an…investigation into what was clearly ADVENT attempting to increase their economic standing and further their propaganda, the actual details behind the ADVENT Action Figures™ are oddly interesting and secretive. What I was able to find is highly disturbing, as is how the company actually operates. This is not touching on the product itself, which I will detail shortly.

The first piece of information that should make you suspicious is that not only is this company working directly with ADVENT (Which isn't too unexpected, given how ADVENT likes to be involved with everything), but is working _directly_ with ADVENT Intelligence as well. The more details are revealed about them, the less this looks like a way for ADVENT to cash in on their children, and more like a sophisticated intelligence operation.

Which it very well might be.

From what we have found, ADVENT Intelligence has been involved from the very beginning. The actual owners of the company are people who are in the same toy industry, but are honestly irrelevant. They make the product, and are relatively benign. ADVENT Intelligence is where we need to focus, and where exactly they are getting some of their information.

ADVENT has begun marketing these action figures heavily over the past week, especially with the Christmas season approaching (A shopping holiday, where gifts are bought for friends and family, with some religious significance as well. It is one of the largest in the world), and while heavy advertising isn't strictly speaking suspicious, it becomes such when you realize just _how_ they are doing it.

There is 'traditional' advertising, which is done on TV, with short fifteen, and thirty-second spots that advertise the product. But even these are, for lack of a better word, targeted. Localization is not new, but it is interesting that not only are the commercials in the native language if showed overseas, but are also notably different. I suspect that ADVENT has hired experts to determine how to sell action figures specifically to those demographics.

And even within those, there are actors of multiple ethnicities, those determine where the spot will be aired. In America, for example, a TV station with a primarily Hispanic audience will have the commercial variation shown with Hispanic actors; the same with a black population; mixed race demographics will have the dominant two shown, one child one ethnicity, and the other the latter.

 _One_ of these commercials had _sixteen_ different variations. If that doesn't indicate that this company also has a nearly unlimited budget, nothing will. Physical marketing is also used, especially in stores, and they even have several ADVENT soldiers on duty there, which most children find especially fascinating.

Now we move into their insidious digital marketing. It is, for lack of a better word, targeted. Our agents created several different profiles, and we began seeing differently targeted ads depending on occupations, posts, internet history, and pretty much everything else. One agent was exceptionally pro-ADVENT, and had his advertisements emphasizing the 'supporting the troops' aspect of the purchase (ADVENT also has a 'donator' option, where the customer buys an action figure, but it is sent to a Human charity program instead of delivered to ADVENT). Even his online adverts for these were military-themed.

Not surprising, and nor was the profile that imitated a parent, which brought attention to the high reviews, safety rating, and other information aspects of the toy (Especially price). The 'fun' children would ultimately have was also heavily pushed. Most people generally fall into some aspect of these categories, and ADVENT has been plastering kid-themed advertisements (For kids) on sites with much younger populations, especially Youtube Kids, and several avatar-themed social sites.

You may wonder what those not supportive of ADVENT see, and that is also very…interesting. I believe ADVENT has some sense of humor, because it varies depending on _what_ you dislike about ADVENT. You are aware that conspiracies have abounded about ADVENT, especially those regarding the close link between ADVENT and the secretive XCOM. So do you know what conspiracy theorists or skeptics about ADVENT see?

Advertisements for their XCOM action figures, sometimes with snarky words like "Support the _true_ protectors of humanity!"

And if you just flat out hate ADVENT?

Well, ADVENT will advertise their line of toys based on us, the _aliens_. The adverts are just as snarky, such as "Feeling traitorous? Build _your_ alien army!" And similar taglines. The point is that ADVENT is doing everything they can to sell these toys, and based on the pre-orders and sales so far, it is working.

It is also accomplishing what ADVENT believes is more important, which is _normalizing_ ADVENT. ADVENT is everywhere now, and not in the traditional forms either. There are toys, children are playing with replicas of aliens and XCOM soldiers; there are TV advertisements. ADVENT isn't strange or new, it's just a part of life now, and more importantly, they are being more _accepted_.

The foreign governments have no idea how to handle this either, and as a result are having ADVENT normalized there as well. Some have tried to condemn them, but have mostly been laughed at by their citizens. After all, what harm does a toy pose?

Now, the actual products themselves, we have another set of questions. For the ADVENT and XCOM lines, it's pretty straightforward. The figures are based on their own militaries, with soldiers, officers, Lancers. XCOM has their own soldiers and MEC troopers. Even the product itself is targeted to a specific degree. ADVENT and XCOM soldiers can remove their helmets, and there are both male and female variants, and then one for every ethnicity. Once again, the ethnicity sold generally depends on the demographics of the area in which it is sold, though that is just the one with the most stock – there are additional options, just fewer. For XCOM, the flag on the armor is largely random, with some exceptions (Like you are likely not going to have a Caucasian woman have the Japanese flag).

ADVENT right now only has posable action figures. They have stated that they will be producing static action figures, ones with buttons for voice lines, and larger collector's edition lines as well, for each product they sell. They are ambitious if nothing else, and given their practically unlimited budget, they can afford to be.

Now we need to focus on the Collective line of products. They are exceptionally well made and crafted. The accuracy is stunning to me personally, and I am genuinely considering getting one for myself.

Please explain to me how ADVENT could possibly _know_ this?

I'm not talking about the Muton soldier figures, or the Sectoids, or even the "Zararch Agent" figure. I'm talking about details on them they shouldn't know about. Like certain Runianarch soldiers bearing marks of their sector of origin, which might be explained by perhaps recovering armor with that insignia, had they not been specifically labeled as "Sector Tretigor Runianarch Soldier". They have nearly _all_ the guarded sectors labeled, and they _should not know that_.

Then there are the names themselves. The Oyariah Titans. The Cobrarian Serpens Division. Fighting these things doesn't give sudden insight into _what_ they are. Even more Runianarch soldiers have little details on the armor, like cities of birth and the descriptions for Zararch figures reference the chemical process we undergo. Again, how do they _know_ this?

Either we have serious leaks, or ADVENT is much, much more dangerous than we believed.

Which begs the question of why they're wasting this on toys of all things. The situation is bizarre, and that Quisilia is promoting them isn't making things any clearer. I don't know the proper response to this, but at the very minimum we need to figure out how ADVENT learned all this about us.


	67. Miscellaneous - Psionics

Miscellaneous – Psionics

* * *

" _The Gift is one which spans the galaxy and gives us the ability to shape reality itself. But we should not become complacent in what it offers, for it is far from the only power within this galaxy."_

\- The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

ANALYSIS REPORT: 10000011

SUBJECT OF INTEREST: PSIONICS

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: "THE GIFT"

AUTHOR: FEDERATION MILITARY COMMANDER R'SARRAH

ORIGIN: UNKNOWN

SPECIES CAPABLE OF PSIONIC MANIPULATION: SECTOIDS; ETHEREALS; HUMANS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ANDROMEDONS, VITAKARA, AND MUTONS ARE INCAPABLE OF PSIONIC MANIPULATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSIONIC SENSITIVITY LIKELY DETERMINED BY UNKNOWN GENETIC VARIABLE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO USER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO ENEMIES OF PSION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: RESEARCH LIMITED BY THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: FULL EXTENT OF PSIONIC ABILITIES ARE UNKNOWN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: FOUR DISTINCT DISCIPLINES OF PSIONIC USAGE IDENTIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT HAS UNDERGONE 24 REVISIONS SINCE INITIAL SUBMISSION

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: OMEGA – INCREASED DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTERMEASURES AND RESEARCH REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENTS:

OVERVIEW: The phenomenon known to the Andromedon Federation as "Psionics" is the noted manipulation of reality and additional immeasurable forces by one or multiple users. Prior to first contact with the Ethereal Collective, no phenomenon similar to psionics had been identified. This document covers the Andromedon understanding of psionics and the threat they pose to the Andromedon Federation.

COMPARISON BETWEEN PSIONICS AND KETT'TASIRA BIOMANIPULATION:

There has been speculation within Unions that the Kett'Tasira were also users of psionics, but the observed abilities of the Kett'Tasira do not match the observed abilities of psionic users. There are several main differences:

1\. All usages of psionics are accompanied by an observable purple aura, which varies in intensity depending on the power of the psion in question, as well as the intensity of the power itself. Kett'Tasira Biomanipulation does not have any visible auras or observable characteristics while in use.

2\. Telepathy allowing the reading of individual thoughts and memories is possible through psionics. Kett'Tasira are incapable of this level of telepathic manipulation.

3\. Certain usages of psionic allow the destruction of inorganic material. Kett'Tasira Biomanipulation is incapable of this.

4\. It is possible to negate the usage of certain aspects of psionics, this is not the case with Kett'Tasira Biomanipulation.

5\. Psionic effects cannot spread out of an immediate area of impact (NOTE: Telepathic examples might be excluded as in theory it is possible to develop sleeper agents through the usage of telepathic domination) and no residue remains for long periods of time. Kett'Tasira Biomanipulation has been known to spread and contaminate planets for up to ten galactic cycles before fading. (NOTE: All Kett'Tasira Biomanipulators are capable of decontaminating areas and planets – this was an often-used tactic).

6\. It is appears impossible to artificially awaken psionics in non-psion species. In theory, Biomanipulation can be understood and performed by other species.

7\. Psionics does not induce extreme and unnatural physical transformations as the Kett'Tasira Biomanipulators are capable of performing.

8\. Biomanipulation is capable of destroying planets. There has been no evidence to suggest psionics is capable of the same.

With these differences observed, we can conclude that Kett'Tasira are likely incapable of utilizing psionics, though their Biomanipulation is just so, if not more lethal. It is unknown if either of these phenomenons are limited to their respective galaxies.

USERS OF PSIONICS:

Currently, there are three identified species which are capable of utilizing psionics:

Sectoids: Similar to Ethereals, and unlike Humans, the entirety of the Sectoid race is psionically capable. It is unknown if this is a natural phenomenon or a result of initiatives created by the Greater Hive Commanders. The end result is the entire species has access to a dangerous power, though the majority are too weak to use it properly.

The Sectoids exercise full control of the extent of psionics in their species, with drones possessing very little, their combat units such as the Helion-7 Defenders, Leaders, and Vanguards possessing much higher levels of psionic power, and the pinnacle of their psions are the Hive Commanders themselves.

Their primary method of communication is telepathy, enabled by their psionic aptitude, and this is where the species specializes. Hive Commanders are assumed to be expert telepaths, and are also likely to be experienced in Offensive, Defensive, and Telekinetic disciplines as well. To date, there have only been two instances of a Hive Commander participating in combat, both against XCOM (Where both Hive Commanders were defeated). The details of these are currently unavailable to the Federation.

Humans: Human usage of psionics mirrors the Ethereals in many ways. They are observed to be capable of the four noted disciplines, and are capable of matching Hive Commanders in combat. The entire species itself is not psionically sensitive, though an unknown portion are, most of whom are likely dormant until 'awakened' via methods developed by XCOM or exposed to psionic technology.

Humans have quickly attempted to utilize this power against Collective forces, and have grown more skilled as the war progresses, and as of yet do not seem to be suffering ill effects. The observed power of their psions is only challenged by Ethereals, and remains greater than Sectoids. Note that this is because there is no observable data for comparison with the Hive Commanders.

Ethereals: While there have only been a few observed, Ethereals are the undisputed pinnacle of psionic power. Each individual Ethereal observed is capable of single-handedly facing entire armies and emerging victorious. Even Human psions are no match for Ethereals in direct combat. It is suspected that the Ethereals are not this powerful by natural means, but through continuous genetic manipulation to achieve greater psionic power.

Ethereals deployed in combat are few, but have appeared to specialize in specific disciplines of psionic power, or utilize a hybrid of multiple disciplines. It is extremely likely that each one is at least capable of utilizing other psionic disciplines to subjectively lesser effect:

The BATTLEMASTER: This is likely a unique Ethereal in that he does not utilize as much obvious or destructive psionic power as other Ethereals. His observed psionic abilities in combat have primarily been telekinesis, of which he is likely an expert, though it is of a much lesser range. He has been observed once to be capable of creating a psionic shield around him, but it is unknown if he can expand this ability any more than he already has. The Battlemaster does not use this ability often, if at all; it is unknown if he simply dislikes it or is not proficient.

CAELIOR: This Ethereal has a far higher range of telekinesis than we had previously thought possible. Caelior single-handedly destroyed the most entrenched ADVENT defenses in Tokyo within one Earth hour, while destroying most of the city itself. Nothing appeared able to resist his displayed telekinesis, nor prevent him from attacking in any way.

AEGIS: We have little to no knowledge of his capabilities, save that he was the initial Ethereal sent upon first contact. The title implies some knowledge of defensive psionics, though this evidence is tenuous at best, and may be inaccurate. However, it is extremely likely that Aegis is capable of all four disciplines like most other Ethereals.

THREAT TO THE ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: The usage of psionic powers poses a clear and present threat to the Andromeda Federation, especially from the Greater Hive Commanders. While the Ethereals are objectively more powerful, there are far fewer of them, and certain representatives have shown an interest in cooperation. The Ethereals appear to also be aware of certain larger threats to this galaxy, and are unlikely to impose their will militarily on the Federation due to their numbers and unwillingness to interfere in daily Collective and Federation operations. With that noted, do not forget that the Ethereals have ensured that research of psionics is highly limited to the Sectoids and the puppet species Vitakara. They clearly do not support research into their greatest strength, and we should not ignore what that might imply.

In contrast, the Greater Hive Commanders have spent decades in the construction and pursuit of armies, fleets, and unknown experiments conducted in the Helion Sector. They have continuously supported the suppression of psionic research for Federation endeavors and have worked to reduce the influence of the Andromedon Federation within the Ethereal Collective at all available turns. They are not above using their telepathy and psionic abilities to manipulate other species, and are notorious for considering alien species as lesser, with perhaps the exception of the Ethereals themselves. The Greater Hive Commanders are fully willing and capable of wishing to dominate the Federation, and that cannot be ignored forever.

The Humans are rapidly advancing in psionic mastery, even if their numbers pale in comparison to the larger Collective military. With that understood, the awakening of more Human psions is estimated to turn a near-guaranteed victory into a much harder war that will be unable to be beaten without significant resources. The capture and experimentation of Human psions is our greatest opportunity to further our own understanding of psionics.

Alternatively, we can work to acquire Humans of our own and work to weaponize them in the event that the Greater Hive Commanders attempt further disruption of Federation efforts. Care must be taken, and the usage of Special Operators will be necessary to fully subvert both the Greater Hive Commanders and the Zararch.

DEFENSES: The only consistently effective means of disrupting psionic telepathy is through extreme cybernetic modification. Extensively modified Andromedons are fully capable of resisting telepathy, though their usefulness in areas outside of combat or programmed operations is extremely limited. Biological modification has produced no satisfactory results, although both the Muton Sargon and Elite appear to have subroutines disrupting telepathic domination (NOTE: This is no longer confirmed, as recorded footage of the ADVENT attack of Las Vegas indicates that every organic enemy fell under the control of a hostile psion. This indicates these subroutines are still flawed, or were misinterpreted from the beginning).

Defenses against Offensive uses of psionics are few, and have only been reliably stopped through the use of Defensive psionics. Armor offers a moderate amount of protection against low-power psions, but otherwise is useless against psionic storms of energy which at minimum destroy weaker parts of suits causing passive damage that reduces overall survivability.

Defenses against telekinetic attacks are possible in theory, using skeletal architecture to increase the time required to attack, but this does not provide protection against freezing or stasis, and other acts that immobilize targets. Physical weapons are also ineffective against a telekinetic, as those can simply be deflected away. Energy weapons are preferred if attacking a telekine, as those cannot be deflected.

Automated forces appear to be the most useful line of defense against psionics, specifically drones and automated ground units. Those would be immune to telepathy and could be designed and constructed with the sole purpose of fighting psions.

ADDITIONAL AREAS OF RESEARCH: The Federation must devote extensive resources to the following:

\- The acquisition of psionic test subjects (Primarily Humans and Sectoids).

\- The design and development of Anti-Psionic units.

\- The retrofitting of current areas of Federation interests to account for telepathic spies.

\- The design and development of psionic detection devices.

I formally propose to the Chief Overseer that a motion is introduced to the Unions to formally ignore the restrictions on psionic research imposed by the Ethereal Collective, and supported by the Greater Hive Commanders. We need not reveal our reasons, as the Human issue is one we can use to force our point.

But what we cannot do is maintain the status quo any longer. The Hive Commanders have taken steps in developing psions of war using the Humans as an excuse, and the Ethereals themselves will do nothing to interfere. We have already been forced to abandon our home due to a power beyond our understanding that nearly destroyed us, and that is not something that can happen once again.

This Human war will be a catalyst for the future, and we must be prepared for the aftermath. At the very minimum, we need to ensure we have primary dominion over the Humans once they are conquered. Those who have the most control over that species will change the balance of power within the Collective.

We cannot let the Hive Commanders attain more control than they already have.

* * *

Science Report: Psionic Experimentation

Division: Vitakara Sciarnia

Location: Earth

Author: Sci'arri'valian

The current research into how Humans react to their psionic abilities have not only given us valuable information on Human-Psionic interaction, but also have significantly advanced our own understanding of psionics itself, something that has been lacking for far too long. While the sample size is limited, the results can likely be easily incorporated into future research projects.

Current and Revised Understanding of Psionics: The usage and understanding of psionics has been limited due to the restrictions imposed by the Ethereal Collective due to the inherent risks associated with psionic research. This has been relaxed on joint research efforts with the Greater Hive Commanders who have additional experience in handling psionic tests, but individual sanctioned experimentation by a species has not been permitted. This endeavor was surprising in that regard, as it offered the Vitakara Sciarnia within the Collective Military a chance to perform research of our own.

With intermitted Sectoid contact, I can confirm that the risks associated with researching psionics are not unfounded. With unwilling test subjects, there are large risks associated with potential loss of control, and all test subjects have to be monitored carefully to ensure they are not using their power against us.

Vitakara are incapable of harnessing psionics, and it is unlikely this is an incorrect conclusion. Early tests with the Collective indicated that there was no race that was capable of being awakened. This was tested with both Ethereal and Sectoid methods, on a wide range of Vitakara. In addition, there have been no historical instances of any race displaying anything related to psionics. Even the Oyariah have publically stated that none of their own have possessed any extra-dimensional capabilities, or any other powers that are capable of exhibiting similar effects as psionics.

Research into the Human psions does appear to confirm that psionic potential is only limited to certain species. It has been determined to be genetic, and we have attempted a comparison between Human and Sectoid genetics to see if there are similar or identical attributes which may be included with all psionically sensitive species. Unfortunately, we have been unable to confirm this theory, and as of right now the genetic markers for Humans that appear to be tied to psionics are wholly different from Sectoid genetics.

What is also largely unknown is where the psion draws their power from, or what exactly they are using when they employ their abilities. Based on technical data and instances of psionic demonstrations, the strongest theory is that psions draw power from some imperceptible dimension and then manipulate it to serve their needs. This does not explain why different psions are able to use it so differently, but it provides an explanation as to where their power comes from, and why other species may not have it.

We are unable to confirm this theory without more psions, and have inquired with both the Collective and Greater Hive Commanders for additional information. In theory, it then should be possible to induce a similar sensitivity in non-psions, which was the other major area we have investigated.

Artificial Psionic Awakening: The psions currently in our possession were not awakened naturally, but by EXALT through a mixture of chemicals which should not have any noticeable effect. We have managed to acquire this formula, but as of yet we have not determined how this could have possibly awakened these Humans, as it is completely alien to known methods of psionic awakening, and EXALT had no solid idea of how psionics could work.

The theory this introduces is that, by some miracle, EXALT somehow managed to create a way to artificially induce psionic sensitivity in a Human. Without access to other psionic Humans, we have no way of confirming this, but it might explain why an otherwise dangerous drug would awaken psionic sensitivity. All the psions are of a similar strength, and two are bonded together, which seems to be an unlikely coincidence at best.

Unfortunately, the largest problem with this theory is that we have been unable to replicate the success with other Human or alien captives. This might be accepted with aliens, as this was designed to react with Human biology, but that has produced no results either. The other possible idea is that pushing a Human far enough (through stress, pain, or other means of inducing extreme mental states) might be enough to trigger a psionic awakening, and given the lethal nature of the drug, perhaps that is how it was intended to work.

With that said, if this were the case, there should be at least a few Humans who were able to be psionically awakened this way. The way these Humans have become psionic is extremely baffling, and there are no obvious explanations beyond that EXALT was simply extremely lucky.

Until proven otherwise, we will continue to work on identifying the needed genetic traits for psionic potential in Humans, and once that is complete, we will attempt to replicate them for Vitakara and potentially other species. While natural psionic awakening may be impossible, there is nothing to suggest that it could not be done artificially.

* * *

 **ADVENT Report P902**

Research Type: Psionic

Species Observed: Human, Vitakara, Muton, Andromedon

Overseer: PRIEST Program Director Dr. Akilah Kettani

While investigating the intricacies of psionic power, one aspect that we researched heavily was the effects psions actually afflicted on their designated targets. The more we are able to understand the effects of psionic usage from both the user and target, the easier we can utilize and optimize psionics for ADVENT. Categories will be based on the psionic disciplines (Offensive, Defensive, Telekinesis, Telepathy), and research was conducted on multiple species through observation and interview. Captured aliens provided additional insight into the question of if psionics has a different effect on aliens than Humans.

SECTION 1: OFFENSIVE PSIONICS

Coming under a direct psionic attack is what can best be described as a harrowing experience. The vast majority do not survive, as Offensive-disciplined psions generally target multiple enemies at once and are not particularly concerned with enemy survivability. There are several different kinds of attacks that fall into the Offensive discipline:

 _Single-Target_ : The most common is a method that creates dangerous and rapidly shifting psionic bands around a singular target, and subsequently tears them apart. Each identified band is unstable and emits corrosive psionic energy which acts similar to an acid in that is destroys almost anything it comes into contact with. Unprotected enemies are killed in seconds, and even armored ones can suffer similar fates if vital organs are struck with corrosive psionic energy. One alien which was injured with such an attack used the words acid and fire to describe how it felt, and other Humans have reported similar sensations.

 _Multi-Target_ : Psions have developed a technique that is, for lack of a better word, a beam of psionic energy. This is accomplished by gathering a large amount of psionic power in one location, generally a hand, and then directing it in a specific direction. This ability has so far proven unable to be stopped, and has similar effects to a high-powered laser beam in that it cuts through almost anything easily, though unlike a laser, is far messier in the aftermath.

The other ability is the ability of the psion to create a storm of psionic energy referred to as a 'rift'. This is exactly what is sounds like, which is a barely controlled storm of psionic energy over a particular area which rips apart anything within its vicinity. It is one of the more difficult techniques to perform, but no one has yet survived being caught in a blast. Rifts do not leave behind remains, just shredded corpses and various body parts flung around. Identification of victims is difficult.

SECTION 2: DEFENSIVE PSIONICS

Unlike the previous discipline, the application of Defensive psionics has an extremely potent effect on allied forces. Contrary to what is commonly believed, Defensive-aptitude psions are capable of more than just creating shields. Skilled ones can trap enemies in stasis or temporarily freeze allies in place and render them invincible for a short time.

Their psionic shields have several variations, which often depend on the phase of combat. Traditional rectangle-like Shields are generally used during advances, which the psion creates in front of them to absorb enemy fire while allied forces get into position. Domed Shields are typically used when the current position is under heavy assault, and they are capable of withstanding extremely heavy bombardment. However, a downside of these shields is that allied forces are incapable of firing through them as well.

The most potent application of Defensive psionics is the ability for the psion to create a personal shield over a soldier, which appears visually to be a shimmering purple hologram superimposed over their body. It renders the soldiers nearly invincible, and has been observed to absorb plasma, rockets, hostile psionics, and explosives. This is difficult to perform, but skilled psions can maintain three or four at once, and this number is likely to increase as psions grow more in skill.

SECTION 3: TELEKINESIS

Telekinetics are an aspect that is extraordinarily simple, and yet can be applied so many different ways. There is almost no way to adequately defend against it outside of Defensive psionics, and going up against one is tantamount to suicide. The best case scenario one can hope for is to have your neck, or other vital organ unceremoniously snapped or destroyed.

Most telekines heavily favor using telekinesis to crush opponents. This leads to highly brutal and disturbing results including shattered bones, ripped skin, unnatural poses, nerve damage, and internal bleeding. Rapid compression of both alien and Human physiology often times rarely kills the individual immediately, but instead paralyzes them and renders them unable to move, and victims most die a slow and painful death due to internal bleeding.

More precise telekines simply kill their targets through precise manipulation of anatomy that is vital, such as snapping necks, or directly crushing specific parts of the body, such as the head. Other methods are used to cripple enemies, such as snapping the legs of opponents to quickly take out an opposing force, even if not directly killing them. Other tactical uses involve telekinetically pulling the weapons of an alien force away, or using it to catch thrown or launched projectiles, and throwing them back.

Telekines can also use their abilities in a supporting way, such as making our own explosives and weapons more accurate. They can also render any enemy firing physical projectiles useless by the creation of a telekinetic field which can catch shot projectiles. They could also manipulate the environment by creating disruptive sand or snowstorms, using debris as improvised missiles, or pulling damaged buildings down onto enemy positions.

A telekine might just be the most dangerous discipline because of how completely versatile they are, and their abilities are almost impossible to be negated.

SECTION 4: TELEPATHY

What is extremely important to understand about the victims of telepathy is that they have no idea they are being controlled. Once the telepath accesses their mind, they can literally force the victim to think and do whatever they wish. They will not know they are under psionic attack, and they will follow mental commands without question because they do not know any better.

The invasive implications of telepathy have yet to be fully realized. Typically, victims of telepathy (Especially aliens), are rendered mentally unstable and suffer dangerous breakdowns due to what they have been forced to do despite not being in control. Suicidal thoughts and actions are most invasive, and as of right now very few who have come under telepathic attack will ever trust themselves, or anyone else. Some reasons given for wishing to be euthanized stem from not wanting to be put in a position where they could hurt more people.

In this respect, Humans and Vitakara have extremely similar psychological reactions to being telepathically assaulted, though more Vitakara have attempted to kill themselves than Humans, largely because of being forced to participate and murder their own soldiers, sometimes in inhumane ways. The few Vitakara we recovered still alive from Las Vegas had either attempted to kill themselves, or were completely mentally broken. Considering the implications of what happened, I do not entirely blame them.

There is absolutely nothing stopping a psion from implementing 'protocols' within a victim, such as instructions of what to do at certain times which will persist after the psion leaves the victim's mind. This introduces the possibility of creating psionic sleeper agents who have no choice but to unwillingly follow their orders. In theory, it is also possible to do this with the victim being aware of what is happening, which would be quite torturous in itself.

While the offensive use of telepathy is highly destructive and will disrupt the mental state of anyone forcibly taken control of, there are other aspects of telepathy that are not nearly as dangerous. It is possible for telepaths to mentally connect with a group of people, and pool their collective knowledge of what is happening, in addition to granting better reflexes, focus, and the reinforcement of positive emotions which can be critical in situations where morale is close to breaking.

Humans who have taken part in these telepathic melds have described noticing an immediate change in how they performed, and any hesitation they felt about anything vanished, with only determination, courage, and similar encouragement left. They also describe knowing things they should not have, such as enemy positions they cannot see, yet they are capable of immediately moving from shooting one enemy to another with virtually no delay.

It is also not uncommon for psions in training to consent to letting telepaths experiment with their powers on them. This is fairly rare, but there are instances where such has been reported. Telepaths are also far less likely to fall under hostile psionic telepathic attacks, and have the ability to shield allies from them as well.

However, there are ways which can disrupt or prevent telepathic attacks, but those generally require heavy cybernetic modification which many do not want to undergo even if the result is immunity from telepathic attacks. I suspect that this is the one discipline of psionics where there are more possibilities than even we can know right now. I believe more applications will be discovered as this war progresses.

The mind and how we perceive the world is complex, and having control of it is not something that should be undertaken lightly.

* * *

 **XCOM Project File 0102**

Project Codename: "Mind Heist"

Project Type: Psionic Research

Latest Revision: 10/22/2016

Authors: Head of XCOM Research and Development, Dr. Moira Vahlen; Overseer of Psionic Operations Patricia Trask; Aegis

Additional Comments: Templar Chan Jin-Taek

 **OVERVIEW**

The enigmatic power that is commonly referred to as 'psionics' is the ability of certain individuals to manipulate certain elements of reality through psionic manipulation. This was first recorded in the Sectoid alien species, and has subsequently revealed Ethereals to also be psionically capable, in addition to Humanity. This document serves to provide an explanation as to what psionics are, and how they interact with, and affect the larger world. As such this document is expected to undergo many revisions as we learn more about this power.

 **THE PSIONOSPHERE THEORY**

The first question to be answered in regards to this wide-ranging topic is this: What is psionics?

After extensive research, the most supported theory as to what psionic energy is and how it is manifested, is the concept of the Psionosphere. Much like time, the Psionosphere can be considered a dimension that, while it cannot be physically observed, nonetheless has a tangible impact on the world. Unlike a dimension like time, certain beings have the capacity to manipulate and draw power from the Psionosphere.

To further elaborate, we exist in a 3D material plane, and the Psionosphere is an additional plane that is superimposed atop it, which is imperceptible to the vast majority of beings both Human and alien. There is no evidence to suggest that there are any 'breaks' in this plane, and that the Psionosphere exists along every point of space with a roughly uniform density; to further clarify, there are no 'dead spots' or locations where psionics would simply not exist. This implies in theory that this rule would hold between intra and extra-galactic locations.

Psions themselves are beings that are capable of interacting with the material plane we exist in, through the Psionosphere itself. This allows them to perform otherwise impossible feats, and bypass remote action laws and negate the inverse square law. Technically, the psion has no limit to the range of their abilities, but most psions are better able to use their abilities based on what they can 'sense'.

The range of what a psion can sense is still not fully known, but it is directly proportional to the Trask Level of the psion in question. Their ability to sense within the Psionosphere is a flat radius, of which they are always the center of. Psions, and other psionic sources, have a noticeable footprint on the Psionosphere itself, which is referred to as a 'projection'. This is why psions are capable of performing feats which are beyond their immediate line of sight. The higher the Trask Level of the psion, the larger their projection is.

Psions are also able to be sensed far more easily in the Psionosphere due to having a tangible impact on it, even if that does not necessarily make them more vulnerable. This psionic projection within the Psionosphere is not necessarily the final limitation the psion has on utilizing their power. It does appear to be possible to form telepathic bonds or links across great distances, as the interactions between Aegis and the Commander, and Patricia and the Imperator, have shown.

As a psion can technically manipulate any point in the Psionosphere even if it is outside their projection, it is entirely possible for someone to master the ability to extend their influence beyond and 'map' the Psionosphere itself. However, such a feat would be extremely difficult and as the Psionosphere extends through all known reality, such an undertaking would likely return minimal results at best.

The Psionosphere itself does appear to obey several analogues of fundamental laws. Conservation of energy is the most apparent, as Psions are capable of exhausting themselves using their powers. It takes more energy to lift heavier objects, or influence more than one mind. Some telepaths are able to transfer energy from one source to another, but are unable to create it on their own. Power cannot be created, only drawn from something else.

At first glance, this does not appear to hold true for more offensive applications of psionics, such as being able to manifest chemical or physical effects at a distance. At first there was a question of if this rule did not apply to certain aspects of psionics, but further research indicates that this is not the case. This is elaborated on below with each identified discipline.

 _Addendum – Aegis: This is an excellent explanation that is highly similar to our own theory. There was little dispute that psionics was the manipulation of a higher dimension, though what exactly that dimension entailed and the rules it followed was a continuous subject of debate. I would contend that your theory about psionic projections being the main way of manipulating the Psionosphere is incorrect. There are ways of exercising power through the galaxy that is well beyond simply your immediate reach. "Mapping" the Psionosphere as it is put is also not as difficult as you imagine. You have stated the psions can manipulate it, so it then stands to reason that a powerful psion could manipulate it to render this issue much less important._

 _Your presumption that there are no such things as psionic 'dead spots' is highly debatable. While I have seen nothing that I would say indicates the absence of the Psionosphere…there are places in the galaxy where it does not exist as we understand it. It is weak at best, and completely gone at worst. People who inhabit these places simply cannot exist for long, and the ones that survive are…changed._

 _These phenomenons were of high interest to the Empire, and the experiments run there were under heavy guard. I was not privy to what they learned, but what I do know is that being sent to one was a fate worse than death. Perhaps the Imperator knows what they were, but I am afraid I know little more than that._

 _This is what the Dead World is. I would suggest you avoid any others whenever possible._

 **EXPLANATION OF PSIONIC DISCIPLINES**

OVERVIEW: Not every psion is initially able to fully manipulate the Psionosphere, but most do have an innate ability to manipulate it to perform certain actions. As of yet, we are unable to determine why some psions are innately better at certain disciplines than others. However, just because a psion is innately capable of a certain discipline, does _not_ mean they could not master other aspects. In theory, one psion could master the manipulation of the Psionosphere, although it would take years at minimum. Note that this is _not_ related to the psion's Trask Level.

The four identified disciplines are the following:

 _Offensive_ : Primarily specializes in destructive psionic usage.

 _Defensive_ : Primarily specializes in defensive psionic usage.

 _Telekinetic_ : Specializes in telekinetics.

 _Telepath_ : Specializes in the manipulation and domination of minds.

 _Addendum – Aegis: This is the correct breakdown of specializations. However, Ethereals tended to fully master one or more of these disciplines, and even the weakest Ethereal is capable to some degree of all four, with the exception of Battlemasters. Ethereals had areas they did specialize in, but it was by no means the only thing they were good at._

OFFENSIVE: To further elaborate on the point mentioned above, about Offensive-disciplines psions not violating the Conservation of Energy, the explanation is that psions trained in this discipline do not manifest energy, but instead is the result of tearing the Psionosphere itself. Damaging the Psionosphere results in releasing corrosive and destructive energy, which is why Rifts and Psionic Tearing are immediately lethal.

When the psion creates a Rift, they are creating tears in the Psionosphere around a specific area and the longer the Psionosphere stays damaged, the more dangerous it will become. There have also been noted instances of friendly and alien soldiers seeing strange things within the brief glimpse into the Psionosphere, which they would otherwise never see. The effects of this exposure are unknown, but it has left both Humans and aliens affected.

What we can also observe from this is that the Psionosphere itself is capable of self-repairing instantly. Once a psion stops tearing the Psionosphere, the energy will vanish. In addition to ripping the Psionosphere at specific locations, psions can draw power directly from the ripped dimension and direct it towards a specific area. This is why psions of this discipline wound themselves while using their abilities, while those of other disciplines do not. They rip the Psionosphere around their arms and hands, which causes damage, but also allows them to acquire the destructive power of psionics they cannot manipulate with other disciplines.

DEFENSIVE: Psions who are partial to the Defensive aptitude of psionics manipulate the Psionosphere in perhaps the most visible way. They are primarily recognized for their ability to manifest psionic shields. The explanation for how this is done is that they 'harden' a certain section of the Psionosphere until it is physically manifested in the material plane.

This can be modified into an infinite number of different shapes, though simplicity makes it easier. However, there is no restriction on creating multiple separate shields, or even entire structures out of nothing but the hardened Psionosphere.

Psions also can give the illusion of 'moving' their shields forward, which is technically an illusion. When a psion 'moves' a psionic shield of any kind forward, they are simply transferring the energy across to another point in the material plane. It is easiest to imagine it in terms of individual 'frames' much like how animation is nothing more than pictures strung together fast, so is the moving of a psionic shield. While this requires some additional concentration on the part of the psion, it is not as difficult as perhaps imagined.

This is also why Defensive-disciplined psions can generally only fully protect one or two individuals at a time. It is not a personal shield over them that just stays in place, but one that must constantly be moved to be effective. Best results are achieved when a low-level telepathic link is established, even if it is not required.

In theory, there is no limit to what a psionic shield can 'endure'. The Psionosphere cannot be damaged by material objects, but continued upkeep will mentally exhaust the psion, and lapses in concentration can be enough to shatter the psionic shield. However, a psion can quite easily harden the Psionosphere again, and repeat the process again.

These psions also have several offensive uses. The rapid movement of hardened Psionosphere shields is one which can inflict blunt trauma, and can theoretically be instantly moved around as the psion wishes, since they do not 'move' the shield as traditionally understood. Another method of 'attack' is hardening the Psionosphere around hostile units, effectively freezing them in place and unable to attack, nor defend themselves. This has the effect of rendering them immune from attack, but in certain situations, that can be preferable.

TELEKINESIS: To return to the original topic of the Psionosphere, it bears repeating that it exists in all aspects of reality, and any point can theoretically be manipulated by a psion. This how telekines are able to use their abilities to seemingly develop infinite and versatile uses for their powers. Telekines are able to directly manipulate one or multiple points of the Psionosphere.

This fine control allows them to manipulate nearly any object by lifting, pushing, crushing, or otherwise physically affecting it. Psionic telekinesis is curious for several reasons because telekines perceive their powers in different ways. Some use it as an extension of their hand, which they say they can move and grasp with a high degree of accuracy.

Others have compared it to the manipulation of strings, of which everything in existence has as an attribute; strings which they can pluck and lift into the air, throw back, or wrap around and crush. Magus Hawkins has described them as "Invisible but not." Perhaps indicating that he is powerful enough to see aspects of the psionosphere others cannot.

This is quite possibly the case, as the String Theory of Telekinesis seems to apply to telekines of a higher Trask Level than that of the Extended Reach Theory of Telekinesis, which telekines of a lower Trask Level tend to recognize.

It should also be noted that telekinesis can be applied to potentially a cellular level, and is not restricted to purely macro manipulation, but micromanipulation as well. This clearly requires a delicacy from the telekine in question, but even the simple destruction of something on a cellular level could provide new means of usage beyond lifting things into the air.

While the material plane is definitely affected by the Psionosphere, it does also appear to modify just how effective psionics are. While a telekine is capable of collapsing a building, they will find it far harder to do than lifting a car because the building is generally larger, made out of better material, and anchored to the ground. Physical characteristics do affect how resistant certain things are against telekines, which we should utilize in our own defense against them.

TELEPATHY: Telepathy is perhaps one of the hardest to fully measure and determine, but nonetheless there are several explanations for how psionic telepathy is possible. Everything is connected through the Psionosphere, and that includes minds, thoughts, and emotions. Telepaths manipulate the Psionosphere to enter, affect, or otherwise influence the minds of other beings.

This then introduces the question of how much emotions and thoughts connect to the Psionosphere itself, and since telepaths are capable of not only accessing minds through the Psionosphere, but directly manipulating them, it does not seem impossible that all beings are, on some level, connected to the Psionosphere.

This would explain why almost all telepaths have reported that they are able to visualize minds on a plane, sometimes colored or not, but always a plane with 'points' which are other minds. Unlike most disciplines, telepaths act almost exclusively through the Psionosphere to manifest their powers. And as the Psionosphere permeates everything, this gives telepaths complete and utter control over the minds they enter.

The effects are only limited by imagination. Memories can be created and replaced; personalities can be changed or rewritten, the very world around them can be changed to be perceived as the telepath sees it, the brain can be forced to turn on the body, and they can be ordered to do things without ever thinking anything is wrong.

Conversely, they manipulate the Psionosphere plane where the minds are located to prevent similar manipulation, and positively affect the beings they wish through enhancing their minds and perception. It should also be noted that telepaths are generally able to have a much larger range on their powers, primarily because they spend the majority of their time within the Psionosphere plane itself.

 **THE TRASK SCALE OF PSIONIC POWER**

The Trask Scale, officially created by ADVENT is the means of measuring psionic power which XCOM has also adopted as its official measurement system for psions. Named for the first known Human psion, Patricia Trask, psionic power is measured in "Trasks" which currently extend from 1 to 100, although this is only named ranks. Certain aliens such as Ethereals have Trask levels higher than 100.

What is important to understand about the Trask Scale is that is not an indication of _skill_ , but one of _range_. A psion of a lower Trask level can be just as skilled as one with a high Trask level, but simply not be able to have as great an effect as they would otherwise.

For example, compare two telepath psions, one of a high Trask level, and one of a lower one. Let us imagine that the lower one is capable of manipulating three minds. He cannot affect more than that, but with the three he has control over, he can essentially do whatever he wishes with them. In contrast, the higher-level one is capable of affecting an entire planet's worth of minds, but he can only issue simple commands. Of the two, which is more skilled?

Again, the Trask Scale only determines the range of the psion's abilities, not necessarily how powerful they are. Traditional logic leads to the assumption that higher Trask levels are more powerful, and as a general rule, that is correct, but remember that power doesn't not always equal skill.

 _Addendum – Aegis: This is a fair way of determining psionic power. It is not quite as extensive as the ways of the Empire, but having some form of measurement is far better than having none at all._

 **TEMPLARS AND PSIONIC UTILIZATION (Section Author: Templar Chan Jin-Taek)**

The usage of our psionic powers does slightly differ from pure psions, but it is not perhaps as different as you would expect. The largest difference is that of scale. We don't affect entire city blocks like some psions, nor lift people in the air by the dozens. Often our own usage of psionics is much smaller and quicker, and typically incorporates our weapon of choice.

For example, I have trained in making my own greatsword burn with psionic energy. Reading what Dr. Vahlen has written above, what I do to make this work is lightly rip the Psionosphere surrounding my sword, which gives it a corrosive effect. It does damage the blade, but I do take steps to ensure it isn't crippling. When I do other kinds of psionic bursts of energy, they are very small and not as powerful.

To give another perspective, telekine Templars utilize their abilities more to unbalance, push, and distract their opponents. Sometimes they will freeze them in place temporarily, or control their own weapons with telekinesis. Smaller scale, as I said. I should guess it is obvious that the Defensive Templars like Iosif pretty much protect themselves, and sometimes others on smaller scales.

So that's the main difference between Templars and other psions. We're a lot smaller-scale and mobile, which I think has its place in battle.

 _Addendum – Aegis: This is quite similar to the philosophy of the Division of Battlemasters._

 **PSIONICS AND INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY**

While it is primarily living beings who are able to manipulate the Psionosphere, it is possible for objects to draw from it as well. It is not nearly as versatile or powerful as a general rule, largely only fulfilling a specific purpose, and largely one that is not highly complex. Other, primarily Sectoid technology, is capable of recognizing various uses of psionics and performing specific actions.

Much of their computers and vehicles rely on a small psionic link with the user, which results in their technology being almost impossible to navigate without being a psion themselves. However, even this is not largely complex and is capable of being transferred to a format which does not require psionics.

The gauntlets recovered from the Sectoid Vanguard are another example of a piece of technology receiving psionic power, although not directly accessing the Psionosphere itself, and performing a specific action. As Shen theorizes, this kind of technology could allow us to manipulate the Psionosphere as we wish without necessarily requiring the natural skills.

 **CONCLUSION**

While we have discovered much about psionics already, there is far more that we still have to learn. The study of psionics is one that will likely never be fully explained, and our ability to manipulate the Psionosphere will likely only increase as we discover new methods. But one continuing goal of XCOM should not be to recreate the feats of the Ethereals or Sectoids, but forge our own understanding of psionics into something unexpected.

We have the capability, all that is required is the imagination and the willingness to challenge what the word 'impossible' really means.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Malleable Dimensions

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

Our species has always been the masters of the power we understand as psionics, but occasionally the question of _why_ appears in my mind. Considering our origins, our aptitude for comprehending the Gift that is psionics must have been an intentional design choice. But again, the question of _why_ still remains.

Were we intended to use this gift against a certain enemy? The Synthesized or someone else? Gifting another species the ability to manipulate an unseen dimension of the universe is not one given lightly, yet we control it all the same. And we are not alone in this; the gift is one that other species have attempted to master over the millennia, and still more likely will in the future.

Yet psionics is not the only invisible, yet altering force in the universe, but it is one we can manipulate. For thousands of years we have believed the others were simply impossible or out of reach; laws of nature that even we cannot choose to alter. Yet I find myself questioning this perception more and more. Elements that altered the physical world drove our Empire; perhaps to ruin, but it drove us all the same.

These exist, and there are likely others out there, untainted by the trap of what brought us down, but is it yet another trap to lull us into following an unseen path? How much of this galaxy is intentionally designed; how much of it is trapped; seeming discoveries in reality being traps designed to push entire species towards unseen and unknown goals?

Prior to the War, such questions would have been ludicrous. The idea that elements that could alter the galaxy could simply be lures for invisible traps was little more than paranoia. Yet the Synthesized, the Sovereign Ones, the discovery of other species capable of the Gift…it makes me all the more suspicious of what the future holds.

If we are capable of manipulating one unseen dimension, what is to say that we cannot teach ourselves to learn the others? Dark energy, time, these affect the same realms as psionics yet we are just as blind to them as the Vitakara are to the Gift. Yet we do things that others consider impossible, and even our own usage of psionics has grown stagnant in the absence of a threat.

The more we learn of the galaxy, the more order is found in it, the more deception. It is unnatural. The ruins of civilizations long past only offer crumbs of knowledge as to what the greater plan is, but all we can do now is do what might be unexpected.

I am beginning to see the Imperator's concerns. We must tread carefully for we potentially risk making enemies of greater powers than even ourselves.


	68. Andromedons - Organizations: Unions

Andromedons: Organizations

Unions

* * *

" _To understand how the Andromedons work, you need to understand the Unions."_

\- Quisilia

* * *

Operation: Intergalactic Mystery

Division: Andromedon Counter-Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'poliala'dakka

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon, a pleasure as always to be communicating from the poisonous death trap that is Andromeda Prime, so nice of the Andromedons to have such simple naming conventions. Almost as nice as Sectoids!

Believe it or not, it's actually a bit difficult to infiltrate down on a planet that kills you, and you don't possess the same biological shape as the aliens that live on it, so the Andromedons just kill you because they really _do not_ like outsiders.

So sorry this report is a bit late. Anyway, mission accomplished and all that. Suppose you'll want to read what I found. Can't blame you. Andromedon history becomes much more interesting the more you look into it. There needs to be another complete report on the Federation itself, because from what I've found, something like it shouldn't exist, or whatever made them actually unite _really_ scared them.

Which means it should scare _us_. Maybe talk to your Elder boss about that?

In the meantime, you know how it works. The Federation is composed of various Unions, groups of Andromedons that generally specialize in something. Not really comparable to families, but maybe more to the Sectoid Hives, where those Hive Commanders always tend to focus on some strange monstrosity.

So I've done as asked and documented the major Unions for you to look over, and some other information that is relevant to them. A lot of the information is very well hidden to non-Andromedons. Even "public information" has to be accessed via a terminal, and everyone knows that the Federation is watching that _very_ closely. So I had to get creative.

Here you go:

 **Union Apear** : Right from the top we have potentially a Union that will doom us all. From what I could find, this Union is pretty old, though I don't know how much that means in comparison to others. It isn't important, ultimately, compared to what their goals are. Union Apear is completely devoted to the research, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence.

As you can imagine, when I found out _that_ little detail I tried to determine where they were operating out of, and sadly, couldn't learn anything more. I was stupid enough to try and hack into their systems, stealthily of course, and my own device was nearly compromised to some kind of…system. It wasn't an AI, but was definitely some kind of active Machine Intelligence program.

Unsurprisingly, they are also master roboticists and machine learning programmers. I'm not sure if AI research is something new for them, a next logical step, or something they've been doing since the beginning. I don't know details on _how, why,_ or _when_ they are doing their tests, but I find it very hard to believe they're not making any progress.

Or worse, they _have_ an AI and just haven't bothered telling anyone.

In fact, I would almost bet that's exactly it. The thing is that Union Apear does not have good relations with most of the other Unions because (Surprise!) they are conducting AI research and even the Federation as a whole sees the absurd risks. It would explain why the Federation isn't using the same level of security that Apear machines are.

Then again, there is some kind of agreement going on, because the entirety of the Andromeda Prime Federation database is under some kind of protection I didn't even try to penetrate. I would keep a close watch on these ones. Maybe recruit one to get an idea of how much they really know.

 **Union Haruma** : You know how most of the Andromedons are very technologically-focused and specialize in some field of that? Not Haruma, they are one of the few Unions to focus on biology and chemistry. As a result, they are both the practicing medics and terraformers of the Andromedons. This is a Union I believe you're familiar with, given that they have Zararch-approved moons for research purposes.

Geneticists, they are not (We'll get to them), but they are not idiots, and when they focus on a project, the results can be devastating.

Case in point, they are the ones responsible for the terraforming of habitable worlds to suit Andromedon needs. They were the ones who birthed the Contamination Operatives, and are extremely skilled at destroying entire biospheres, then subsequently changing them to be actually habitable. How exactly this is done, we don't know, aside from that it takes a minimum of a decade. Two years to kill everything, six to bring in the necessary plants and gasses and introduce them, and another two to stabilize their new planet.

In theory. As far as I know, we haven't seen this done (then again, I'm not in the best position to be saying this am I? That wasn't my job), and I couldn't find where the Federation is currently deploying the terraformers. One thing that is definitely interesting is that they are also one of the few Unions that maintain good relations with everyone. I suppose considering these Andromedons were the ones who developed and maintain Andromedon medical services, this would endear them to everyone else.

Even then though, I don't know if that adds up with how some of the other Unions treat each other. If you don't want to make the group in charge of your medicine angry, wouldn't you also want to keep the ones making an AI or making your spacecraft happy as well?

 **Union Stuirah** : Unlike most of the Unions, I was actually able to find out some history on this one. Apparently they were the first of the Unions to create spacecraft and master space travel, and pretty much dominated everyone during the Union Wars for quite a while, until they pushed the remaining Unions to their breaking point, forced them to (temporarily) unite and brought them down.

Then promptly went back to fighting each other again. Typical.

The point is that Union Stuirah was effectively destroyed, and from what I can find, they suffered the same fate as other defeated Unions and were assimilated into the winning Union. I assume they were split between the survivors, and the Andromedons soon took their eternal civil war to the stars.

I don't know the reasoning behind it, but Union Stuirah was revived by the Federation at some point after its formation, for the sole purpose of spacecraft design, a surprising homage to their history that most Andromedons rarely display. But they are the primary architects of all modern Andromedon spacecraft, both military and civilian.

They are the most apolitical out of all the Unions, and this is likely due to the fact that their formation _was_ one of the few times where the Federation actually collaborated on something, so perhaps they feel a need to be more…lenient? I don't know, but the Union is one of the largest, and they know more than just their own stuff; they can take apart _any_ spacecraft.

They're not even subtle about trying to subvert the Sectoids. Call this intuition (Couldn't break into their sensitive systems either, surprise) but I would be shocked if they weren't designing an anti-Hiveship. Knowing Andromedons, they're going to keep everything as secret as possible.

 **Union Omega** : I found exactly _one_ reference to this. There is no official Union Omega, and it was in a classified document to the Chief Overseer himself (I got lucky). Assuming such a Union does exist…I suppose it's one only certain members are aware of? Not once have I ever heard of secret Andromedon Unions, and the fact that there is _no_ mention of this anywhere is suspicious.

I'm not entirely unconvinced that it's not a code word for another Union, since the name itself is noticeably un-Andromedon. Either way, it's there and should be put on record.

 **Union Jamoiar:** Here's an interesting one, but also one completely expected for Andromedons. This Union primarily specializes in coding and programming, and are the primary developers of all Federation software. And no, I completely believe they are not doing it out of some patriotic instinct for their species, but because the more Unions use their programs, the more backdoors they can plant and the more information they can gather.

Considering _none_ of the major Unions use programs developed by Jamoiar, I'm inclined to think they have the same idea. Everything is _based_ on Jamoiar programming, but it's not quite as good. Actually not good at all compared to real thing, truth be told. They really are experts at what they do, but nobody trusts them.

They are in an interesting position since they aren't excluding any Union from their technology, but at the same time making sure the Unions are aware of the implications of using it. Since no one important uses it, Jamoiar has a distinct technological advantage (Excluding the military) and everyone else who uses it is at risk of whatever logic bombs and worms Jamoiar has decided to put in.

It doesn't help I when a Union tries to reverse-engineer their code, they find Jamoiar codes in a completely unknown programming language everyone believes they developed themselves. Apparently, some have accused Jamoiar of using Kett'Tasira techniques, whatever those are, and every single time Jamoiar has asked for proof.

To this day, they are still waiting.

I suppose the good news is that they hate the idea of AI, so they're rivals of Apear, which can only be a good thing.

 **Union Irriaran** : And here is the other major biological Union, this one specifically focusing on genetic modification, and (surprise) this line of research has made enemies of pretty much everyone in the Federation, _especially_ since they are the only ones to advocate working _with_ the Sectoids as opposed to planning to wipe the species out.

They actually have collaborated with the Sectoids a number of times, and have seemed to become very efficient genetic experts in a very short amount of time (Andromedon intelligence at work I guess). However, there really isn't much of a place for geneticists in Andromedon society, as all the terraforming work is done by Union Haruma, and cybernetics is generally looked to as the way of the future for Andromedon improvement, not genetic engineering.

Yet despite their small numbers and pariah status among the Unions, they are continuing right along, and even if you won't admit it to me, I know we've got an interest in them, and I suspect your Elder friends and the Hive Commanders are keeping them afloat as well.

 **Union Zacarrim** : This is the equivalent of your Hive Commander geneticist obsessed with creating the perfect Sectoid. Union Zacarrim shares this same goal, but for the Andromedons, and their inevitable ascension will not be through the modification of genetics, but by the advancement of cybernetic integration.

This is very common for Andromedons. It is extremely rare for one to not have at least some kind of cybernetic modification. It's mandatory for military service to interface with the battle suits, but for the rest of the unions, they're used for simple data processing, drone control, or simple convenience.

Zacarrim takes the modification to a completely different level. The entirety of their organic bodies is covered in, and monitored by highly invasive and noticeable cybernetics. Their brains are modified to be some kind of biocomputer I can't even guess at the actual workings of. They can survive on planets _without_ any kind of protection, and are better soldiers than ones in the Federation Military.

They are one of the few Unions whose advancements are generally…used…although the more extreme modifications are simply reverse-engineered by lesser Unions. But Zacarrim Andromedons do not have the same motivations or concerns as other Unions, and their only goal is the continued advancement of the Andromedon species. The infighting and rivalries they genuinely do not care about, and simply ignore them.

Ironically, this makes them perhaps the most trusted.

However, I'm not so sure this isn't some very long game they are playing. Union Zacarrim, while a bit odd to converse with (Their primary form of communication is through interfaces in some code language they developed), they can understand others, and can grasp context. If nothing else, I fully expect there is some kind of logic bomb in their cybernetic designs they've shared, in case the Federation ever gives them trouble.

Never hurts to be sure.

 **Union Reinarm** : This is an interesting one, which also has some history behind it. Back during the Union Wars, Reinarm specialized in weapons development and crafting. The first mistake they apparently made was trying to do too much at once, namely managing an army of their own, selling arms to enemies of their _own_ enemies, while also trying to scam their enemies by selling defunct weapons.

So naturally, they promptly got crushed by a larger Union and assimilated. That's generally the end of it.

However, it seemed that Union Reinarm didn't quite die. The Union that conquered them wanted them alive to produce weapons, so they did. This continued for long enough that the Union eventually adopted the name Reinarm and took the _exact_ same role as before. And consequently tried to do the same thing. With the same result.

This happened approximately _twelve_ times during the Union Wars. No one killed Reinarm because they were too valuable to lose, and that eventually became what they were known for, so they adopted the name anyway since by then everyone knew who Reinarm was, and it was a quick way to gain some instant allies, and consequently, enemies.

So as you would expect, the modern-day incarnation of Union Reinarm designs, creates, and tests every single kind of weapon they can think of. Not just regular rifles and stuff, some of the few reports I managed to find describe plans to control the 'interstellar battlefield through the designated targeting and removal of galactic star systems'.

That's what Reinarm's actual endgame is. Superweapons. To presumably use against enemies of the Federation, but knowing how the Unions work, I wouldn't be surprised if they held onto it like the greedy bugs they are and let the Federation fall before 'saving the day' with some miraculous 'breakthrough' weapon.

Andromedons make me cynical, it seems.

 **Union Viarior** : This is a very interesting Union (Yes, even with all the others), because it is perhaps the sole economically-focused Union. They are the only Union that, according to the records I could find, survived the Union Wars from beginning to end, which is _absurd_ considering the Union Wars were literally fought for millennia.

How they managed this makes some sense when you realize how they work. They control the resources of the Federation, and are experts at accounting, management, and mining. Boring for most of the species, but they appeared to have been an extremely stabilizing force for the war economy back then, and subsequently had some stake in _every_ major Union, effectively rendering them immune from attack.

They were the ones who got the metals and gunpowder to Union Reinarm, and the test subjects for Unions like Haruma and Zacarrim. They were, from what it looks like, the most influential and richest Union during that time. This has not lasted, obviously.

Union Viarior still has considerable influence in the Federation, but it is greatly reduced from what it was, and they…do not appear to be satisfied with simply _existing_. They appear to want a return to the influential days of old, and perhaps unsurprisingly, are proponents of 'dealing' with the Sectoid 'problem'.

They've been putting considerable resources towards lesser Unions specializing in bioplagues and offensive infowar systems, and avoiding larger Unions altogether. Perhaps to build support? They've recently begun taking a direct interest in Humans and Earth, though for what purpose I can only guess at.

This is another one to watch closely. If anyone is going to start a war with the Hive Commanders, it's either going to be them, or someone they are closely backing.

 **Conclusion** : This isn't every Union, obviously, but these are the main ones you should be aware of. While they don't directly pose a threat to either the Collective or the Vitakara…what they have already is extremely concerning.

On a technological level, we are completely outclassed, and I would also assume that the Sectoids are as well. We haven't even come close to this level of cybernetics, programming, or anything in those fields. The Andromedons are not sharing either, or anything they are is going directly to the Elders and not to us.

The only thing that's preventing an _actually_ united Federation is that whatever grudges, rivalries and aftermath that happened during the Union Wars has _not_ faded. It might not be the same dynamics (Can't confirm either way), but most of the major Unions simply do not like each other at all, and will largely keep their developments to themselves unless it benefits them.

The fact that, divided as they are, the Federation is very likely equal to the Hive Commanders _in their current state_ (Read: With a massive fleet and an army of psions) should be highly concerning. Now imagine if the Federation _actually_ united together.

I would predict that there is little that could stop them. It's heretical, I know, but I'm not sure even the Elders would prevail.

Do ask them to prove me wrong, please?

* * *

 **XCOM File 4990**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Andromedon Unions

Threat Level: Medium to High

Assessment Author: Andromedon V'Thrask of Union Viarior

 _Note: V'Thrask has restructured several aspects of the template for his own purposes, but the content should still be perfectly readable. – Central Officer Jackson_

OVERVIEW: As aliens, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Andromedon Federation is the central governing body of our species. This is not entirely accurate. While for the moment the Federation is backed by the Unions, it is at best tenuous and ultimately, the Federation does not significantly regulate what any Union in the Federation does. To date, there have only been four instances where Federation-wide laws have been implemented, all of which have been passed with unanimous consent.

The Federation is a different topic altogether, suffice to say that it's ultimately a lesser part of the current political situation compared to the Unions themselves.

HISTORY OF THE UNIONS: The Unions are the oldest social structure of Andromedon society; an apt comparison would be asking for the history of cities or tribes; structures that have been a part of Human society from the beginning of sentience. For us, it was the Unions. Initially they were not dissimilar to ancient Human tribes or the Vitakarian nomads, groups of Andromedons that banded together to survive.

Also similar to your ancient tribes, it was not peaceful nor was there any attempt to pretend otherwise. Unions fought, allied, betrayed, and spied upon each other. Rival Unions were wiped out or assimilated, depending on the whim of the one in charge. This cycle of perpetual warfare led to our species gradually becoming smarter, stronger, and more advanced as Unions were created and died over decades.

However, whereas Humans tended to promote more peaceful relations (relatively) over time, we developed along a different path. The Unions slowly evolved to become something different. The most dangerous Unions became those that became experts in something the others had not. Biology, primitive engineering, metalworking, war machines, and they used this knowledge to kill as many other Unions as possible before anyone else accidentally figured it out.

You might wonder why a larger Mega-Union never developed which specialized in more than one thing. The largest reason was that they simply could not sustain enough specialists to maintain a high enough standard for every field, and there was inevitably someone who would be better than them. In addition, massive Unions like that were seen as extreme threats, and Unions would often temporarily form alliances to destroy them before returning to their previous conflicts.

Aliens have a very narrow understanding of our history. It is commonly believed that the Union Wars were merely a part of our history, but they have been our _entire_ history. Only until recently have the Andromedons known any form of peace, but that is another subject entirely.

As would be expected, the specialties of the Unions evolved as the species gradually advanced. Those specializing in primitive or outdated technology and techniques were generally wiped out and an equivalent rose from either a breakaway faction or another Union adapted to fill the need. This was usually incentive to research and develop cutting-edge technology, and punished complacency heavily.

It is because of this brutal incentive that we estimate that Andromedons advanced at a rate nearly twice that of your species, perhaps a third faster than of the Vitakara, and one point five times that of the Sectoids. This was offset by the millions of Andromedon deaths, but in context of what was achieved, it was certainly impressive. However, even the Unions would not generally perform unprovoked acts of genocide, since they did want to ensure that the species wasn't accidentally wiped out. Assimilation was preferable to annihilation.

This changed with the creation of cloning technology and spacecraft. That was seen as a barrier broken and now that numbers could be easily be replaced, the size of the Unions exploded and we became far more comfortable with killing each other because we could all be replaced. Assimilation of defeated Unions was still common, but one would not hesitate with wiping out a planet controlled by a hostile Union whereas before they would likely try to defeat them conventionally.

Needless to say the Unions that existed then generally follow the same principle today. The Federation did not change that. The Unions still form alliances, they still have rivals, and they still have infighting. The difference is we don't kill each other anymore.

For now, at least.

UNION MENTALITY: The goal for every Union is the eventual control of the entire Andromedon species. The understanding is that any Andromedon Union that manages to conquer every Union in the process will be the pinnacle of what our species can be. There will be no more fighting and conflict, as any who would have been capable of challenging the winning Union would have done so already.

While you might scoff at such a notion, do recall that our species has yet to accomplish anything like this without being destroyed soon after. Should one Union take control, they very well may be the pinnacle of our species.

There is no such thing as an allied Union, not a permanent one. Alliances are created and dissolved as each Union sees advantage for themselves. If betraying their previous alliances is needed to acquire an agreement with another one to ship raw materials to them, they will do it. Likewise, allies with them may betray them at any moment.

This has had two notable effects. The first is that we do not take a harsh view of betrayal, especially that done out of selfishness. It is generally accepted when entering into an agreement with a Union that at some point one will betray the other. At worst it will sour relations with the Union for decades, until they decide they gain more from allying with them again than the alternative.

This also applies to aliens to a degree. All of the Unions are, at some point, expecting the Ethereals and Sectoids to break their agreements and attack. This is not an insult, and some do consider it a sign of respect that our species is worth consideration of being conquered. For Unions, self-preservation comes above all.

The second effect is that all Andromedons are paranoid and skeptical to various degrees. No major/smart Union _ever_ relies on their allies. Each one has contingencies in the event of betrayal, from one ally to all of them. The fact that Andromedons actually form alliances fairly fast gives a false impression. Andromedons do not _need_ you, ever, but for now they see more value in having you on their side than the alternative.

Do not be mistaken, Commander, this alliance with XCOM is no different.

This is why the Unions are working much closer together than usual, since they believe the Sectoids are a growing threat, and at no point, no matter how heinous their rival, would an Andromedon _ever_ put an alien before another of their kind. _That_ is the largest reason the Federation was even formed. The only thing that can temporarily make the Unions cease fighting is something that threatens our species.

First it was the Kett'Tasira, it may soon be the Sectoids, and if pressed, the Ethereals as well.

UNION STRUCTURE: It varies, and there is no 'set' template for Union organization. However, most generally have a Union leader/head, who is the one who controls critical aspects of the Union. In most cases, they will have a council of advisors or Andromedons with set positions within the Union to manage the work.

Some Unions will have a set of Andromedons for every single position you can think of, and continuously rotate them through various locations for no reason other than that's what they do (In that more extreme case, there is likely some internal reason they do not share with anyone else). It is entirely possible for even Union leaders to be rotated or swapped on a predetermined basis.

There are no laws on managing Unions. Some follow what you would consider democratic forms, with the leaders being elected based on vote, and some are completely authoritarian, and placement in the Union is based on a certain set of criteria. Odder ones involve Andromedons like Union Zacarrim working in a state closer to a hive mind than actual individuals, and Union Irriaran basing their hierarchy on genetic purity rather than skill.

But there are very few Unions that have 'bad' or 'inefficient' forms of Union governance, simply due to the fact that poor governance often led to the Union being wiped out or assimilated into a larger one. This does still happen in the Federation, in a way, but only among the lesser Unions, and badly managed ones are not taken over via force, but equivalent to a hostile takeover of a business, and enforced by the Federation Military.

For the most part, the lesser Unions attempt to emulate the leadership of major ones, or more specifically, which ones they want to ally with. What all of them fail to understand is that innovation and failing is ultimately better than a poor mockery of a success. But that is ultimately one part of creating a successful Union, though such imitation rarely indicates future success.

INTER-UNION RELATIONS: While this was covered to an extent earlier, some more detail can be given. The basic rule of Union relations is that 'everything is temporary'. Your allies may be enemies and your enemies allies within days. Your closest partners may betray you, or your largest rival will unexpectedly support you. Andromedons expect ultimate betrayal, and are rarely disappointed. In fact, a Union refusing a chance to increase their expertise or influence in favor of loyalty is generally looked upon with disapproval as that Union is likely too 'safe' to be of much use to the overall advancement of the allied Union and Andromedon species as a whole.

While this is no doubt backwards to you, Unions with _no_ history of betrayal are looked upon with a lot more hesitation and suspicion than those who do casually betray those who are allied to them. Again, I should stress that betrayal isn't viewed with nearly as much negativity as it is in nearly every other species.

For some reason, the Ethereals seem under the impression that we are one of the more loyal, which many Andromedons find highly amusing, since if dissolving our alliance with the Collective is in our best interests, we will do it immediately. The Ethereals have never really made an attempt to understand our motivations, and that might have unfortunate consequences for them in the future.

Returning to the subject at hand, this does not necessarily mean that Unions do not have longstanding friendships or rivalries. Unions have been allied to others for millennia, and some are to this day bitter enemies with others, though not in a position to do much about them aside from outpace their technological development.

But such 'permanent' fixtures are fairly rare, and the members of the Unions don't hate each other as the Vitakara seem to believe. Betrayal does not equal hate, and in fact, it is very likely for Andromedons from currently rival Unions to remain friends since there was a good chance they would likely be allied again in the future.

It is a highly complicated game with the balances of power shifting by the day, especially during the Union Wars, and even today it continues on a much smaller scale. Now as you might guess, not all Andromedons have this mindset, and think the infighting and constant rivalries hurts our species and would prefer to emulate the Ethereals, Vitakara, and yes, Humans, in their united quest to advance their species. And there is such a place for these Andromedons.

THE FEDERATION MILITARY: While not technically a "union" this operates like one to a certain extent. It is a Union in the sense that it is _not_. To clarify, those who join the Federation Military must renounce their Union for the good of the Andromedon species and only work to protect it, not just the Union they came from.

There isn't as much of a stigma in renouncing a Union as you might think, especially with Andromedon views on betrayal. Most Unions would prefer to remove one who is not devoted to the Union entirely, so this was seen as an excellent compromise. The Federation Military never acts directly against another Union unless enforcing the few laws in places, and has the unfettered full support of all the Unions in all fields.

This means that, in theory, the Federation Military is the most advanced Union in the Federation, despite technically not being one. It is also generally full of what you would classify as Andromedon-Supremacists, and Andromedons who see aliens in a largely suspicious and negative light. We do not _like_ aliens as a general rule. There can be benefits to working with them, but like every other ally, they will betray us when they see an opportunity.

I expect Humans have similar views, given your experiences with them.

This is not to say Andromedons with favorable views to aliens do not exist, but at best they view aliens as equals, and they never really stop seeing them as threats. Ironically, all Andromedons in the Collective Military are drawn out of the Federation Military. The Battlemaster isn't actually an idiot and is aware that Andromedons don't have the highest view of aliens, but he is perhaps the one alien that most Andromedons at least respect.

Andromedons in the Collective Military are generally kept isolated from other aliens, generally have command over other aliens if deployed with them, or work in Andromedon-exclusive teams. Unless the Battlemaster himself is directing an attack, Andromedons are not placed under the authority of another alien. To do so would be extremely insulting, and might lead to an Andromedon simply returning to the Federation Military, or more likely, killing the alien who thought to give the orders.

CONCLUSION: This should give some basics on our society and species as a whole, Commander, there are other topics to cover, but this is what I consider to be a good starting point. If nothing else, remember this: Andromedons are forever opportunists. Almost none are exceptions, even us.


	69. ADVENT - History: The Rise of the SAS

ADVENT: History

The Rise of the Sovereign African States

* * *

" _If this had happened at any other time, it would have been the story of the year. However, compared to everything else going on, it was just another day."_

\- ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka

* * *

 _Excerpt from the official announcement of the formation of the Sovereign African States_

 _Speaker identified as President Ndulue Okon of Nigeria_

"Over the past months we have seen the depths those known as ADVENT will sink in order to retain their power. They are ones who believe themselves above others; fanatics who seek to impose their will on those who are not like them. Their power is in _intimidation_ and _fear_ , using the threat of _aliens_ as an excuse to perform their actions. A convenient justification that takes advantage of those relying on them for safety."

"They turned their weapons to the Middle East, subjecting it to their laws and the world looked on. Then they turned to Canada; punishing them for having the gall to stand in opposition to ADVENT's supposed _authority_. ADVENT will not stop until the world is under their control, one way or another."

"This is not mere speculation, but from the mouths of their own soldiers and marshals who realized the leaders they are serving are mere tyrants. ADVENT does not negotiate; they only demand and use the threat of force to make their targets comply. They have scared China and transformed the country from one who stood in opposition to a beaten dog, willing to cower in their corner of the world to avoid any consequences. They succumbed to _fear_."

"We will do no such thing."

"Our continent has been exploited for centuries, ever since the European colonialists, and even today from the Western countries who only seek to strip us of our wealth and resources. Africa has been divided, squabbled over, and taken advantage of for too long. ADVENT will not pay the individual country any mind, but those who are united…they will perhaps think twice."

"We are four countries, who have come together with the goal of returning African influence to the global stage, not influenced by others, but fully independent from the Asian and ADVENT nations. The continent must rally behind us in order to ensure our continuous stability. ADVENT will not ignore us forever."

"But united, we can make them hesitate and we can prepare. We can grow and thrive in a way the world has not been seen in decades. There is no choice here. The world has changed, and those listening now must prepare to adapt to the New World, or they will die in the Old one."

* * *

Macula,

Since this is relevant to your future area of operations, I would assume you would wish to be appraised of the recent developments in the African sphere of Earth, or as you might be more familiar with, Helsa Betos's area of operations. If you do still plan to continue to hold off and wait for the situation there to develop, I would advise letting some additional time pass as there have been major developments since initially identifying Betos in the region.

The first and most relevant development is that Betos has actually managed to get several important African nations to enter into what appears to be a legitimate consolidation of regional power. Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon are all united as the now-recognized "Sovereign African States". Details about how this is going to affect citizenship, laws, treaties, and international relations are still unknown, and so far the main players of this unification are keeping things tightly under wraps.

However, there are already major ramifications within the governments of these nations. Several prominent members of the Nigerian government have been arrested, and the entirety of Chad's government has been purged, with the military taking control of all major cities. Cameroon's situation is similar to Nigeria's, but most of the government is still intact and even held a public (if symbolic) vote on the matter which massed unanimously.

Unanimously, I presume, because the ones who would have gone against it were arrested beforehand.

Niger's situation is slightly more complicated, as while on paper it is indeed a semi-democratic country, in practice a large part of the government is composed of military figures. The entire country has undergone multiple coups within decades, and the government is a reflection of their military focus of maintaining power. So as a result, the government has actually been publically accepting of the alliance.

What is extremely clear is that, ironically, it appears to have undergone the same process of formation ADVENT did. Many of the negotiations were high-level, with most not even being aware of their existence beforehand. At this point it is unknown if the respective heads of these countries were the only ones the offer was extended to (From President Okon, where the negotiations took place) or if it was offered to others who simply didn't come.

However, the newly formed SAS is clearly relying on military power to ensure their hold over their countries until the finer details of the upcoming SAS Constitution are determined. Given that the heads of state generally have close ties to military leaders, this is almost assured. In addition, all member nations of the SAS have rendered all non-African trade agreements and treaties null and void, and have officially requested the review of all inter-continental documents.

To make the situation more complicated, there are multiple foreign companies working in the continent, and the SAS has taken over every single foreign business, particularly those in agriculture and mining, presumably to use them themselves. While it is not a hostage situation per-se, the SAS has made it very clear that the equipment is not being returned and the people won't be released until they teach the operations to SAS workers.

As of yet, the SAS has so far been officially recognized by the European Union, and Argentina. No one else, including China or ADVENT, has currently made any public statement. Considering that this does not look dissimilar to a large military coup, I would expect that ADVENT wants to see if this actually materializes into anything before addressing it one way or another.

After looking through the profiles of these leaders, combined with Betos, I would expect that this has a very good chance of stabilizing, giving you an ample range of uses for it, and being a particularly valuable proxy in what is likely to become another front in this war. I would also expect that Betos is likely to not agree with some policy decisions these men will make, which is another means of using her. I am impressed she managed to get them to work together in the first place, though I doubt she fully considered what the results of that would entail.

Aside from standing against ADVENT, the current goals of the SAS are unknown. Given that Betos is still with them, I would expect they will begin producing gauss-level weaponry and perhaps advanced armor (For Humans). For the moment though, I would expect them to stabilize their own states before expanding outward.

I expect that when that is settled, ADVENT will make its own move.

 _\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary_

 _Addendum – Macula: Useful information. Although these leaders are shortsighted fools to completely burn their bridges so quickly. Perhaps they have some plan, but based on what I have seen, they do not and will enjoy maybe several months before ADVENT or China ensures their country is sanctioned to a degree where they are crippled._

 _But they have little to fear. The Humans simply need to be used the right way, and I will intervene long before it reaches that point._

 _I am quite looking forward to this._

* * *

 **ADVENT Intelligence Report 099D**

 _Operation_ : Defecit Fuit Proditor (Ongoing)

 _Author_ : ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations Kyong Suk-Chul, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Commander Laura Christiaens

Well, it does appear that the work of the traitor has actually managed to accomplish something. It is not what could be considered an issue yet, and frankly, it never will be even if she turns over schematics for our equipment. Betos defected before the development of SHIVs, Shieldbearer armor, and has no idea about the PRIEST Program, or utilizing elerium correctly. Nearly everything she has is outdated, and while it will (at worst) make whoever she shares it with potentially on the level of China, they do not have the experience or skill to use it correctly.

If nothing else, this is interesting to watch unfold. Ignoring their amusing defiance of us, the so-called Sovereign African States seem very much eager to start completely fresh, and, ironically, are as ruthless as we can be in order to make it happen. I will break this down into several sections so you can be appraised of exactly what we are dealing with here.

It is not impressive, but assuming they manage to establish a functioning government, it will make it easier to co-opt when they decide to inevitably interfere in our own work. As it is, their computer security is laughable, and we should have complete access to all of their plans going forward. Even Betos's specialists will be unlikely to detect it.

In the meantime, let them think we're ignoring them. If they want to try and unify the continent, I say we let them try. It will let us focus on the aliens and keep them from getting any ideas since they'll have to contend with the other countries who might not like the idea of a united Africa.

Some information about the current members of the Sovereign African States:

Member nations: **Nigeria** (President Ndulue Okon), **Niger** (President Ezeudo Ifekristi), **Cameroon** (President Atem Esaba), **Chad** (President Babikr Kone). Also note that several do have Prime Minister components, but these heads of state are the architects behind this development.

 **Threat of the Sovereign African States:**

Low.

The militaries of African countries have always been smaller, weaker, and less powerful than ones in developed countries, and these are no exception. The armies range from competent to below-average, but none are even remotely exceptional. Currently identified military gear is entire generations out of date, and is largely the result of arms deals from America, China, and Russia.

The militaries are largely poorly equipped and trained to fight in standard battles, as a result of dealing with rebel groups and terrorists, and would be better compared to a guerilla force, of which they would then have some skill. I would expect Betos to attempt to train their militaries in a more conventional way, or she might try to hone their guerilla inclinations.

Best case scenario for the SAS, they manage to fully upgrade their weaponry and armor to first-generation ADVENT gear. That would put them on a comparable threat to China, though they still lack MDUs, a moderate air force, or a navy of any kind. This is not including the upcoming PRIESTs or our own MELD enhanced soldiers.

Their science and engineering facilities are also subpar, meaning that even if they could replicate our equipment, I would not expect them to be able to reverse-engineer it, and contracting it would take more time than our own facilities. I am having my agents monitoring if anyone important is supplying them. We're expecting some alliances with other African nations, but both the EU and China have been put on notice to cease and desist any potential deals.

Since they know this is grounds for annexation, I expect they will not interfere.

To be brutally honest, any threat the SAS poses, or ever will pose, to us, will die the moment the first PRIEST is deployed. I have at least one agent monitoring the SAS leaders and Betos at all times, and upon my order they could take them out and vanish. They are one Lancer operation away from their military being destroyed.

You do not need to worry about the SAS, Chancellor. They are well under control.

 **Economic situation of the Sovereign African States:**

To be determined, I believe is the fairest assessment I can give right now, simply because the SAS is too new and has made too many major changes in a short amount of time to fully assess the economic impact. I will have Jasmine give you a full breakdown of the economic situation of the SAS once it stabilizes, since her knowledge there is much better than my own.

However, here is what has happened:

The Sovereign African States have rendered all previous treaties, trade deals, or any other kind of agreement with a non-African country completely null and void. They are effectively back to square one, and seem completely fine with that. It is a bold move, since they rely on other nations far more than the inverse, but considering they have also moved to strengthen relations with other African nations, they must believe that these inter-continental states can provide what is needed without relying on overseas imports.

Next is that any foreign company has been taken over by military forces, and the SAS has confiscated all equipment and tools used. This appears to have directly targeted mining operations and factories, which I presume they intend to use for their own purposes. There is a lot of untapped wealth in Africa, so this is a risky move that just might literally pay off.

Third is that the military has begun going around and 'hiring' people by the hundreds and supposedly putting them to work. This seems to have directly targeted the poorest citizens of the nations, and we know for sure they are being worked in fields and presumably mines and factories later on.

Indications are also that they are being compensated in some form, so it is not as bad as it could be. It's not dissimilar to our own programs regarding lower-class citizens. But the point is that the SAS has a much larger workforce than expected, and it is expected to grow. The implications of all of this will likely not be seen for some time.

 **Members of the Sovereign African States:**

Knowing the countries involved, and their leaders, will likely allow us to make some predictions as to what can be expected for this new regional power moving forward. Considering that corruption, poverty, and violence are prevailing issues in the continent as a whole, a radical movement such as this might not be seen as a bad thing. What will determine that is what the SAS plans for the rest of Africa.

Judging from the figures involved, I doubt it will be peaceful.

 **Cameroon:** This would be considered one of the most 'stable' African nations, and is one of the most ethnically diverse in the continent. Of all the members, it is somewhat odd that this one is on the list, but I suppose that they would also see the potential need to ally as opposed to remaining divided. There is very little here historically that is relevant, aside from the abnormal stability of the country.

President Atem Esaba: President Esaba is the least dangerous of any of the leaders, and if anything, will be the stabilizing force in the leadership. He isn't military, didn't grow up rich, is generally peaceful and prefers negotiation. As a result he gets along well with most national leaders, though at the same time doesn't really stick to one side or another.

The greatest weakness he has is that he will likely go along with a proposal as long as enough people are agreeing to it. His supposed neutrality could be interpreted as simply currying favor with the other party. Ultimately, this means that he could very well end up being an empty puppet or used as the public face of the SAS to appease foreign nations, since he is so inoffensive.

The only reason I don't write him off as irrelevant is because of Betos. Regardless of her actions, she does possess an abnormally strong sense of morality. I can see her attempting to impress that on him.

 **Chad** : Chad is known as one of, if not the most corrupt nation in the world, and that has not changed for a long time. The entire country is unstable, threatened by rebels and the notorious Boko Haram terrorist organization, and the government has spent a good amount of time fighting its own citizens to maintain stability instead of focusing elsewhere.

Really, the only thing that has even kept them remotely in line is the continued empty threats of the UN, and more importantly, the agreements they had with countries like America. They are frequently accused of rigging elections and taking bribes, or accepting other lucrative deals in exchange for legislative favors.

The fact that the entire Chad government was purged upon announcement of the SAS is not something to be mourned, but also assuming that President Kone is somehow immune to this corruption is sadly very incorrect. You don't get to be president of this hellhole without being just as bad as your competition.

President Babikr Kone: Kone is likely the one we need to watch the most, since out of all the heads of the SAS, he is competent, diplomatic, and ruthless. I am honestly surprised he even took the risk here considering that not only was he one of the most powerful men in Chad, but also one of the wealthiest.

He appeared to come out of nowhere, but clearly had some kind of backing, and rumors point to him using a small rebel group to take out political opponents of his, and then he subsequently brought the military down on them. He's spent decades forging both regional and international connections from highly suspect sources, and finally leveraged that towards taking the presidency where he won with an 83% vote in favor.

Amusingly enough, he's never actually denied that the voting was rigged.

During this time, he'd also established very good connections with the military, and he has been linked to various black market businesses that appear to be instrumental in this. He is linked to both prostitution and slaving rings, though for the latter he's only bought from, and doesn't actually run. Which isn't that much better.

The point is that the only reason someone like Kone would actually agree to this is because he believes he will become wealthier and more influential this way, and as of right now, he seems to be right. He doesn't care about corruption or crime, unless it is someone else doing it. He has a well-documented hatred of Boko Haram, and it isn't because they kill and rape his citizens; it's because they act against _him_.

What also works in his favor is that he's a fairly mild-mannered and well-spoken man, who doesn't yell or break out into fits of anger. He'll smile and agree during a talk, but if he doesn't like what you say, he'll order some of his goons to kill you when you walk home. I am confident in predicting that he's going to demand a large role in constructing legislation for the SAS, and that is honestly terrifying.

While I stand by my words that we should not interfere yet, I would not be opposed to this man suffering an accident. Better yet, a one-way trip to the Experimentation Labs.

 **Nigeria:** This is one of the larger and well-developed nations in Africa, and easily the most developed within the SAS itself. Nigeria was actually one of the original Council Nations and directly funded the initial XCOM project. They have a fairly strong military for the region, although they use it mostly to battle terrorists and rebels.

But it is one of the more stable countries, and is likely going to be the 'capital' of the SAS as President Okon was the one who originally began the formation talks. It is not without its problems, especially slaving rings which are arguably more prevalent than the ones in Chad. With that said, I can see Nigeria actually cracking down on that once the military is fully united.

President Ndulue Okon: For some time there was some debate on why Betos had chosen Okon as her first choice for asylum, and that was answered by the revelation that Pratal Mox (Second in command officer) had a friendly relationship with him. Aside from that, there isn't a notable reason why he would get Betos's attention.

Nonetheless, Okon is a largely inoffensive individual, certainly better than Kone. He's not a weak puppet either like Esaba, but doesn't hold extreme stances and generally tries to get along with most leading diplomatic figures. With that said, he definitely holds highly racist views towards several ethnic groups, especially Libyans.

He is also someone who should be closely watched, because he is definitely the moderate of the group; one who likely will attempt diplomacy first, but will not have any issues using the military to achieve his goals. I suspect that legislature under him would be highly altered as well, and definitely not democratic.

 **Niger** : It is unknown if this country is more unstable than Chad, as it is rather notorious for suffering multiple military coups in very short amounts of time. As a result there is a lot of uncontrolled violence not just from terrorist groups, but also multiple rebel factions and loyalists to previous governments.

Likely in an attempt to combat this, the most recent coup established a quasi-democracy where the President was chosen by a parliament, and there was heavy work by the Niger state to only allow parliament candidates they supported from even making it to the ballot. In theory, this is a civilian government. In practice, this country is now completely controlled by their military, and that is unlikely to change now.

President Ezeudo Ifekristi: The current President for Niger, and coincidentally former Minister of Defense for the Niger Armed Forces, President Ifekristi is exactly what you would expect for someone with no political experience and a military background being put into this position. He is highly crude, undiplomatic, and hates that he can't just make things happen instantly.

He does recognize at least the illusion of government, so he largely lets the parliament do what they want (Which usually aligns with his own goals since they are also largely military), while he focuses on the military. As a result it is one of the larger ones in the region, and one of the better trained.

Oddly enough, I would say that Niger is actually one of the safer countries to visit, since Ifekristi has a noted hate for criminals and rebels, and has taken extremely harsh measures in rooting them out. He supposedly took great pleasure in telling the UN to fuck off when they said that he shouldn't hang several suspected slavers in the capital, and that's one of the more merciful punishments he's written into the Niger constitution.

Ifekristi does like the idea of playing the hero of the 'common man', and a common (and unconfirmed) story is that he once shot someone who attempted to bribe him. That does play quite well with people, and did boost his approval rating. He's also very fit, an excellent shot, and from all accounts still a good tactician.

It will be especially interesting to see how he interacts with the others, especially Kone. Were the right information to come to light, I do not see it very difficult to turn the leadership against each other.

 **Future Response:**

I've recommended no direct intervention yet, and until such a time as that arrives, that will not change. With that said, there is no point in doing nothing. There is no reason that we cannot work on establishing relations or convincing certain nations to join us, in particular Egypt and South Africa, both of whom are ones many in ADVENT have had contact with.

But in the end, the response is simple.

If they leave us alone, we leave them alone.

If they don't, we wipe them out.

Until then, we simply watch and wait.


	70. Ethereals - Dossier: Nebulan

Ethereals: Dossier

Nebulan

* * *

" _We are liars."_

\- Ethereal Nebulan, Imperial Illusionist of the Division of Shadows

* * *

 _Intergalactic CODEX-Encrypted Messages between the Imperator and Ethereal Nebulan Concerning Deep-Penetration Operation 2_

 **Subject: Initial Report**

High Imperator,

Per the initial Gateway established by the previous operation, I have arrived in the designated alien clusters, and as expected, the Imperial Sanctum is now under the direct control of two as of yet unidentified alien species, who have managed to establish what appears to be some form of governance.

Little is known, but I will begin penetration of their current capabilities. What I can ascertain immediately is that they have already succumbed to the Trap and are tainted. They cannot be salvaged when we move forward, but I suspect these are not the only advanced aliens in this galaxy.

Additional documentation will be sent shortly.

Nebulan

 **Re: Subject: Initial Report**

Noted. You know what I want confirmation of. Find it and return.

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

 **-X-**

 **Subject: Initial Documentation 4**

High Imperator,

I have successfully confirmed that these aliens are indeed susceptible to the Gift, and have extracted highly useful information from their minds which I have already sent previously, along with what I was able to learn of the species itself. As of yet there has yet to be a non-bipedal species discovered, which is curious, but slightly unsurprising.

What is interesting is that both species have been artificially altered, and especially with those is the so-called Union, this is exceptionally prominent. Both species are far more dangerous than initially assumed, and although tainted…they are indeed far more advanced than they should be. I have established myself among the Guard, and they are still unaware.

A risk, but there is likely no other way to accomplish my mission. Infiltrating the former Imperial Sanctum or their respective homeworlds is an impossible task.

Sioriah T'Carral, Soldier of the Republican Army

 **Re: Subject: Initial Documentation 4**

The tampering does not necessarily imply what you might imagine. The intervention of lesser alien species over millions of years is a distinct possibility, before they fell to the Synthesized. I suspect we have emerged at exactly the right time, as of now the Imperial Sanctum is still relatively empty.

Continue, but be wary. We do not know the stakes of what we are toying with.

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

 **-X-**

 **Subject: The Keys to the Puzzle**

High Imperator,

The amphibians are unimportant. The Republic is the one who holds the major power in this galaxy, and I will focus on them. More aliens have appeared, but I have yet to determine anything substantive. Their entrance in the Imperial Sanctum was certainly amusing. Isolated creatures and masters of alien machinery. Unfortunately tainted as well, but it is best to assume they are lost unless we intervene first.

I believe that my actions may have caught the attention of the ones who can answer this question for me once and for all. The Shadows are the keys to this, and I have as of now been able to avoid them. Their reputation is self-explanatory, as you are likely aware from previous reports, and it becomes more apparent that both the Shadows and the Church itself are highly connected.

I have seen the White Shadow several times before, but never acted. Doing so would be a foolish risk. However, the lesser Shadows are ones I should be able to probe to determine what their secrets are.

Asaru

 **-X-**

 **Subject: Retreat**

High Imperator,

Investigating the Shadows was a mistake. Unlike the others of their kind they can detect telepathy, and were immediately put on guard. How they are able to detect this without the Gift is a mystery, but one I am unable to solve, and likely will not for some time due to the need to leave their territory immediately.

But I did confirm the reason why. Even in that brief time I touched their minds, I felt the Mark.

Your suspicions were correct.

Worse is that they now know that I found out. I do not know if they communicate via this telepathy or something else, but they are somehow tracking me. The Black Shadow herself is following, and while I had assumed she could be defeated, if she is a mere conduit, even I could not fight and emerge victorious.

Furthermore, even if the opposite were true, we cannot risk exposure now. It is too early, and our presence would instigate a search that would lead them to us. Should the situation become untenable, I will direct them to the Rim and bring the Herald down upon them, assuming it is not already watching.

The next time we speak, it will be in person. There are other things to be said that cannot be risked falling into the wrong hands.

Mendaxa, Imperial Watcher of the Division of Shadows

 **Re: Subject: Retreat**

Excellent. The information you gathered will make it easier for future penetration operations. Sicarius will take the next one. Much time was focused on one species, but now that we have confirmation, we can determine exactly how dominated the others are.

You have proven your worth, Illusionist, I will not forget it.

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Evolution of Telepathy

 _Location_ : Blacksite [ERROR! Scrambled!]

 _Author_ : Nebulan, Illusionist of the Imperator

The idea of illusions is portrayed as a simple application, one of the earliest tricks taught to the young who are learning to master the Gift. One which they expect to grow out of and move into the tired and predictable routines of the domination of minds. Few did not follow this path, and the decision to do so was challenged every step of the way.

The Empire, for all the power it wielded, became static in the end. It ceased to be innovative and simply relied on the power the Gift bestowed upon us. There was no reason, no challenge, no _point_ to evolve until it was too late. Would we have lost had we continued to push the barriers of what psionics was able to accomplish?

Perhaps, perhaps not. It is impossible to know.

But such a mistake cannot be made in the future again. Too much of the old blood of the Empire has been brought with us. They are powerful, but they are stagnant, arrogant, and unwilling. Their understanding of the Gift is still shackled by their own self-imposed limitations. But even if they refuse to continue to evolve, I will make no such mistake.

Telepathy is what we all learn, but few master beyond the simple domination of the lesser. Illusions are learned, but it was barely more than an introduction. What shockingly few realized is that illusions are perhaps the most potent form of telepathy there is. They speak about invading the mind and shaping it to their will, but to do so is tiring and rarely accomplishes anything worth the effort, nor is it generally permanent on the ones who prepare for such.

Illusions, in contrast, provide the same benefits for relatively little effort. All who were in the Division of Shadows are liars, I am no exception. We deceive, spy, and manipulate others unknowingly. The art of illusions is the art of shaping the perception of reality itself. Lesser beings rely on their senses to interpret the world, so what is the result when what they see is only what someone else allows them to?

The result is whatever the artist desires. The world is not a permanent fixture to the blinded beings, and they will believe whatever is put before them. Replace the poison with water and they will willingly drink from it. Allow them to see only one path and they will follow, even if it leads to their death. Create their nightmare before them, and drive them to madness.

All without the unnecessary and complex techniques of dominating the mind.

Beings, those Gifted or no, wish to see only what they want, even at the expense of their better judgement. That is where the illusion becomes more subtle, some nudges, some extra additions or removals that they wouldn't notice. The mind is powerful, it will rationalize and adapt quickly, and with enough careful work, can be turned against the person itself. Voices, mannerisms, touch, feeling, once the mind is conditioned to the illusion, it will do everything in its power to maintain it.

Why this phenomenon works exceptionally well is something I am still determining. It requires dedicated study and experimentation, of which I can certainly begin to apply now. Yet this revelation should not be isolated. The Imperator must press the need for us to innovate and develop further, else we will fall into the same trap as the Empire did.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 0099**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Nebulan

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM, Psionic Overseer Patricia Trask

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid orange

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 8'5"-8'11" (Observed multiple heights)

 _Weight_ : Unknown

 _Age_ : 500-700 Years (Exact age unknown – Not including cryogenic suspension)

 _Scars or markings_ : Unknown. Unlikely, but they could be easily covered.

 _Physical condition_ : While her exact physical capabilities are not known exactly, she definitely retains the same Ethereal strength, stamina, and conditioning. Her skin is not hardened, and she dislikes heavy armor, preferring movement over protection (This is unlikely to be because of strength). Her senses are likely enhanced as well, due to her position in the Division of Shadows.

SECTION 2: Assessment

I can say that Nebulan, should that even be her name, is unfortunately one of the few I do not have much hard information on. Her capabilities are apparent, as are her current goals and motivations. But much will be informed speculation. The hard facts are that she was originally an Imperial Illusionist from the Division of Shadows, one of the rarer specializations, and every Illusionist was the best the Division had to offer.

Specifically, Nebulan was used primarily as an infiltrator, though in what capacity I was unable to determine. However, it is fairly clear why the Imperator felt she would be worth preserving for his plans. Supposedly she was able to force thralls of the Synthesized, even those only partially modified, to succumb to her illusions, which was something only skilled telepaths could manage.

Curiously, Nebulan was something of a critic of the Empire, which isn't entirely unusual from the Division of Shadows, but as one of the few with constant criticism, she got more attention and she was often sent on missions to simply remove her from potentially bringing the Guardians down on her. Why this is relevant is that her criticisms were focused on the treatment of alien species, and the supposed 'stagnation' of psionic research.

However, once the War began, she quickly fell in line and devoted herself to the defense of the Empire, and was apparently essential in tracking the fleet movements of the Synthesized and served as the default observer for several Imperators in the final stages of the war, which is likely how the current Imperator managed to find her in the first place.

Upon emerging from our suspension, Nebulan has largely been left to her own devices after the establishment of the Ethereal Collective, though doing what I do not know. I believe the Imperator has used her for scouting operations of the inner galaxy, but this is not confirmed, even though it is likely.

She has an apparent marked disinterest in the affairs of the Collective, but at the same time is likely fine with how it is currently being run, otherwise she would almost certainly be vocal about it. I cannot say what her plans for your species are, or what she would think of this conflict. With that said, it is unlikely she would interfere unless ordered to.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

Artificial. Truthfully, Commander, it is nearly impossible to put together a cohesive profile on what a being like Nebulan is. There are only a few things that remain consistent, but I have no indication if what she has said previously is actually what she believes. Members of the Division of Shadows are harder to quantify than most Ethereals, but very rarely do they adapt the polymorphic personality Nebulan exhibits.

As an example, I doubt "Nebulan" is her actual name. With no access to the Imperial Records, it is impossible to confirm. She frequently utilizes other names: "Asaru", "Mendaxa", "Lethath", "Tailion", and just as many different positions. Why I have continued to refer to her as Nebulan is because that is how she presents herself to us, Ethereals. All others she has interacted with have been under different names.

If these names have any meaning, I do not know it. I have never heard Ethereal names like that before, and many of them sound like combinations of multiple names. Perhaps they are a homage to someone, perhaps she devised them herself, it is impossible to know for sure. What is more relevant is that it marks Nebulan as an _infiltrator_.

Quisilia, Macula, Sicarius, these are all _spies_. They watch, observe, but rarely intervene unless forced. They _can_ , of course, but they rarely see it as the preferable option. Nebulan will willingly undertake deep cover operations, creating, maintaining, and exploiting a persona she creates over periods as short as a day, to as long as years.

Nebulan appears to enjoy taking advantage of biases and preconceptions. While she won't necessarily give the target what they _don't_ expect, she will do what she can to build a persona specifically designed to appeal to them. At the same time, she'll lull them into complacency through distraction and guile. Those expecting an assassin will not expect an infiltrator; those expecting an illusionist are then surprised with her telepathic might; those suspicious of her are put at ease when she begins speaking, and they realize that she _isn't_ as dangerous as they suspected.

She always is playing a part, but always for specific goals. She is not Quisilia, who will do things for seemingly no reason at all. Nebulan does not do anything by accident, and is one of the most dangerous opponents an arrogant challenger can face. Or any challenger, for that matter.

There are two more topics I wish to bring up. The first is that I believe her view of psionics is indeed genuine, and she believes that Ethereals have stagnated, though I am skeptical there is more than can be done beyond increasing our power. We are likely to have found the primary applications of psionics, but it is possible Nebulan has been working to develop new methods, as that was a common criticism she leveled at the Empire.

The second is her view of aliens, which even if not exactly aligning with her true views, is likely close. She is likely to consider aliens not much differently than everything else. Everything is an opportunity, tool, or opening to manipulate. She does not appear to look down on aliens, especially those with the Gift, nor does she really believe in uplifting them. The Imperial policy of isolation she felt was a waste, and if there is any true interest she shows to aliens, it will be their psionic abilities.

You would do well to avoid attracting her attention.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Based on the general description of Nebulan as an "illusionist", you might consider that a worthless skill. That is not an uncommon opinion. Illusionists were not generally, or entirely respected or understood by those outside the Division of Shadows, believing it to be both an odd and weak usage of psionic power, as creating an illusion was one of the first abilities taught to young Ethereals.

That, Commander, is exactly what Nebulan _wants_ you to think.

One of the most insidious effects such lines of thinking result in, is the separation of _Illusions_ and _Telepathy_ as two _different_ things. That is _wrong_. The art of creating illusions is not simply creating an image in the middle of the air in front of people. Such a manipulation of your Psionosphere would be an impossible task.

No, illusions require the psion to forge a small and weak telepathic link with the target, and then simply project what they want to see. An illusion is generally useless unless more than one target can see it, so then apply this to a small group. Now apply it to an army, and then add additional illusions of various complexity. Have the illusions move, talk, interact, create psionic shields under them to give the feeling of solidity.

You understand the sheer power a psion has to call upon to create, maintain, and use such a scenario, correct? Furthermore, Nebulan does not create illusions that are clearly such. Each and every one appears _real_ , and she prides herself on authenticity. She is perfectly capable of making a target have a full conversation with an illusion, or making them see the entire landscape differently, allowing them to hide behind non-existent cover, or fall into traps hidden to them.

Her abilities are dangerous to psions as well, although once discovered, it is fairly easy to block her telepathy, and others from it as well. But don't assume that psions are immune. Also do not assume that illusions are her only weapon. She has some skill with telekinesis, and is an expert telepath, but simply disdains traditional methods of telepathic domination.

Her weaknesses are similar to Quisilia's, in that her illusions and telepathy do not work on electronics, and cameras will be able to detect where she is and what is real or fake. Unfortunately, like Quisilia, this will not apply to soldier cameras as Nebulan bypasses that to target the mind itself, and positions everything the target sees from their own point of view.

A potential counter is superimposing an image from a different angle, as that might be able to at minimum shake the target from the illusion, but also risks disorienting the target entirely. Or Nebulan could simply superimpose what she wants over it. The most effective weapons against her are automated systems. That she can do little about.

But above all else, never underestimate her. She is likely more dangerous than either of us are assuming now.


	71. ADVENT - History: The Uruguay Incident

ADVENT: History

The Uruguay Incident

* * *

" _This backfired spectacularly."_

\- Unidentified Argentinian Federal Intelligence Agent

* * *

The response of ADVENT to the tragic and unacceptable blunder in Uruguay is yet another reminder of the underlying problems within ADVENT itself, and highlights their skewed priorities when it comes to the idea of justice. ADVENT is unsurprisingly being praised for their actions following this, and this is the hard truth all critics of it must accept.

The praise is justified. The response from ADVENT was beyond what even supporters would likely expect.

ADVENT did the right thing here. But it certainly wasn't because of any guilt or actual sorrow for their actions. The problem with the response is that it is ultimately superficial, especially in that ADVENT is ultimately not changing how they conduct operations. And that is the heart of the problem. ADVENT did not learn from this. They punished the actors, not the protocols that even allowed this situation to take place.

If ADVENT were truly serious about fixing their mistake, they wouldn't just give the families money and official apologies. They would change their military protocols to not target civilians. They would forego first strike attacks. They would scale back their use of unrestrained and overwhelming force. They would act the way the undisputed power of the world should; restrained, considerate, and empathetic.

But that cuts into the core of what ADVENT is, which is brutal cold efficiency. The Human element is not a consideration for ADVENT. Human cost is only a number, one that cannot be simply waved away by money. This for ADVENT was an exercise in logistics and compensation. At the end of the day, mothers, fathers, children, and entire families are dead at the hands of a woman drunk on the power ADVENT provides.

ADVENT has promised that those like the former Marshal Luana Russo will not hold positions of power in ADVENT, but that could be interpreted as only a larger warning of what might come. The promise of power is what ADVENT offers, and more like Luana will be drawn to it, and some are already in positions of authority today, and they are worse than Luana's madness.

The lesson ADVENT learned from this, was that they need to just crack down on the troublemakers in ADVENT. The people are the problem, and that was made abundantly clear by the highly public aftermath of this incident. The idea that the world's largest superpower would proudly display the bleeding and sobbing wreck of a madwoman, and publically declared their intent to execute her would be unthinkable even mere months ago.

The documentation of the ADVENT policy of vengeance is public knowledge, and now we are simply used to it. Now they are even applauded for it. Such mistreatment was not warranted, regardless of her crimes, and ADVENT unwittingly exposed the sham of its justice system. The fate of the woman they called a traitor was decided well ahead of time. It is likely deserved, but with ADVENT proclaiming so publicaly their intentions, all that I can wonder is if there was something they are simply hiding.

But in the end, ADVENT knows how the cycle works. They control the narrative, they focus on what good they did, and make public and violent steps to assure people it won't happen again. Then the media will move onto the next story, the next tragedy caused by ADVENT. They made an attempt to fix their mistake, but they fixed the wrong thing.

And that is why their response is simply not good enough.

 _\- Article: "ADVENT's Response Isn't Good Enough"; Washington Post; Author: Ralli Cazan_

* * *

 _ **Operation Report 0PP9**_

 _Recipient_ : [REDACTED]

 _Agent_ : [REDACTED]

I am not sure exactly how Volk managed to hit so many targets at the same time, but he certainly did his job well. Perhaps too well given what happened. Hitting three Peacekeeper outposts and somehow managing to _win_ is suspicious to me, but that is something to ask him about. We gave him a job, and he did it. He can't be faulted for that.

With that said, we need to take a hard look at what the results of this have been. Pushing Luana to invade Uruguay succeeded extraordinarily well, as did her decimation of the Uruguayan military. Brutal, but it at least woke everyone in South America up as to what ADVENT can do. The good news is that you got Chile to ally with us, the bad news is more complicated.

To sum it up, this has backfired significantly. If we had known that ADVENT was not only striking a private military deal with Uruguay, compensating the victims, and doing everything short of holding a public execution for Luana, it _might_ have been best to leave them alone. Amazingly, I would not be shocked if ADVENT came out of this stronger than before.

We made the mistake of assuming ADVENT wouldn't take decisive action, or if they did, it would be the minimum needed. That is clearly not the case, and once again highlights that we're not dealing with greedy warmongers here, much as you like to tell the President otherwise, but a highly rational and ruthless organization that actually uses their brains.

To be completely blunt, much as you wish it were otherwise, ADVENT could have wiped Uruguay off the map and everyone would forget about it once the next alien attack hits. _We_ wouldn't, but the world isn't really in a position to do anything about ADVENT, is it? The point is that ADVENT not only didn't have to do what they did, they didn't have to do _anything_.

But they did. Why? Because they understand that it looks a hell of a lot better to do the following:

1\. Acknowledge the mistake publicly.

2\. Compensate _all_ the victims (Also publicly).

3\. Punish the perpetrators ( _Very_ publicly. I'm surprised Stein didn't just shoot her in front of the cameras).

4\. Give the government an almost blank check to pay for damages.

5\. Give them access to _their_ technology which no other country has.

So can you really call ADVENT the bad guys now? I doubt it.

I haven't failed to notice that we're tactfully not commenting after they've done this, and ADVENT has shut the EU up as well. And China is complementing their 'Strong and decisive action', the suck-up bastards. And that is because ADVENT knows how to shut down criticism. No one is going to dare raise the point that the response _might_ have been disproportionate, and _maybe_ that means their military is scarily unrestrained.

And as a result, Uruguay has now become the most advanced non-ADVENT nation in South America, _with_ ADVENT protection.

I don't have to ask to know that's _not_ what you wanted.

Nonetheless, allying with Chile was our main objective, and most leaders know this was just ADVENT using brilliant PR moves to obscure their issues. But publically, this is not going to be easy to combat. Even some of the _estimated_ numbers of the amount of money ADVENT just gave out are staggering, and you can't say they did this halfway. And they're not going to let the media forget just how much they care about justice. I fully expect Luana's sham of a tri…no, let's just call it a sentencing and be done with it.

They're going to proudly advertise that they put down the so-called 'traitor'. Honestly, I say good for them, but that doesn't change we're not in a good position. This does make me wonder why they didn't do something similar when they annexed Canada or the Middle East. Maybe they didn't care?

If ADVENT is deciding to change their focus to appeal to people more, we need to be ready for a whole slew of ADVENT propaganda. And we need to get Volk to explain just what the hell he did.

* * *

Operation: Generous Response

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'harrin'intha

Authorization: Zar'Chon

While I am aware I am not privy to details concerning other operations on Earth, I will make the assumption that the Humans that attacked ADVENT were supported by some of our own, likely with the intent to disrupt or destabilize the region. The instability of former Marshal Luana Russo is well documented, and her actions were rather predictable.

In the light of such an attack, the idea that she would be enraged enough to invade another country was more sound than many ideas, and a fairly riskless proposition. Either she takes the bait, or she doesn't, with both outcomes being positive. The problem with this model was that we, for some reason, completely miscalculated ADVENT's response.

At most we expected a condemnation, or an attempt by ADVENT Intelligence to cover it up. First I need to document the extent of what former Marshal Luana actually did during the invasion.

First, ADVENT hit nearly _all_ of Uruguay's military bases, complete with Lancer support, which as you can expect, decimated them so completely that they almost surrendered the moment they saw the ADVENT soldiers. Thankfully the ones who surrendered weren't killed, but in the end, the majority of the Uruguayan military was killed off in the first strikes.

She also targeted every major city, ordering the soldiers to shoot all who opposed them. On some of the cities with a large police force, they used artillery force, which naturally caused civilian casualties. Then they took the entirety of the government into custody, and it was about that time that ADVENT finally stepped in and Commander Christiaens ordered all ADVENT forces to stand down and return to Brazil.

Despite the situation, I do have to admit the speed with which ADVENT responded was highly impressive.

The backlash was immediate, and everyone felt rightly justified in calling ADVENT out on their legitimately terrible mistake, and for a brief time the world was (in words) united against ADVENT. That was until ADVENT acted in several very noticeable ways.

The first was Chancellor Vyandar giving a public speech condemning the incident, and promising a swift response. Swift indeed as the Peacekeepers deployed in force to Brazil, while the diplomats of ADVENT, which consisted of the Chancellor, her PR Director, the Chief of the Oversight Division, and Commander Christiaens herself went to speak with the surviving Uruguayan government.

While we don't have exact details on what was discussed, ADVENT not only compensated the families by exorbitant amounts, but also gave their own weapons, armor, and other technology to their surviving military, along with the promise of protection from outside threats. And a full apology of course.

At roughly the same time, ADVENT not only arrested the former Marshal, but her entire command staff who were smart enough to surrender before things became violent. Although from the state of Luana as she was being dragged out, I'm not sure she came peacefully. Chief Stein, as is expected now, made a very big point about how this was how ADVENT dealt with traitors and that she would be executed as one.

Subtle.

Ultimately ADVENT turned this from a disaster into something that actually improved their image, and at the same time increased their hold on South America. They would not just give weapons away without some kind of guarantee that they would be kept secure. I would consider Uruguay an ADVENT nation in all but name, since they have their technology, they aren't going against them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they ironically ended up joining in the future.

Regardless, this has at least given us an idea of what ADVENT will do when faced with making a mistake. The Oversight Division right now is interrogating all of Luana's senior staff, and anyone who remotely screwed up is likely going to be arrested, demoted, or just gone. We have to be somewhat careful when trying to predict responses from unstable Humans.

A successful mission just might work against us.


	72. ADVENT - Dossier: Keith Watkins

ADVENT: Dossier

Chief Overseer Keith Watkins

* * *

" _I would not necessarily consider intimidation a negative attribute. No one should ever feel immune from consequences."_

\- Chief Overseer Keith Watkins

* * *

 **To** : Saudia Vyandar

 **From** : Nicole Treduant

 **Subject** : Chief Overseer Candidates

Chancellor,

Since you are still looking for someone who can run the proposed Oversight Division, I think I would be an idiot not to put forward Keith Watkins, who you probably know as the current Director of the FBI. As the FBI is being encompassed by ADVENT Intelligence, I had anticipated that he might be absorbed as well, and while he would be an asset to Elizabeth, I believe this would be a far better fit for him.

You need someone who is an expert at not only conducting investigations, but doing so at a high level. You also need someone who is incorruptible and has a rabid wish for justice. Director Watkins is such a person, and his ability to act decisively and without fear of making powerful enemies is one which would serve ADVENT well in such a position.

Consider it, at least.

\- Treduant

-X-

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Saudia Vyandar

 **Subject** : Keith Watkins

Elizabeth,

Treduant suggested her FBI Director for the position of Chief Overseer, and from what I've found, I think he'd fit the position well. That being said, his track record in some places is…spotty, and I need you to figure out if there is any reason he should be avoided.

\- Saudia

 **To** : Saudia Vyandar

 **From** : Elizabeth Falka

 **Re: Subject** : Keith Watkins

I'm actually aware of him by just his reputation. Not quite as effective as his CIA counterpart, but then again, Watkins was more known for his domestic touch. Treduant is right in that he's the kind of person we want managing our internal affairs. This is both a good and bad thing, because Watkins really, _really_ , likes his job.

I mean that he will focus everything on the big fish, and potentially ignore smaller issues in favor of bringing down the head. To give a better example, he once broke a Human trafficking ring by letting it operate for several years, knowing fully what was going on, and not interfering. While he did occasionally tip off the police, most of it he left alone until he identified the leader. The moment he did, he arrested or killed every single member of the ring from the intelligence he'd meticulously collected over the past few years.

He became something of a hero because of that, but there were hundreds of people, mostly women and children, who were never recovered or seen again. I'm of the opinion that giving him some clear guidelines and a much greater reach will allow for quicker results. I am confident that he will be an excellent Chief Overseer. But something similar to that operation is something he will willingly sanction if needed.

But with literally every branch of ADVENT at his beck and call, I don't think he'll need to tiptoe around like he's used to. Interview him at least. If not, I'm taking him for ADVENT Intelligence.

\- Elizabeth

* * *

 **Analysis Record** : Keith Watkins

 **Current Role** : Chief Overseer of the ADVENT Oversight Division

 **Current Interference Level** : Low

 **Threat Level** : Medium – Low

 **Usage Level** : Medium – High

Brief Assessment: The Oversight Division is something of an oddity in ADVENT, as is the Chief Overseer himself, in that he poses a much larger threat to ADVENT itself than us directly. That is indeed their role, to enforce and uphold the standards of ADVENT, but how ADVENT does not see the obvious vulnerabilities this creates is…odd.

The Oversight Division itself has been covered in other documents, and this one will focus on the leader behind it all. In ADVENT's quest to pursue the ones who are the most intelligent, tenacious, loyal, and methodical, that may ironically work against them due to the very nature of the Oversight Division, which only fulfills its purpose when actively working against ADVENT.

Keith Watkins is one of the more known and liked figures in ADVENT. Appointed by President Nicole Treduant as Director of the FBI by unanimous vote, he served a distinguished four years, and would have likely served longer even if Treduant had no longer been President. His past is not typical for such a high ranking official either, he was a United States district attorney for Washington DC, then joined the FBI after nearly a decade of service, and quickly rose through the ranks in the next five years that followed.

His legal history, while extensive, reveals little other than that he was good at his job, and dealt in largely white-collar crime and rarely anything major. However, during this time he certainly interacted with Treduant, which is likely how she first knew of him. Rumors say that she convinced him to join the FBI, but this was never proven, and it is unlikely that even a few conversations would convince such a man to leave a highly competitive position for a radically different field.

Nevertheless, he did, whatever his reasons, and during his time as Director, achieved several major and public achievements. There were no fewer than six domestic Human and sex trafficking rings smashed completely, and any inroads the cartels had made in the drug trade were halted, and extremely high-value members were put on very public trials.

During this time, he no doubt prevented much smaller incidents be they terrorists or petty crime. One thing that I found personally interesting is that Watkins has a fixation on complete and total victory. While many in his place tend to…take what they can get, so to speak, by focusing on short term victories, he instead focuses on the long game; the ultim

* * *

ate objective, and is eerily successful at it.

There is likely something I am not seeing here, and without the classified data in the CIA and FBI headquarters, I am unlikely to draw additional extrapolations. But it seems likely that this mentality is what ADVENT is after. In our extensive work chronicling and reading about the failures within militaries, law enforcement, and government, corruption is something that is very rarely isolated.

There is a kind of hierarchy. There are leaders. Very often, these leaders are shrewd, dangerous, and very good at keeping their hands clean and sacrificing their underlings to maintain their power. Very often they have vast influence, and the so-called 'victories' against them rarely hurt in the long run, which is why high-value officers and confidants are sought. A 'major victory' for internal investigating is getting someone to testify against the actual leader.

It is very rare.

But this is what Watkins specializes at. Not getting key witnesses, not arresting thugs, but gathering incriminating evidence against the leaders themselves. He appears to be willing to wait years, and until a case is airtight. And in every single case, he always has enough to ensure that the maximum penalty is applied. It is impressive, in a way, and in an organization like ADVENT, you should expect any corrupt officers and officials to be highly competent, making Watkins the obvious foil to their plans.

It actually might work to our best interests to ensure that Watkins is not only kept alive, but actively assisted in… _finding_ the more corrupt elements within ADVENT. Success matters to him, and even if ultimately he discovers any ruse, any time the Oversight Division is involved, the less effective ADVENT is, and it acts as a guaranteed way to slow down any part of ADVENT, in whatever location we want.

Watkins is intelligent, but he is easily manipulated to our needs. We can use him and the Oversight Division to sow chaos within ADVENT, and maybe even take down some of their most dangerous people. Although we must be careful. Too many false flags, and ADVENT might remove him, or worse, figure out what we're doing.

It is worth investing some resources to see how true this holds.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 **XCOM Profile 909**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the ADVENT Oversight Division

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Haley Yates, XCOM Psychologist

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : Black

 _Eye colors_ : Bicolored – Left one green, right one white

 _Skin color_ : White

 _Height_ : 5'11"

 _Weight_ : 210 lbs.

 _Age_ : 49

 _Scars or Markings_ : None

 _Physical Condition_ : Watkins keeps in shape, although his duties have mainly involved administrative work. He is above average health-wise to a regular civilian, but far below the standard of agents or soldiers. However, he has likely been genetically modified and may possess unexpected strength or stamina.

 _Nation of Birth_ : United States of America

SECTION 2: Assessment

Watkins. Yes, I know a bit about him. A very disturbing and questionable man. I cannot fault Saudia for putting him in charge of the Oversight Division, but they clearly did not consult anyone on the mental health or status of the man. I will get into this in a little while, suffice to say that Watkins is indeed a…competent individual.

I suppose it depends on what you define as 'competent'. Watkins has a similar outlook to yours, Commander; he wants results at the expense of all else. Nothing is sacred in the quest for vengeance, and I use that word very specifically. Watkins has extremely high rates of success, and very high body counts. It is not uncommon for his targets to suffer accidents, especially ones that don't have much inherent value in bringing down larger targets.

His law career is notably ruthless, but something that has gone largely unreported is that he had an extremely high rate of failure to convict. This was because of, instead of offering plea deals and working to get convictions in exchange for lesser sentences, he rejected that and preemptively decided the likelihood of guilt, and more importantly, the maximum penalty to be applied, and he pursued this rabidly.

His no-compromise mentality and pursuit of this goal made him many friends, especially within the law enforcement community, FBI, and CIA, and he was completely hated by most left-wingers, prisoner advocates, and defense attorneys; not to mention prisoners themselves. I suspect this kind of reputation he acquired was how he attracted the attention of Treduant, and perhaps how he was able to advance so quickly.

His time in the FBI can largely be summed up as 'ruthless'. From what documents were provided to me, he clashed with many of his colleagues many times, and was just as polarizing within the FBI as he was as the DA. I suspect the more time he spent with the FBI, and what ultimately led to him joining, was losing his faith in the justice system.

Especially towards the end, he was growing more and more disillusioned, believing justice was decided not by law, but by politics and special interests, which is partially true, although doubtful to the extent he believed. So he spent his time in the FBI helping them ensure that 'justice' as he believed it, was served.

Curious things happened. The FBI began killing more people in 'unfortunate shootouts'. Cases that had public figures or had high chances of getting attention ended violently, sometimes with the death of an FBI agent, but always in addition to the targets themselves. High-profile cases became completely airtight, where the only possible outcome was the highest possible conviction. And Watkins kept going further up the chain.

Internal FBI documents are fascinating to read during this time, since the leadership was heavily leveraging Watkins's law expertise to tailor their legal responses, and exploit whatever loopholes they could (Ironically subverting the law itself, in a way). There were quite a few agents that thought they were being turned into death squads and assassins instead of investigators and their purpose was no longer justice and protection, but vengeance.

Over this period, Watkins defined the doctrine of the modern FBI, which was also adopted and modified by the CIA and NSA, although not nearly to the extent it was in the FBI. The moment he became a member of the senior leadership, and once Treduant won the Presidency, everyone knew he was going to be the new Director, and sure enough, he was selected in a rare unanimous vote, with only his results presented and no one asked questions about just how he had accomplished such.

Perhaps they knew he hated politicians and didn't want to make him their enemy?

Not important.

His time as Director was punctuated by long-running operations with the goal of crushing entire cartels and rings, and greatly expanding the role, budget, and scale of the FBI. I suspect his vision was for it to be some American version of the KGB, although not quite as extreme, and targeted towards the criminal element, not spies or dissidents.

I suppose we need to discuss his thought process in greater detail.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Keith Watkins does not care about people.

He does not care about justice, not like you, Stein, or the average citizen. Watkins enjoys the power rush that comes from victory; he loves seeing plans come together, and then crushing his enemies underfoot. He hates outside opinions. He hates being told he is wrong. And he gives the illusion of being extremely reasonable because he knows how to read people, and further manipulate them.

I'm extremely sure of this because you and Chancellor Vyandar were kind enough to let me speak to him, and he's quite the interesting person. He will tell people he is devoted to justice, but ultimately, he is a selfish individual only in it for himself. The thing is despite that, he is still very, very much mentally sound and sharp.

The key to managing Watkins is giving him a target, giving him constraints, and setting him loose. He is more rabid than Stein in some cases, and will not only punish a target regardless of status or money, but actively look for it. This does admittedly make him useful for the Oversight Division, since corruption is difficult to completely stamp out without making enemies, but this may lead to him pursuing leads that aren't there, or worse, finding completely innocent targets.

Watkins has patience if needed, but if he deems a judgement necessary, he wants to carry it out immediately. Trials and courtrooms are things he actively despises now, and the extrajudicial nature of ADVENT at times is something that appeals to him greatly. He no longer needs to hide what he does, and if he marks someone for investigation, they have nowhere to go.

With that said, Watkins isn't an idiot and knows that both Stein and Saudia are watching, and particularly Stein is an excellent check on keeping him from running amok completely. He has quite a bit of respect for her personally, while she is…conflicted on him to say the least. She admires his apparent devotion to justice, but doesn't like how he will escalate things unnecessarily, or pursue the harshest punishments.

The question is what _does_ motivate him beyond a simple rush of power. While justice is not something he necessarily cares about, _vengeance_ on the other hand motivates him to action, and is another reason for why he's worked so well on the right side of the law and not simply running a gang somewhere.

Violent crime, especially on women or children, infuriates him and explains his focus on trafficking and sex rings during his tenure, while violent crime was something reported on every day. There were two very different approaches, depending on his level of need for vengeance. He develops some level of hate towards all his targets, and those that oppose him, and this determines how hard, likely, and fast he will pursue them.

The more he hates a target, the more methodical, patient, and ruthless he will be to them. He will not only ruin their lives and likely bring the death penalty upon them, but take down their associates, friends, organizations, ruin their finances, put their families on the streets, or worse. The less he cares, the higher the chance that just the target will be affected.

Speaking of families, those of his victims are curiously not mentioned. That is because they are either killed, or blacklisted from every government program regardless of affiliation. He doesn't care if they are actually innocent or not, just that they are associated is enough for him. Remember that vengeance is more important that straight 'justice' for him.

Naturally, this leads to the larger, more heinous crimes resulting in more thorough investigations, more detailed cases, more meticulous planning, and it ultimately comes together and completes the illusion that Watkins is someone who organizes himself based on need, priority, and simple logic.

He _doesn't_. I'm not even sure he knows how deeply his methodology is tied to his mindset.

Looking to his childhood provides few answers. He wasn't bullied as a child, nor had any violent experiences. His family was stable with another brother, a working father (Another lawyer), and stay-at-home mother, all of whom he has close relationships with. The only thing somewhat atypical is that he did befriend a rape victim in high school, but I'm not sure if that's an adequate explanation.

He does not have any current romantic relationships, and is seemingly asexual in that he appears to not even have tried to start or pursue relationships for entire decades. Perhaps he views it as a waste of time, or simply doesn't care. It does not appear to have hindered him, though I don't know if such an influence would affect him positively, if at all. He works well and professionally with both genders, and is apparently immune to seduction and flattery.

The point is that Watkins is perhaps one of the best people to manage the Oversight Division…if he can be controlled. He's what I would consider a borderline sociopath, and not someone I would trust in a position of power, but then again, I am not the one making these decisions. Just understand you are not dealing with a watered down Stein, but someone quite possibly more vengeful, and not anchored in something concrete like the law.

He is now one of the most powerful people in ADVENT. For the sake of the people I hope Stein and Elizabeth keep a close eye on him. Please send this to them, since if they didn't bother to do the research themselves, they should at least know what they've unleashed.


	73. ADVENT-Organizations: Oversight Division

ADVENT: Organizations

The Oversight Division

* * *

" _There is no one untouchable to us."_

\- Chief Overseer Keith Watkins

* * *

 **Proposal 0052**

 _Latest Revision_ : 08/12/2016

 _Designation_ : The Oversight Division

 _Program Type_ : Military Oversight and Standards Compliance

 _Authors_ : Keith Watkins, Director of the FBI of the United States of America; Ralf Stieler, NATO SACT of Germany; Han Ji-Hyo, RGB Director of North Korea

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : As ADVENT will be composed of highly advanced military divisions and enact more militant standards and laws that the general population must comply to, an effort must be made to ensure that the soldiers, officers, and elected officials are held to the highest possible standard as the potential for the abuse of power is abnormally high within ADVENT.

As a response to this issue, we propose the formation of the OVERSIGHT DIVISION, which will have the sole purpose of policing the internal administration and military within ADVENT itself to ensure that they are complying with established laws and regulations as enacted by the CONGRESS OF NATIONS, and detailed in the ADVENT DIRECTIVE.

The idea of oversight for military operations is not a new concept, but it has rarely, if ever, been successful in providing a deterrent to abuses of funding, power, and personnel. This has largely been due to previous iterations holding a civilian aspect, and were too weakened and constrained to be of any use.

The OVERSIGHT DIVISION will not have civilian oversight, nor is that an essential requirement. The OVERSIGHT DIVISION's goal is to prevent the abuse of power and avoidance of the law within the ADVENT MILITARY, ADVENT INTELLIGENCE, the PEACEKEEPERS and the CONGRESS OF NATIONS. To accomplish this, the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will be an equally empowered division, with enough staff, funding, and resources to function within ADVENT.

The details will be determined by the CHIEF of the OVERSIGHT DIVISION.

As the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will require a constant stream of top secret information to fully perform their task correctly, each individual branch and organization within ADVENT must forward all critical and non-critical documents and reports to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION for internal audit and review. Internal documents within the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will NOT be circulated or returned. This applies, but is not limited to, the following:

\- The COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military

\- The GENERAL of the Army Division

\- The CHIEF ADMIRAL of the Navy Division

\- The WING COMMANDER of the Air and Space Division

\- The CHIEF RESPONDER of the Special Response Division

\- The CHIEF OPERATOR of the Special Forces Division

\- The CHANCELLOR of ADVENT

\- The CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations

\- The DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence

\- The SPEAKER and ALL MEMBERS of the Congress of Nations

 **PERSONNEL COMPOSITION** : The OVERSIGHT DIVISION will consist of three different departments of AGENT teams, which can further be categorized within each department. Composition will VARY depending on operation, but there will be minimum and maximum numbers of Agents which will be detailed below.

INSPECTION: The focus of the INSPECTION Department is to ensure that the physical standards and regulations are maintained by ADVENT Personnel. This includes but is not limited to; building integrity, cleanliness, health, organization, preparation, weapon, armor and vehicle maintenance, and unit discipline.

INSPECTION Teams will consist of a minimum of six AGENTS, up to a maximum of twenty. All ADVENT personnel must comply with their instructions and allow them to inspect where they wish. Refusal will open an internal investigation in coordination with the Peacekeepers.

INVESTIGATION: The focus of the INVESTIGATION Department is to perform in-depth reviews of documented, discovered, and reported issues with ADVENT in any position. Any member or organization within ADVENT is subject to being involved in an investigation. The following require an internal investigation, but the INVESTIGATION Department is not limited to these:

\- Abuse of authority

\- Misuse of resources or personnel

\- Refusal of orders

\- Insubordination

\- Corruption

\- Failed operations without satisfactory reasons

\- Prohibited activity

INVESTIGATION Teams will consist of a minimum of four AGENTS, up to a maximum of twelve. During this they will conduct interviews, interrogations, data analysis, and gather additional evidence to determine the guilt or innocence of the subject of the investigation. This will be done with PEACEKEEPER assistance, provided one of their own isn't under investigation. Otherwise, it will be done with support of the LANCER CORPS.

Failure to comply with all INVESTIGATION teams will result in immediate arrest and interrogation by ADVENT Intelligence (In the event that an agent is within the agency, this interrogation will be done by the PEACEKEEPERS). All others connected to the investigation will also be detained until the situation is resolved.

The forensic labs will also fall under this department, and there will be scientific agents that work in teams of ten to twenty towards analyzing evidence and determining authenticity. This will be comprised of both physical and digital forensic specialists.

UNDERCOVER: The focus of the UNDERCOVER division is to ensure that standards and regulations are being maintained while there is no direct focus on the organization from the OVERSIGHT DIVISION. Agents will work independently, and be placed in various parts of ADVENT agencies, and perform the tasks assigned within accordingly, while also reporting directly to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION at the same time.

There will be several limitations on UNDERCOVER agents. The first is that they cannot be placed in positions of direct authority, but they _can_ serve as advisors or consultants. They must also be competent in the position they are placed in, and can perform it as well or better than other personnel. They are not allowed to disclose this to anyone aside from their direct handler, this includes other known Agents.

Undercover agents will NOT be utilized outside of ADVENT, as that falls within the purview of ADVENT Intelligence. Organizations within ADVENT will not be disclosed of potential Agents in their forces, nor can they request information pertaining to Undercover agents unless it is a joint order by the COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military, the DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence, and the CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Potential agents will be recruited through TWO separate avenues. The first is outside experts, and will specifically target private investigators, computer scientists, lawyers and those in related investigative fields and graduates with appropriate degrees. The ADVENT Intelligence database on citizens will be utilized for maximum gain.

Training will be conducted internally, but will follow the established standards from the Peacekeepers and ADVENT Intelligence. Agents will receive the best possible training, but will be isolated for the duration.

The remaining recruits will be recruited through ADVENT directly, and with approval of their immediate supervisor or overseer, they will transfer to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION. These can be refused by the recipient, or blocked by a superior. The latter, however, can be appealed provided no logical reason was employed to deny the transfer.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The Oversight Division ultimately has the ability to investigate and prosecute any member of ADVENT on objectively and verifiably sound grounds, which can include positions up to the Chancellor of ADVENT and the Director of ADVENT Intelligence. However, all cases are held to the same standard to prevent bias.

Evidence gathered must be verified with at least one other agency or organization within ADVENT, such as the Peacekeepers, ADVENT Intelligence, or the Science Division. It must then be proven in a court where the ultimate verdict will be decided. Falsely accused targets will result in all those who participated in the investigation being detained and placed under another internal investigation to determine if the cause was incompetence, honest mistakes, or malicious intent. This can lead to agents being either arrested or dismissed, in keeping with our high standards.

In the event of an investigation, the Oversight Division has the authority to leverage and request assistance from any aspect of ADVENT, and the agency, division, or organization that the investigation is taking place in will not be allowed to interfere with the investigation until it is concluded, and no information is to be shared until the integrity of the institution is preserved.

The Oversight Division has control over the records of their agents, and may modify, change, or remove them as they see fit to preserve anonymity and ability to deploy undercover agents within ADVENT. Internal ADVENT organizations are not permitted to collect or speculate on potential Oversight Agents, as this is illegal.

In the event of issues within the Oversight Division itself, any ADVENT Organization can formally request an investigation of identified Oversight Agents, which will be carried out by a joint Peacekeeper and ADVENT Intelligence Team, which the Oversight Division will not interfere with. However, the barrier of evidence will be high, and false accusations will lead to investigation and prosecution.

 **CONCLUSION** : While we must continuously ensure that our military is prepared to face the threats that endanger our species, that is not a reason to forget that they are as subject to law and order as the citizens they protect, and they must be held to that standard. The Oversight of the military has failed in the past because of a lack of power. The Oversight Division has no such weakness, and it will reassure the general population, and raise the effectiveness of ADVENT overall.

Checks and balances must be preserved, even within ADVENT. This military is perhaps the most powerful one to ever exist, and it needs checks to ensure that it not only remains one, but is also one that does not eclipse the rest of the government, and to continuously remind those in authority that they are not above the law.

* * *

 **Interrogation Transcript OD009**

[Oversight Investigation Agent Riley Valtrez]: "Please state your name for the record."

[Senior Officer Arthur Nakamura]: "ADVENT Senior Officer Arthur Nakamura."

[RV]: "Excellent. You are aware of the actions of former Marshal Luana Russo?"

[AN]: "Of course."

[RV]: "You were present when she gave the order?"

[AN]: "I was."

[RV]: "And you didn't stop her?"

[AN]: "She was my-"

[RV]: "Yes or no."

[AN]: "No."

[RV]: "Why not?"

[AN]: "Because…she was my superior officer, and I followed orders. At the time it did seem like Uruguay was behind it."

[RV]: "I see. Based on what evidence? All preliminary strikes require a justification that is sent to ADVENT command and reviewed by the senior staff. Please explain what was shown?"

[AN]: "That…was not shown. This was an emergency situation."

[RV]: "Three Peacekeeper Outposts were attacked. While a problem, that is not 'an emergency', and it ultimately doesn't matter. There were procedures to follow in any event, including emergencies, and you had a duty to report her negligence and refuse of carry it out. Am I to understand you did not contest her?"

[AN]: "No, but-"

[RV]: "You understand taking part in an operation that you know is illegal will result in your prosecution, correct?"

[AN]: "I was following orders!"

[RV]: "Did Luana order you to participate? And that doesn't matter. You are complicit in treason, and have admitted it."

[AN]: "I get a chance to defend myself! What was I supposed to do!"

[RV]: "Contact another legion or the Peacekeepers. They are prepared for these scenarios. Something that was made publically clear to all members of ADVENT. Ignorance is not an excuse, and ADVENT will be better without the incompetent, which if you truly were unaware, means that you do not deserve to wear the armor."

[AN]: "Oh, shut up. What are you going to do with me?"

[RV]: "You have admitted to willful cooperation with a traitor and broke no less than three major protocols, all of which are grounds for investigation. You will be stripped of rank, and prosecuted. The courts will decide what happens to you."

[AN]: "Then I want my lawyer."

[RV]: _Light chuckle_. "This isn't America. We're not going to waste a lawyer's time. Your guilt is admitted. All that is left is your punishment."

[AN]: "This is outrageous! I will-"

 _Arthur Nakamura attempts to rise, and two Peacekeeper State Officers enter the room and restrain him while he struggles. Upon securing him, they await confirmation from Agent Valtrez._

[RV]: "This interrogation is concluded. Take him away, I have what I need."

 _The Peacekeepers march out a cursing and furious Arthur, before he is subdued with their stun batons._

* * *

Operation: Internal Strife

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'sora'laria

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

Upon as much investigation as could be done short of direct infiltration, I believe we have a much better grasp on what exactly this Oversight Division actually does, and what their role within ADVENT is. To put it as simply as possible, they are the Peacekeepers of ADVENT itself. You would think that this would tend to fall under the purview of the Peacekeepers themselves, but in general, the internal policing of ADVENT falls to the Oversight Division.

A strong case could be made for stating that they are the most powerful organization within it. They are mandated by law to receive _everything_ documented by every other organization within ADVENT, including top secret and other confidential information. This does indeed include ADVENT Intelligence and the Congress of Nations. The Oversight Division knows _everything_ that goes on in ADVENT.

And if they think you're hiding something? They simply order an internal investigation.

I was surprised to find out just how extensive the resources of the Oversight Division actually are. Internally they have an estimated three thousand agents, which conduct various tasks publicly, and an unknown number who are plants throughout ADVENT. I will elaborate on this some more:

Their equipment tends to vary somewhat, but for the most part, the Oversight Division is not composed of fighters, but investigators, lawyers, and scientists. As a result, their resources and equipment are generally not weapons and armor, but technology. They have multiple dedicated forensic (Both physical and digital) labs, several unknown training sites, and tighter security at their headquarters than ADVENT Intelligence.

As such, they are not heavily armed. Every single agent always has one sidearm, usually a pistol, and they wear black suit-like garments that appear to have some light padding underneath, combat boots, but generally no gloves or headgear. They also curiously do not have any combat-specialized units, although this can be easily explained.

In addition to their own internal resources and personnel, the Oversight Division can leverage whatever they need from nearly every other ADVENT organizations. This makes literally no one beyond their reach. For example, if they were conducting an investigation into the Peacekeepers, relying on Peacekeepers is considered a risk, so they would either use something like the Lancer Corps or the ADVENT Army itself to do any heavy lifting. Unless ADVENT breaks down completely, there is very little preventing the Oversight Division from conducting what they see fit.

This does not, however, mean they are above scrutiny. There are procedures where the Peacekeepers and ADVENT Intelligence can conduct their own investigations, and those within the division can also request an investigation for others within it, though this is rarer than you might think.

On the surface, this sounds like an absurd amount of power, but when applied to the extremely high standards for conviction, the only time the Oversight Division would actually open an investigation is if they were almost completely sure there was something to discover, because failed or false investigations _will_ lead to those involved being investigated themselves.

I know the idea of 'using' the Oversight Division has come up, and that idea is, no disrespect intended, completely laughable. The amount of resources that would be needed to make enough evidence credible enough to withstand _extreme_ scrutiny is frankly, not worth it. Trying to turn the Oversight Division against ADVENT is a pipe dream at best, and anyone who spent any decent amount of time actually investigating how the organization works could tell you this.

This is _especially_ true with the current leadership.

I am aware, and have read the report on Watkins, so I will not repeat much of that, save that everyone is focusing on him and not paying attention to anyone else in the organization. Watkins is good for leadership and maintaining the integrity of the organization. That said, a large portion of the Oversight Division is run like an intelligence agency, and his skills fit more in the law enforcement category than a spymaster. He's very good at managing operations, but not as subtle as some may believe.

There are various heads of the Departments within the Oversight Division, and I want to draw your attention to one in particular: Han Ji-Hyo, Head of the Undercover Department. If you have not heard of her, that isn't surprising, most people haven't, and even fewer know where she is now. She is highly private, lives on-base, has no romantic relationships or family we could find, and what little we _did_ find about her was highly illuminating.

She was the former Director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which was the primary intelligence arm of North Korea. To date she is the only woman in North Korea to achieve such a high position, and the reason for it is because she is one of the best spymasters in the world.

She was responsible for one of the most insidious and impressive spy programs we have uncovered. While the idea isn't novel, she is one of the few to have ever put it into practice. Instead of relying solely on trained intelligence agents, she grooms her spies. She had agents pose as parents all around the world and adopt young children, who were then brought back to her and molded into spies, and when they reached a certain age, were released back into their home country with expertly forged documents courtesy of Unit 180, North Korea's cyberwarfare unit.

This is largely how North Korea was able to remain so isolated, and at the same time have uncanny knowledge of what was going on in the world. Her agents were typically not embedded in intelligence agencies, but other aspects of government that were minor. In some ways, they operated like EXALT except on a smaller scale.

Returning to the topic at hand, the fact that she is in charge of the Undercover Department implies that she will be applying her tactics there, and that is actually a good thing for us, because it means she isn't focusing on us. On the other hand, this means that the Oversight Division is going to be highly efficient assuming she manages to plant spies throughout ADVENT, and I would not be surprised if she does.

But to be completely honest, this is one part of ADVENT we don't actually need to worry about. They are an internally focused organization, and at best we would have perhaps a couple successes, and at worst, our own agents and methods could be exposed.

Ultimately, we should just ignore them and focus on ADVENT Intelligence and the military proper. We gain very little from focusing on the Oversight Division. But I would say have a couple agents keep an eye on them.


	74. ADVENT - Organizations: SSR

ADVENT: Organizations

State Special Response

* * *

" _The SSR are the Lancers of law enforcement."_

\- Officer Ric Waters

* * *

 _ADVENT SSR Operational Record 017_

Status: Complete

Target Category: Organized Crime

Location: Mexico, Nuevo Laredo

Operation Type: Elimination

Number of Participating Operatives: 16

Number of Allied Casualties: 0

Number of Enemy Casualties: 53

Number of Civilian Casualties: 2 (Killed in ensuing firefight, discovered in aftermath - Bodies unable to be identified. Suspected homeless or illegal immigrants)

Operation Summary: Previous operations and information revealed to us by the previous Mexican government, FBI, ATF, and DEA, has identified a major hub of the infamous cartel known as Los Zetas, primarily known for sex, drug and arms trafficking. Once this information had been verified by SSR Cyber Operatives, an Elimination operation was launched with the intent of crippling one of their primary nerve centers.

In the resulting firefight, all occupants were killed and multiple electronic devices, drug shipments, and additional weapons were recovered and are being examined further. From this data we have recovered evidence of deep corruption within Nuevo Laredo itself, and all relevant information has been passed to the Peacekeepers to make arrests and executions. Three minor, and one major hubs have also been identified, along with recovered intelligence on their rivals, Cartel Del Noreste, and further information was acquired relating to the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Further operations are being planned.

Additional Material:

\- Attachment: List of recovered items.

\- Attachment: List of identified bodies

\- Attachment: Evidence (Cartel Del Noreste)

\- Attachment: Evidence (Nuevo Laredo)

\- Attachment: Evidence (Gulf Cartel)

\- Attachment: Evidence (Sinaloa Cartel)

\- Attachment: Evidence (Los Zetas)

Recording: Recovered Security Footage of Assaulted Los Zetas Operation Center

Transcript of Recording:

 _Security footage shows a run-down building in known Los Zetas territory, an area also known for the high density of homeless and drug-addicted persons. The building shown is guarded by armed Los Zetas enforcers, outer perimeter shows twelve armed personnel._

 _Current time is 8:19 P.M._

 _All recorded conversations have been translated for convenience._

[Unidentified Enforcer 1]: "[Boss is saying we might have to pack up and move. ADVENT wants to shut us down.]"

[Unidentified Enforcer 2]: _Laughs_. "[They want to shut down Los Zetas? Even the pig in office knew better than to mess with us. Not after his little girl got sent back in little pieces.]"

[UE1]: "[Just telling you what I heard man.]"

[UE2]: "[You know how all those types are. Spineless politicians either fold or get the kickbacks. Don't care what ADVENT says, that ain't changing.]"

[UE1]: "[Hope so man, but them aliens will keep them busy. In the meantime we keep the clients happy.]"

[Unidentified Enforcer 3]: "[Shut it! You! Stop walking or we shoot!]"

[UE1]: "[Hey, isn't that-]"

 _He is abruptly cut off as gauss fire kills him, and three SSR soldiers enter the camera view and begin firing. All immediate enforcers in the area are killed within several seconds of contact. Front entrance secured. Camera transition to building interior._

 _Shown is a garage filled with old cars, pallets of drugs, and old containers. More enforcers are taking positions as they hear the gauss fire. Enforcers will simply be referred to as Unidentified Enforcer (UE) for the duration of this transcript as they rarely last longer than one recorded sentence._

[UE]: "[What is that?]"

[UE]: "[Fucking cops likely. What the fuck they doing here?]"

 _Outer garage door suddenly explodes inward and the area erupts into gunfire, with lots of frantic, sometimes unintelligible shouting. The SSR Soldiers continuously march forward unaffected by the gunfire of the enforcers._

[UE]: "[Why don't they die!?]"

[UE]: "[Hit! Ah-]"

[UE]: "[Run! Run!]"

[UE]: "[They're coming from the back!]"

 _Camera feed ends presumably due to a stray round, and all remaining footage shows enforcers falling as SSR soldiers close in from all sides. SSR operatives secure the perimeter and interior, then begin properly gathering evidence._

* * *

 **Proposal 0062**

 _Last Revision_ : 08/14/2016

 _Designation_ : State Special Response (SSR)

 _Program Type_ : Counter-Terrorism; Law Enforcement

 _Authors_ : Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations of Germany; Dennis Harrison, SWAT Chief of the United States of America; Lavr Nevzorov, SOBR Director of Russia

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : In the pursuit of justice and the goal of reduced crime, we understand that there are certain violent situations that are too dangerous or specialized for standard Peacekeepers to reliably handle without sustaining casualties or worse. Thus, we propose the creation of the STATE SPECIAL RESPONSE (SSR), a unit of elite soldiers created specifically for the handling of high-risk situations.

This will be a branch of the Peacekeeper Corps, one overseen by the CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations, although the SSR will maintain an internal leadership. The SSR will focus on finding, engaging, and eliminating higher-profile crimes and terrorist activity. This includes all types of organized crime including, but not limited to the following:

\- Gun running

\- Drug trafficking

\- Human trafficking

\- Prostitution rings

\- Protection rackets

All activities relating to these crimes will be subject exclusively to the SSR, and will not utilize standard Peacekeeping forces. In addition, the SSR will participate in the investigation and arrest of high-profile figures which include, but are not limited to the following:

\- Government officials

\- Military officials

\- Business leaders

\- Activist leaders

\- Civilian leaders

The SSR is also in charge of the extradition or retrieval of foreign targets identified by the Peacekeepers and/or ADVENT Intelligence.

The SSR will also be responsible for the investigation and response to violent events which include all forms of terrorism and hostage situations. As such, the SSR will not maintain normal Peacekeeper duties, and will have a separate objectives and goals. The SSR will also not act in a military capacity, and will restrain themselves to domestic affairs ONLY. Note that this restriction does NOT apply to the arrest or transport of foreign criminals. If the SSR determines that targets are residing in a foreign location, the relevant information will be forwarded to the LANCER CORPS, ADVENT INTELLIGENCE, and the ADVENT MILITARY for further operations.

 **UNIT COMPOSITION** : Squads within the SSR will vary depending on the size of operations, and there will be squads for specific tasks. The MINIMUM squad size is FOUR; the STANDARD squad size is EIGHT; the MAXIMUM squad size will be SIXTEEN. A standard TEAM of SSR Operatives is TWENTY-FOUR, which can be composed of multiple specialties.

Within the teams, there are distinct roles and specializations:

SSR SOLDIERS: These operatives will be the primary face and unit within the SSR. They will be heavily armored, genetically modified with recent breakthroughs such as the IRON SKIN modification, with more potentially being added in the future. They will handle multiple types of weapons during combat, including gauss-based shotguns, rifles, and sidearms.

SOLDIERS will be allowed to choose weapon composition, and strategies will be determined based on selection. They are not authorized to engage in diplomacy or non-combat scenarios, as they will only be primarily used in HOSTAGE RESCUE, ASSET RECOVERY, and ELIMINATION operations, though they will participate as guards during ARREST operations. This can be modified by the ranking SSR OFFICER.

SSR ELIMINATORS: These operatives support SOLDIERS and utilize heavy weaponry including SAW-caliber weaponry of both gauss and laser varieties. They are trained in utilizing explosives, and have laser pistols to cut through barricades. Their primary goal is to draw fire and cause chaos within enemy forces, and are additionally equipped with a variety of grenades they can choose from, such as White Phosphorous, Flashbangs, High Explosive, Tear Gas, Anti-Personnel, and Acid grenades to utilize in combat. They receive the same genetic enhancements as SOLDIERS.

Due to their combat focused role, they will only be deployed in ELIMINATION operations.

SSR CONTROLLERS: These operatives specialize in removing potentially troublesome obstacles during delicate operations. Multiple CONTROLLERS may be used during HOSTAGE RESCUE situations that require the immediate removal of multiple targets. To do this, they are equipped with long-range weaponry (Gauss and laser), lethal, and non-lethal explosive devices. They are also trained in various assassination and close-range killing techniques. They also undergo genetic modification, specifically utilizing the ENHANCED EYESIGHT modification. They can fulfill the role of scouts as well, and will usually be deployed for reconnaissance and observation.

SSR OFFICERS: These operatives will possess the standard weaponry and enhancements as SOLDIERS, but will act as the leader of the team in question, and will design, participate in, and execute operations. They have complete authority over the mission, and can set or change the mission parameters depending on information known.

SSR INVESTIGATORS: These operatives conduct investigations from previously compiled evidence, perform interrogations on designated targets and work with CYBER SPECIALISTS to corroborate and maintain evidence integrity. These are the ones most likely to interact with civilians. Despite their primarily non-combat role, they carry sidearms and have the same armor as SOLDIERS with proper identifying marks

SSR CYBER SPECIALISTS: These are support operatives that do not participate in combat, but provide computer assistance and evidence recovery after areas are secured. Their primary function is to recover evidence and utilize or dispose of it properly. They are also tasked with attempting to identify killed hostiles or civilians, and provide recommendations and analysis of evidence found. While they are not to engage in combat, each one is armed with a gauss sidearm and they retain the armor of the SOLDIERS with proper identifying marks.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : While the SSR is not meant to be an expansive or dominating force in the Peacekeepers, it is nonetheless intended to be composed of elite operatives similar to the LANCER CORPS. As such, recruitment will heavily be drawn from existing military personnel, with a particular focus on special forces groups.

In addition, recruitment will be emphasized for CYBER SPECIALISTS, particularly those with law or computer science degrees or experience, and efforts should be made to recruit these types of people as soon as possible, preferably before graduation, or offer better compensation to established and experienced people with this experience.

Recruits must not have a criminal record, and be able to pass full psychological and mental tests.

Training will be conducted on SSR Training sites, and for recruits to formally enter the SSR, they must pass specific parts of the LANCER CORPS training. SOLDIERS, ELIMINATORS, CONTROLLERS, and OFFICERS must pass the COMBAT stage. CONTROLLERS and OFFICERS must pass the CRISIS RESPONSE stage. OFFICERS, INVESTIGATORS, and CYBER SPECIALISTS must pass the INTELLIGENCE stage (Please refer to the Lancer document for more information on these training stages).

Upon successful completion of these stages for their role, the recruit will officially join the SSR and immediately begin participating in operations.

 **MISSION TYPES** : There are FOUR standard mission types that identify the potential objectives in SSR operations. These can be combined, but can each function as a standalone mission type:

STANDALONE

 _ELIMINATION_ : The goal of this operation is simply the elimination of all personnel in the target areas. There is no attempted negation or surrender accepted. All enemies within ELIMINATION operations are marked for death and will be executed by the participating SSR operatives.

 _ASSET_ _RECOVERY_ : The goal of this operation is to recover a potential asset, which can be anything from a person to a piece of equipment. It is essential that the asset is not damaged or evacuated, and some care should be taken to ensure that it does not come to harm. There can be one or multiple assets per mission. Also note that assets can also be recovered during other mission types.

 _HOSTAGE SITUATION_ : The goal of this operation is to neutralize or mitigate perpetrators who have created a hostage situation. Preferably all of the hostages are secured with no casualties, but under no circumstances are the perpetrators allowed to escape. SSR personnel who attempt negotiation are not allowed to permit escape, and are allowed to lie to secure hostages. The lives of the perpetrators are not a concern and can be arrested or disposed of in the manner the Officer sees fit.

 _ARREST_ : The goal of this operation is to assist in the arrest of a high-profile figure, and ensure the arrest is carried out smoothly and that the target does not come to permanent harm, and protect local Peacekeeper forces from potential reprisal.

COMBINATION

 _ASSET RECOVERY-ELIMINATION_ : This is a standard operation where the asset is recovered and all hostile enemies in the vicinity are terminated. This differs from standard Elimination missions in that there is an additional goal of securing an asset while also neutralizing all who guard it.

 _HOSTAGE SITUATION-ELIMINATION_ : A decision made by the Officer during the situation, which will typically utilize CONTROLLERS to set up multiple fast eliminations on targets in conjunction with other SSR forces. This is a risky operation for hostages, and is not recommended unless there are at least an equal number of Controllers on sight to those holding hostages.

 **CONCLUSION** : The SSR represents the pinnacle of our response to the scourges of organized crime and terrorism, and will serve as an example and warning to those who threaten to disrupt the lives of our citizens. While the SSR may be comparable to a military special forces unit, I will reiterate that the focus will be strictly domestic, and will not expand beyond their own sphere of influence (With the exception of an unexpected alien attack), and will fully work with other branches of ADVENT.

* * *

The ADVENT State Special Response, or SSR as they are commonly referred to, are some of the most well-known, but enigmatic figures in ADVENT itself. Prior to them participating during the Vatican situation, few even knew they existed, but ever since their dramatic appearance, people have been trying to find out more.

It is rare for the average citizen to interact with an SSR operative knowingly. Unlike Peacekeepers, they do not interact with the community they protect, and if you _do_ happen to meet one, it usually isn't for the reasons one might hope. It's extremely likely that, if you meet one of the SSR, you're connected to someone they arrested or killed and they need to question you.

As a result, this has cast an aura of suspicion and fear upon them, since even if most _don't_ know what the SSR does, their association, aesthetic, and mechanical demeanor towards everyone does not endear them to the average person. This is likely intentional, and works in their favor when they interrogate citizens, who are _very_ quick to speak to the SSR about anything they may know.

For those who are still curious about what the SSR does, they maintain a website that lays out the goals and duties of their organization in very brutal detail. Upon hearing what the SSR does, the response to them changes depending on several factors such as race, nationality and political leanings. Calling the SSR a kind of death squad is not an inaccurate assessment, as they clearly state that one of their main operations is titled 'Elimination'.

Their focus on drug trafficking and terrorism does generally make people feel better about them, which is until they learn that the SSR doesn't just go in and kill targets, but identifies the corpses and then traces them back to family and associates. The SSR proudly displays this information prominently, in addition to an extensive list of ways to contact them.

As can likely be easily imagined, in countries like Mexico and much of South America, groups like the Cartels are extremely dangerous, and as a result many people are almost as fearful of the SSR just because of how large the drug trade is. While the SSR do not perform arrests without evidence, it is nonetheless an intimidating experience to be questioned by an armored soldier.

It isn't just organized crime the SSR do. Gang violence is also handled by them, often in the same violent fashion. One of the first major operations of the SSR, the largest to date, was one in the city of Detroit in the United States. One team of SSR operatives, twenty-four men and women, took the gathered data compiled over years by the police and other law enforcement, and invaded the known crime areas and wiped out nearly all the major gangs, and the Peacekeepers maintained a massive presence the following days as each section was slowly cleared out. This was repeated in other cities in the United States with high crime, such as Baltimore and Oakland.

While they were certainly effective, the firefights that broke out killed a large number of civilians, which has raised calls for the SSR itself to be investigated, though the ones that raised this were decisively rejected by ADVENT by stating that the SSR did its job and no civilians were intentionally killed. In short, it has generally not fostered as much goodwill in certain parts of those cities, and done very little to alter the perception of the SSR being death squads.

I do not believe it would be outlandish to suggest that this is intentional by the SSR. Fear helps them, and each successful operation only increases their reputation. While they don't have many outreach programs, one of their initiatives in crime-ridden areas is to dispatch pamphlets, print newspaper articles, and air TV spots for citizens to report criminal activity, though these appear to target areas with known protection rackets and trafficking rings, possibly a way for the SSR to say "Help us and we'll protect you."

Sadly, the number who have taken the SSR up on this offer are few and far between. But if the body counts keep rising and the SSR keeps dismantling the cartels and organized crime rings with the same violent effectiveness, this number is likely only going to go up, even if only because of fear of being the next victim of the SSR.

 _Article: "The State Special Response and its Citizens", by BBC Journalist Brian Cooley_

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 11110111

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND; COLLECTIVE MILITARY COMMAND

ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: STATE SPECIAL RESPONSE

SPECIES: HUMAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: BRANCH OF THE ADVENT PEACEKEEPERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SCOPE IS STRICTLY DOMESTIC

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SOME DEGREE OF GENETIC MODIFICATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EQUIVALENT TO A SPECIAL FORCES UNIT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PRIMARILY UTILIZES GAUSS AND LASER WEAPONRY

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: LOW

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The State Special Response, or more commonly abbreviated SSR, is similar to the Oversight Division in that it is a dangerous entity, but ultimately one that we do not necessarily have to worry about. With that said, the SSR is proof that ADVENT does not hold back in dealing with the disruptive elements within itself.

The SSR appears to be designed for a specific purpose: To eliminate organized criminal elements within the Human species. This is a historical problem for them, and it has only gotten more problematic as their technology has advanced and the population has grown. Organized crime comes in multiple varieties, such as slavery, illicit substances, and weapons; these are sold and traded for resources and money.

This clearly poses issues for any government, but the risk of collateral damage and corruption within the government or law enforcement has always stopped many from taking necessary steps to eliminate it entirely. With ADVENT, that restriction is gone and the sole goal is the complete elimination of this type of crime.

A quick analysis of news articles from crime-riddled cities and countries within the past several months will show that the SSR have made a violent impression on nearly everyone involved. They are impressively merciless in their operations, and to date have completely destroyed entire cartels, gangs, and criminal rings through simply attacking known locations, and either interrogating survivors or gathering information through leftover technology.

A typical SSR operation will run an elimination mission on a known location, usually a formerly untouchable base of a cartel or gang. A group of eight to sixteen operatives will be sent, and they will almost always kill everyone at the location (If the area is one with high civilian traffic, they will typically perform a combined mission with the Peacekeepers, though this is typically for arrests of figures, while the SSR is usually only sent to eliminate criminals in known dangerous territory). Sometimes they will identify a target that the leader will order to take captive, and for this scenario, we will assume this is done.

The next step would be the gathering of evidence and information. The SSR has dedicated operatives for recovering this, and they first identify the bodies of the criminals they killed, and a separate team immediately determines their known associates and/or family. Another team will examine physical and digital evidence, documents, computers, and other devices, and scour it for information on deals made, names, locations and more. All this will be used for future operations.

At this time, the SSR will then send out operatives to interrogate family members and associates of the criminals, should any exist, on additional information related to their operation. This rarely yields results from the reports, but it does have the effect of spreading their reputation and increasing the psychological effects of their presence. The SSR appears to _want_ to be feared, and to date they are doing an excellent job.

At some point, they will interrogate the captive and have a psychologist determine the possible weaknesses he has, and then they will follow it to extract additional information. This could be as simple as torture, bribery, seduction, or anything else that would achieve the desired result. Now this is where the SSR differs _heavily_ from standard ADVENT philosophy.

ADVENT focuses on sincerity and clarity. If they say something will be done, they will do it. They do not make the public promises they can't keep, even their negotiations with enemies are straightforward even if they don't tell them what they want to hear. Ironically, ADVENT is surprisingly honest, if for no other reason that they simply don't inform their citizens about specific functions. There are two organizations within ADVENT that are exempt from this from what I have found: ADVENT Intelligence, for obvious reasons, and the SSR.

The SSR are allowed to lie, and do it frequently to achieve their goals. They will promise whatever the person wants to hear, and end up killing them regardless. People holding hostages _will_ have their demands met…until they leave and are tracked by an SSR operative and slaughtered in their sleep, or more likely, simply shot on sight at the slightest hesitation by coordinated sniper fire.

The reason for this is simple, I believe. The people the SSR frequently encounter are ones that ADVENT simply wants removed. They are irredeemable, and they are perfectly willing to have the SSR kill each and every one of them. It is a sentiment I am impressed by, and while the SSR will have few fans with their brutal methodology, it will cull the Human filth from the world.

However, from a tactical standpoint, they are more of a professional curiosity than something to be concerned about. The reason for this is that the SSR are a purely domestic force. They only fight organized crime and terrorism. They don't participate in military operations and don't operate outside of ADVENT. As such, they pose no threat to us.

There of course is the chance that they accidentally disrupt a Zararch operation, but such a result would be purely coincidental and once it was discovered, the SSR would almost certainly turn the matter over to the Lancers or ADVENT Intelligence. The threat they pose is almost non-existent because of this reason.

Despite this, I see no reason to engage them unnecessarily. Let them clear the Humans out, for it will be fewer for us to dispose of when they are conquered.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT


	75. Ethereals-Organizations:Phantom Division

Ethereals: Organizations

The Phantom Division

* * *

" _For all we know, this might just be another diversion by her."_

\- Aegis

* * *

REPORT: 110111110001

TARGET OF INTEREST: UNKNOWN VITAKARA

KNOWN ALIASES: UNKNOWN

KNOWN ALLIES: UNKNOWN

SPECIES: VITAKARA IDENTIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPEAR TO BE HIGHLY MODIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LEADER UNIDENTIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: MOTIVES UNCLEAR

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL BACKING

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: UNKNOWN (ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM)

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: While initially we have dismissed the sighting and encounters of various and strange Vitakarians, I believe we now have enough visual evidence to begin attempting to figure out exactly what is happening with these continuous encounters. The few attempts to capture such aliens have not resulted in combat, as the targets in question immediately disappeared through unknown means.

VISUAL DESCRIPTION: There are two ways of identifying these altered Vitakarians: Armored, and unarmored. Unarmored ones are immediately distinctive due to their altered eyes, which have been observed to glow a shade of purple and red, though the reasons for this are unknown. The skin color will also usually be a darker grey, and the glow of the eyes will be more intense.

Armored ones have several noted armor styles and patterns. The armor is always a pure black, covers the entire body, and is _not_ similar to any armor or suit known to any member species in the Ethereal Collective. It is clearly armored, but there is no segmentation like most suits, as if the metal itself is perpetually in motion and in the shape of the wearer. The only thing that can be reliably determined is height, as the armor obscures all other identifying features.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: As these Vitakarians are altered to some degree, they are also modified to have greater strength, speed, and durability compared to others of their species, regardless of armor protection. All of them are capable of outrunning Andromedons, and presumably other species as well. Their armor is capable of absorbing multiple plasma shots, and nothing that has hit appears to have damaged it permanently.

The most troubling ability at their disposal is the capability to disappear from visual and electronic detection. They utilize some kind of advanced cloaking technology, one that does not appear to be based on the Seeker unit, but something else entirely. We have not ruled out psionic interference, but multiple independent encounters with the target vanishing into thin air, they almost assuredly have cloaking equipment that is more advanced than our own detectors.

This could pose a problem, should they become hostile.

MOTIVATIONS AND LEADERSHIP: For now, these Vitakarians appear to be directly interested in observation and infiltration, though for what purpose we can only guess at currently. They have not engaged in any combat, only run from it, but are likely fully capable of engaging in self-defense. That they have not moved against the Federation despite our own attacks indicates that they have a vested interest in our continued survival, or at a minimum do not wish to provoke us.

It is extremely likely that this is a group affiliated with one or more Ethereals, as that would explain the odd technology, observation tactics, and unwillingness to participate in combat. What Ethereal that would be is a question we cannot answer, since some of this doesn't fit any of the known or suspected profiles. It is likely that this group belongs to an Ethereal we have very little information on.

It might be advisable to simply mark these Vitakara when seen, and do not engage further. Capture of one would be preferable, but until we know what we're dealing with, it risks making an enemy of an Ethereal, and that would have very negative consequences.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUED IDENTIFICATION OF UNKNOWN MODIFIED VITAKARIA; ATTEMPT CAPTURE IF SUCCESS PROBABILITY IS OVER 80%; ATTEMPT NEUTRALIZATION IF FIRED UPON BY UNIDENTIFIED VITAKARAIAN.

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 202; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

 **XCOM File 5588**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: The Phantom Division

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

SECTION 1: Overview

I will admit to being slightly unfamiliar with the intricate details of Nebulan's personal army, but I am nonetheless aware of some of their operations, strategies, and other relevant information. What is important to understand is that, like the other personal armies of Ethereals, they very much reflect the Ethereals themselves.

As a result, this makes species like Andromedons and Sectoids unlikely to be a part of Nebulan's Phantom Division, which I will note is unlikely to be the name, but one ascribed to it by Quisilia (Who incidentally gives names to most other personal armies of Ethereals). As a result it is almost certain that the majority of the Phantom Division is composed of Vitakara.

Like Nebulan herself, I ultimately believe that of all the armies, hers is the most 'benign', if such a word could be applied here. Her operations are more likely to be less violent, and more insidious as a result, since misdirection and illusions are a staple of hers, one which her operatives follow closely.

SECTION 2: Operations and Tactics

In the Collective, the Phantom Division was actually not primarily focused on any particular aspect of it, although they certainly undertook operations upon the orders of the Imperator or Quisilia. I would not be surprised if a certain section of the Aui'Vitakar and other aspects of Vitakara government have been infiltrated by their operatives, nor do I think it outlandish for very select Andromedon leaders to be a part of it, and reporting to Nebulan. Although due to how the Andromedons function, I am unsure how feasible this actually is without direct psionic domination, which would then have to continuously bypass all other Andromedon security measures.

With that said, every Ethereal has authority to access the entirety of the resources of the Collective, including the entirety of the military, science, and engineering sectors. Acquiring the help of experts such as Fectorian and Revelean are also likely. There is no such concept as a budget for any Ethereal, and that would allow Nebulan to equip her operatives with the newest, best, or most experimental equipment and weapons that exist. So this is something to consider.

So your next question is likely what the Phantom Division _was_ used for, and quite simply, it was an unofficial elite exploration unit. I know there are no fewer than five dozen Phantom Division operatives that are deeply embedded in the inner galaxy, though details beyond that are unfortunately ones I am unaware of.

However, the Phantom Division is never deployed as actual scouts, as in the area is completely unknown. That is first cleared by Quisilia, Sicarius, or Nebulan herself, and then she will send them to gather more information or infiltrate. For the operations themselves, they are broken into several different categories:

 **INFILTRATION** : There are two variants to this: _Long term,_ and _Short term_.

Short Term operations are generally sabotage, theft, or other operations that are not expected to take a long amount of time. The operative will infiltrate a location, complete their task, and leave; all likely without being detected. During this process they will likely either make it appear to be an accident or plant information leading to a different perpetrator.

Long Term operations are more for specific intelligence gathering on a target. This can be carried out over a period of years, at minimum, and the end goal can be modified as the operation progresses. It can ultimately have the same impact as a Short Term operation, but often the data gathered is far more useful than simple destruction or assassination.

 **RECON:** As the name implies, there is very little that is surprising about this, nor is it especially questionable. Recon operations are primarily for scouting and gathering data on either planets, places, or external intel on organizations. They almost never have a lethal component, but often lead to Infiltration operations.

As this is Nebulan's unit, and the Collective has dedicated recon teams, they are primarily deployed to dangerous areas of space, ones with hostile wildlife or conditions, and in other situations that would be lethal to almost any other teams. To give an illustrative example, there was a region of space that was precariously close to several black holes, but had some theoretically habitable and resource-rich planets, and would be highly defensible if it was ever attacked due to the aforementioned obstacles and how traversing the wrong path would destroy entire fleets.

The Phantom Division successfully charted a safe path to the planets, and successfully established protocols and temporary settlements. Since there has not officially been any further work there, I suspect Nebulan has turned it into her own Blacksite.

 **ELIMINATION:** This does not actually have anything to do with violent sabotage or assassination. Elimination operations forego all subtlety and are strictly military operations with only the goal of destruction in mind. There is no other objective, Phantom Division teams fulfill the role of death squads, and the chances of anyone surviving are extremely low.

Elimination operations are rare, and to date, they have only been used twice to my knowledge, one against a minor Andromedon Union that accidentally captured an undercover Phantom Division Operative (The Andromedons were killed before they actually learned who they captured, and the sudden destruction was made to look like an accident), and another time against a Nulorian cell where a Phantom Division operative had actually been caught.

Nebulan almost decided to kill Miridian himself for that, but ultimately decided he wasn't worth the effort and just removed everyone involved in that cell.

Ultimately, whenever an Elimination operation is ordered, those, and anyone else associated with them at that time, are likely going to die. If the Phantom Division is now involved on Earth, I would unfortunately expect this to be a far more frequent operation going forward.

SECTION 3: Personnel

I do not have exact data on the equipment or physical capabilities of those within the Phantom Division, but there are some pieces I do know, and can further extrapolate.

The first is that every single member is extensively genetically modified, though the exact capabilities I again do not know. But they are likely well above the baseline for the species in question, and likely were created by Revelean or the Creator, though this is unconfirmed. I also wouldn't be surprised if she used genetic modification from a Hive Commander just to throw others off.

The weaponry is likely to be dangerous, but it is admittedly nothing new, at least to my knowledge. Heavy plasma, magnetic, and laser weapons. Plasma grenades, rockets, they are capable of using all modern weaponry, and some of them have likely been cybernetically augmented as well. But the weapons are just tools, and not the real danger you need to fear.

As stated before, I highly doubt that there are Andromedons or Sectoids involved in the Phantom Division, as they do not possess the mindsets and characteristics Nebulan looks for when she recruits. The process is unknown to me, but the characteristics that draw her attention are charisma, subtlety, intelligence, creativity, and loyalty. It is not a stretch to say that the majority of her members are likely former Zararch, and I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to recruit some Nulorian if they impressed her enough.

Humans also might soon become part of her division. Be prepared for that possibility, especially since Humans are apparently working with her already.

Ultimately, Commander, the Phantom Division is extremely dangerous, and they are not like what you have faced from other aliens, but they are not numerous, and they do not specialize in open combat, even if they can participate in it. Once identified, they can be defeated with a moderate degree of effort, but I would not expect them to be more than an irritant as the war progresses in direct combat. Their real danger comes from their infiltration and assassination capabilities.

But you have much more to fear from nearly every other Ethereal army, with the exception of Sana'Ligna, of course.

* * *

 **Report** : Asaru's Aliens

 **Primary Author** : Elena Draganova

 **Primary Editor** : Konstantine Volikov

 _Editor Note_ : _Like with every document Elena writes, I've made it a lot less repetitive and dry. Needless to say there is quite a bit of interesting stuff here_.

 **PART I: Organization and Structure**

The unit commonly referred to as the "Phantom Division" is one that is under the Ethereal identified as Asaru, an Ethereal who primarily specializes in espionage and psionic telepathy. As of the time of this report, exact numbers are unknown despite extensive conversations with multiple aliens within this unit.

This is how Joreal described the organization within the unit:

"There are multiple teams, all with a specific focus. The focus of each group changes depending on the operation. This team has been training for Earth for some time, and our previous assignment was deep intergalactic reconnaissance. The best description of each team would be 'polymorphic'. We can adapt to any situation, and there is no such thing as a 'standard' team."

"I am the leader for this team, and report directly to Asaru herself. While it is not uncommon for her to take a direct interest, she rarely participates to this extent. The size of a team varies, but is generally from five hundred to one thousand. Smaller and larger teams are not generally needed as it would draw too much attention."

From additional descriptions, the organizational structure appears to not be complicated, with only the team leaders running it as they see fit, and then reporting anything necessary to Asaru. The smaller size of the units appears intentional for more reasons than stated, largely because it is apparent that these aliens know each other and coordinate well together.

In contrast to what might be expected, Asaru does appear to not only allow interteam relationships, but actually encourages them to an extent. This would also explain the equal number of male and female operatives, although I will note that not all Vitakara participate in this. I also suspect that this may be related to the fact that they are always deployed in teams of a minimum of two, and rarely odd numbers.

It is likely Asaru uses this to reinforce bonds and loyalty, but it is interesting, especially given the lethal nature of such operations. Although if couples operate together, and an operation goes wrong, the chances of both dying are high instead of only one being killed, and psychologically crippling the survivor.

Note this for future interactions. I would highly recommend that if our own operatives are propositioned by aliens, that they be denied. Not until we know how they think better.

 **PART II: Equipment**

The Phantom Division operatives do not use standard Collective equipment, and what they have instead is far more dangerous as a baseline. Most interviewed aliens did not know where the equipment came from, but most believed that it came from another Ethereal or Asaru designed it herself. There were references to a 'Fectorian', and Joreal confirmed that Fectorian is another Ethereal who presumably specializes in advanced technology.

Why this is not being used in the standard Collective military likely comes down to scale and resources.

 _Weapons_ : The standard set of weapons for a Phantom Division operative are the following:

1\. A highly modifiable rifle base that can be converted into a sniper rifle, automatic heavy cannon, or grenade launcher. The weapon can further be configured by utilizing plasma, laser, or magnetically propelled projectiles. Some elaboration on how these differ from traditional alien weapon types is as follows.

The plasma here does not maintain the standard green coloring, but is a glowing white. Damage appears to be substantially increased, and instead of firing bolts, it will fire a continuous stream similar to a laser. There are no other major changes.

Lasers work largely the same, but are more lethal for the sole reason that lasers fired are not visible to the naked and unmodified eye. At best a distortion will be visible, but the beam itself will not. This is not exactly useful for our soldiers in terms of visual feedback, but such an advancement would be extremely useful if the correct genetic modifications or technology was incorporated to allow visual feedback.

Their magnetically propelled projectiles are closer to miniaturized railgun technology, and are powerful enough to punch through even ADVENT armor with very little effort, and leave extremely messy damage. The downside is that these take full seconds to reload, and the clip size is very small.

2\. Grenades. These come in several different types. There are White Plasma grenades, which act like standard plasma grenades, only even more dangerous. Nanite Grenades contain a small amount of nanites that have a lifespan of thirty seconds, and they eat through anything organic during that time and then self-destruct. Shredder Grenades act like standard AP grenades, and the functionality is not much different. The final are Symbiote Grenades, which Joreal confirmed to me were developed after XCOM created them, and they secure enemies in a sealing goop that is impossible to remove without applied heat.

3\. Melee Weapons. Most operatives use small knives for self-defense, including Borelian Flash-Blades, but some utilize single-use nanoblades that can penetrate nearly anything, but only last for one hit before they break. Some of the larger Vitakarians utilize heavier melee weapons such as Oyariah Hammers, but some have adapted Human medieval weapons, such as the longsword and mace.

I will now note that this is the _standard_ kit for the operatives. Specialized and more advanced weaponry can be requested, developed, and used. This includes dedicated plasma cannons, chemical weapons, automatic railguns, and an additionally wide variety of destructive weaponry. Even highly dangerous nanotechnology is available, but is has rarely been used beyond the grenades.

 _Armor_ : Phantom Division operatives going into combat have what is comparable to the XCOM Aegis armor, except more protective. It would be correctly defined as power armor, in that the suit is powered by an elerium core, and has several defensive features that include kinetic shielding (This is _not_ based on the Andromedon technology), electronic disruption, and nanite self-repair. Also included are wrist and shoulder-mounted weapons of various types, which can have offensive and defensive capabilities.

On ordinary missions revolving around stealth, the suit is itself not powered, but nonetheless provides a high degree of protection. It also includes several additional features such as a cloaking device which is powered by a small elerium core. This can last for up to four hours before requiring a recharge.

I have begun researching the weapons, and advise we begin incorporating their technology into our own operations. Not even ADVENT has this level of technology.

 **PART III: Individual Enhancement**

Every member of the Phantom Division is extensively genetically enhanced. The most obvious alteration is the eyes, which are side effects of a procedure that Joreal explained to me:

"The eye color depends on the type of modification you receive. The standard improvement is night vision. Each and every one of us can see in the dark perfectly, and it turns our eyes purple as a result. Now some of us go a step further and are additionally modified to see into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. Then our eyes turn red."

This is the most obvious enhancement, but it is not the most useful. All operatives have their skin hardened through genetic modification to an extent that even gauss fire is almost useless against them, and ordinary plasma has a similar effect. In addition, there are a select few that have been injected with MELD nanites that are capable of repairing any internal damage sustained, or even repair surface damage should it be required.

The muscles have also been enhanced, giving them extreme strength and the ability to withstand lethal falls. This has the effect of making each one of them lethal CQC combatants, even if the opponent is technically more skilled. This also is exploited when using melee weapons, such as wielding Oyariah hammers with only one hand (Albeit even this requires a certain size).

In addition, Joreal confirmed to me that the operatives themselves can be modified as Asaru sees fit. Size, facial features, skin color, and nearly any other aspect can be modified depending on mission need. Only gender and baseline intelligence are truly immutable. How this is possible is unknown, but it reinforces the polymorphic nature of these operatives.

Phantom Division operatives can be anyone and everyone.

Furthermore, each one is an expert actor and spy, likely over the course of a minimum of a hundred years. Most are former Zararch, and others are raised by Asaru from birth by other Vitakarians. Children of Vitakarians within the division will become operatives themselves (Perhaps another reason why Asaru encourages interteam relationships).

These agents appear to be far more dangerous than the Zararch, since they could likely pass for ordinary Humans, as the spies go to great lengths to fully immerse themselves in the culture of their targets. This in turn makes them oddly accepting of aliens, and very friendly to others. They respect and embrace diversity, and integrate what they like into their teams.

This is another reason why they are dangerous. They do not always appear to be anything but genuine, and might actually become friends with their targets. But if ordered, they will kill them without a second thought. They are not our friends, regardless of how they act towards us. Any member of this unit appearing to be confused by Human culture is almost certainly lying.

They prepared for us. They know how we think. These aren't like the aliens made fun of on the Internet. If anything, they are perhaps better at being Human than some Humans themselves are.

We cannot forget this, regardless of what they promise or say to us. This needs to be repeatedly emphasized and pressed on our people.

They are not Human.


	76. Ethereals - Dossier: Fectorian

Ethereals: Dossier

Fectorian

* * *

" _You would think that an Ethereal with a literal army would be a little more well-known."_

\- Zar'poliala'dakka

* * *

REPORT: 001011011110

TARGET OF INTEREST: UNIDENTIFIED MILITARY BLACKSITE

SPECIES: UNKNOWN (SUSPECTED ETHEREAL)

BLACKSITE PURPOSE: UNKNOWN (SUSPECTED MILITARY PRODUCTION)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXTENSIVE SYSTEM DEFENSES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HOLDING UNKNOWN NUMBER OF ENHANCED COMBATANTS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ENHANCEMENTS APPEAR TO BE PRIMARILY CYBERNETIC

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL OVERSEER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PERSONNEL NOT INTEGRATED WITH GREATER COLLECTIVE MILITARY

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN - ESTIMATED MEDIUM TO HIGH

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: This is the thirty-seventh attempt at breaching the system in which this Blacksite is located, and after managing to compile even a surface list of what is in system, it easily explains where the high amount of lost Special Operators have gone. The defenses in place are comparable to Desolan, except appearing to be even further advanced technologically.

There are only two means of entrance into this system: Through designated Gateways, which are surrounded by defenses and turrets which can vaporize any unrecognized spacecraft in seconds, and through manual FTL travel. The latter is the only reasonable recommendation, and there is no other way to reach this system safely.

In the event that arrival is completed, there are regular drone patrols which navigate the entirety of the system, so sustained surveillance is difficult when one misstep can result in immediate termination. There are two main targets of note here: The Blacksite itself, and what is assumed to be an Ethereal variation of the Uyarior Rings.

The Uyarior Ring replica/variation does not appear to act differently from what would be expected. The primary function is the harvesting of the star for energy, and this energy is presumably transported to the Blacksite and to the Collective at large. Due to the likely efficiency of this, and the fact that there are no other instances of this being built in the Collective, it is likely that this was a recent construction, and work on additional Rings will commence within the coming months or years. There also appear to be smaller Gateways near the rings, with drone transports moving between them frequently, which is likely how the Collective receives the energy gathered from it. A potential vulnerability if we were to investigate where this led.

The more concerning structure is the Blacksite itself, and it is by far the largest one we have been safely able to locate. Exterior scans are attached, and you will note that it is composed of levels which have clear room for expansion above, below, and extending from the levels themselves. There are entire hangars and shipyards on the station, which means this is definitely an experimental spaceflight Blacksite, but I doubt that is all it is.

I will quickly make an addendum that while the system has exactly seven planets, some with moons, none are habitable, and are bare of any life, vegetation, or breathable air. With that said, they are currently being strip-mined of any resources by drones and transported back to the Blacksite. It is likely at least some of these are being sent to the Collective as well, but there is no data to back this up.

Furthermore, at least two of these planets are undergoing major construction projects. There are additional shipyards being constructed around one, and on the second there are massive ground structures being added. Potential barracks or storage are likely guesses, but it is too risky to acquire further information.

The question of what this Blacksite is can have multiple answers, but it appears to be primarily for developing a technologically advanced army. The ships, which largely appear to be composed of fighters and medium-class spacecraft, as well as approximately three capital-class ships, are of no design I have ever seen, and do not bear similarities to Andromedon, Sectoid, or Vitakara spacecraft. For what it is worth, it does also not resemble the one identified Ethereal Temple Ship, although due to the lack of information on Ethereal spacecraft, this does not necessarily mean the designs are not Ethereal in origin.

Information on the interior of the Blacksite is largely unknown, but brief scans have revealed heavily modified Muton and Vitakara soldiers. The exact capabilities of these soldiers are unknown, but the enhancements appear to be primarily cybernetic, especially in the eyes, limbs, and internal organs. Full autopsies will be required for further details.

What is clear is that there is an navy here that is at minimum equivalent to the Vitakara Fleet, and quite possibly extensively beyond it. I was not able to record or witness combat operations, so it is unknown how these spacecraft are being tested. There is also likely an equally large and advanced infantry army within the Blacksite, but no information on that exists.

Infiltration, while not impossible, would not likely result in useful information. To acquire any useful amount of information on this Blacksite, this must be turned into a full operation with extensive resources being granted for transportation, wireless transfers, and stealth equipment. We do not know what we are dealing with here, and that is the greatest danger posed.

RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN OBSERVATION OF BLACKSITE; CONSTRUCT GATEWAY JUMP POINTS NEAR BLACKSITE SYSTEM TO REDUCE TIME TO ARRIVE; ESTABLISH ANDROMEDON STEALTH COMMUNICATORS TO MONITOR SIGNALS AND LIVE RECORDINGS; IF OPERATION PURSUED, RECRUIT SPECIAL OPERATORS SPECIALIZING IN INDUSTRIAL SURVEILLANCE AND INFORMATION RETRIEVAL

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 055; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Future Unit Projects

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Engineer Fectorian

I can finally say, with a certain degree of smugness, that the flaws noted in the Collective Military have finally been exposed, and the fact that it comes at the hands of a primitive species either speaks to an incompetence in leadership, or that the Humans are more clever than originally anticipated. As I have had a chance to extensively study their equipment and technology, it is almost assuredly the latter.

The forces of the Ethereal Collective are not prepared for full-scale war; this is obvious. While we certainly have many units that the Humans have yet to see, wars are fought using the base tools, and ours are simply _not good enough_. The vast majority of Vitakara are not warriors, nor can they adequately handle the stresses of combat well. Mutons are not intelligent enough to be anything more than fodder. Andromedons are excellent, but they cannot be used as simple infantry and each loss is more significant than even twenty Mutons or Vitakara.

The Sectoids until recently have relied on their machines to fight, but they are poor imitations of sapient thought and even adequate programming. However, I will note that they have finally started to adapt and harness their greatest advantage: Psionics.

However, the average Human strangely does not suffer these weaknesses, or they are at least mitigated. Excluding criminal activity, Humans usually fight because they want to on some level, and even if they do not, when cornered they become dangerous. In this aspect they are already superior to the Vitakara, and their baseline intelligence is already higher than a Muton.

What is fascinating is their capability for both innovation, and ruthlessness. The XCOM MEC soldiers are an admirable first attempt at cybernetic conversion, and they do not fear investigation into genetic modification or psionic research. Perhaps it is because they feel threatened, but one trait I have noticed is that Humans wish to keep pushing forward, regardless of consequences.

This has led to great achievements, and has also predictably backfired. The species is stubborn, and a united one would be more dangerous than they are now.

Since the Battlemaster does not want to escalate the conflict to an unwinnable scenario for the Humans, strategies are limited. However, no one appears to understand that the longer this conflict drags on, the more dangerous the Humans will become. Unlike us, they will not hesitate to use their newest weapons and technology against us, and their eventual expansion of psionics will turn this invasion from a mild risk to a potential problem.

Perhaps this is the point? Artificially increase the Human level of technology to a dangerous degree to simulate an inner galactic species?

Possibly. A risk, but an acceptable one. There is little gained by conquering primitives.

However, this is no excuse for not responding to what the Humans have made. There are weaknesses throughout the Collective, and the following projects are designed to address them, as well as units ADVENT and XCOM have brought to the war.

 **REPLICA** : As the Zararch can do little more than surveillance, they are effectively hamstrung since they cannot bypass the physical sampling and testing ADVENT now employs. While they remain expert assassins and strategists, without information that is of limited use. The REPLICA Project addresses this by creating base humanoid shells, which are overlaid by nanites which can allow the shell to assume the physical appearance of any Human in existence. Note that this also applies to most species of Vitakara, excluding the Oyariah and Cobrarian.

These serve two purposes, first they will be outfitted to fully infiltrate Human cities and can pass without suspicion upon visual inspection. There are limited biological functions, primarily artificial veins which will cycle blood, and the complexity of inner workings can be expanded depending on the need. Included will be cameras to take video and pictures, which can instantly send to a friendly source, or store them to be unloaded later.

The second purpose is to have a contingency in our own forces. These can be basic units that are able to determine if the force is coming under psionic attack, and then appropriately inform Collective Command. These will be combat Replicas, and be far stronger, faster, and smarter than their organic counterparts.

However, without complete research into AI technology, the machine intelligence will always be insufficient to a real one. The ultimate goal of the Replica project will be to transfer the brain of a subject into a Replica shell, and allow them full access to the range of options at their disposal. This would be ideal for Zararch agents, and allow them to integrate with Humans without suspicion, nor making obvious mistakes a machine intelligence would undoubtedly suffer from.

For now, machine intelligence Replicas for integration into our own forces, and surveillance Replicas are ready for full deployment. There are still issues to be solved with successfully transferring the brain of subjects to the shells safely, but this will likely be solved in upcoming models. There are also no Muton, Sectoid, Andromedon, or Ethereal Replicas designed, though this can be changed.

Ethereal Replicas would be useful.

 **ARCHON** : This is both to answer the surprisingly effective XCOM Archangel Program, and also to provide our own forces with an acceptable low-altitude, anti-infantry, anti-air combatant. The Floater and Heavy Floater units were intended to perform this role, but that was under the estimation that sheer numbers would be able to overwhelm the enemy.

While this is not, strictly speaking, inaccurate, it is a gross waste of resources. ADVENT does not succumb to sheer numbers without extracting a massive cost from us. Floaters are no longer viable units, and their function will be retired upon the completion of the Archon Project. Attempting to exploit the poor intelligence of the Mutons without making acceptable alterations was a mistake, and one which the Archon Project will attempt to correct.

As it is only in the initial stages, prototypes have not yet been developed. This will begin further within the next weeks. Designs for Sectoid, Vitakara, and Muton physiology are already underway, and they will be finalized soon. Multiple types of Archons will be needed to provide suitable answers to ADVENT, which is simply not possible to incorporate into one single unit without it becoming overly bloated.

Further details will be added as the project proceeds.

 **SPECTRE** : The irrational fear of nanotechnology has always been an annoyance, and this project was conceptualized in part to eliminate the fear-mongering point of uncontrolled expansion and the NULL Scenario, or what Humans like referring to as the "Grey Goo" scenario. A curious name, but one that is based purely on speculation. Nanotechnology is only a danger to the incompetent, otherwise it is simply a tool, much like our usage of computers and psionics.

The Spectre unit is designed with the sole intention of wiping out enemy forces in ADVENT controlled territory without outside assistance. Initial tests with the unit have surpassed expectations, and there are multiple redundancies to prevent the Spectre from acting outside its programming. Used correctly, I am proud to say that it could be invincible in combat, and only certain weapons would be able to permanently damage it.

But the danger ADVENT can never negate is that only one nanite has to survive, and it will always act on its directive. It has the additional benefit of being immune to telepathy, and I recommend at least one be deployed at our major bases, so it can at least give the Collective time to respond to avoid repeated defeats like Las Vegas.

These are initial steps to take to counter Human advancements, but I suspect that they will not be the last.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Fectorian Forces Audit

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : The Battlemaster of the Ethereal Collective

 _Distributed to Collective Military Command._

I have made the executive decision to begin exploring the option of integrating the military forces of Ethereal Fectorian into the Ethereal Collective Military, or otherwise determining the most optimal way to utilize them in combat operations against Earth. To do this correctly will first require a full audit of what Fectorian has, as in how large, effective, and combat-ready his forces are.

Fectorian has provided me with numbers as to the size of his forces, and that will be covered in this document. Note that this will only cover infantry units, and spacecraft is a topic that will be discussed separately. This will be organized by species:

 **VITAKARA:**

Unit 1: Enhanced Vitakarian: While this would usually be a standard unit in Fectorian's Army, there are actually fewer of them than might be expected, and unlike the majority of his soldiers, these operate on a 'lifespan' so to speak. He has had issues with their adaption to cybernetics, which have often caused failure and death. Fectorian has assured me that he will solve this issue in the future, and now that he has the proper incentive, the enhanced Vitakarians will be likely deployed within months.

 _Unit Count_ : 10,881

Unit 2: Enhanced Borelian: These are the heavily modified Vitakara of Fectorian's. Very little of the original bodies of the species have been preserved, as their limbs and most of their torso have been replaced with cybernetic alternatives. This makes them not look like Borelians at all, since their heads are hidden completely, and their eyes are replaced, and they have the same brain enhancements as Enhanced Vitakarians. However, this unit differs in that it has heavy weapon and missile systems built into its back plating and shoulders. These units are extremely hard to kill.

 _Unit Count_ : 12,003

Unit 3: Remastered Zararch Agent: These are perhaps one of the most dangerous of Fectorian's arsenal. All of their limbs have been replaced with augmented prosthetics that can be modified to store weapons, hide bombs, and otherwise allow the agent to have additional resources at their disposal. They are exceptionally fast and deadly, but what sets them apart is that their brains have been modified to the point where they do not technically have personalities, or even free will. They can interface with computers easily, and take out threats in seconds due to their unnatural processing time. Fectorian has described them as a stepping stone, but as they are now, they are perfectly serviceable.

This is one of the units where Fectorian has invested significant resources and time into their creation. He has even included genetic modification provided by Revelean that prevents the constant Vitakarian adaption. However, as this is extremely resource-intensive in addition to Fectorian not wishing to rely on Revelean for assistance, there are fewer Remastered Vitakarian Zararch agents than might be expected.

 _Unit Count_ : 3,711

 **Note** : While Fectorian does have access to the remainder of Vitakara races, he does not have enough experimental units to warrant mention. This only recognizes units that Fectorian has standardized. Non-conforming units will be addressed in the final sections.

 **MUTONS:**

Unit 1: Enhanced Muton Soldier: Like the majority of Fectorian's Army, the Mutons have been extensively altered, and the basic soldiers are far superior to basic ones. The limbs are replaced with cybernetic replicas, as is most of the torso. In addition to their armor, this makes them extremely difficult to kill quickly.

The largest difference made is to the brain. Their brains have been cybernetically altered to act more like computers in terms of reaction, targeting, and has overall made the individual Muton far more dangerous than it would be otherwise. These Mutons can use basic tactics, do not panic, are difficult to control psionically, and are overall a threat even to similarly enhanced forces.

 _Unit Count_ : 45,081

Unit 2: Muton Charger: This is Fectorian's enhanced Berserker, which is designed specifically for taking large amounts of damage. It has every single improvement the Mutons gain, but with thicker armor, and the combat blades they use can vary. They have multiple selections from short wrist blades, to long single ones that extend from the arm. Alternatively, they can produce nanoblade fletchettes, although there are only a limited number of these.

In addition to that, the armor is self-repairing, allowing the Charger to cause havoc for a far longer period of time. The cybernetics in the brain essentially make it immune to telepathy, although the programming for the brain is simpler than that of an enhanced soldier.

 _Unit Count: 10,222_

Unit 3: Muton Ravager: These are Muton Elites that Fectorian has modified to act as infantry-sized artillery units. They are slow, cumbersome, heavily armed, and more comparable to an XCOM MEC than an actual Muton soldier. Their arsenals include plasma missiles, grenades, blaster bombs, in addition to a heavy plasma cannon it continuously uses in combat.

It can anchor itself to the ground, and Fectorian has also included kinetic shielding to reduce physical projectile damage. Energy damage is not taken into consideration. Their brains have also been extensively modified for precision targeting, and again are more comparable to a computer than anything organic.

 _Unit Count: 2,100_

Unit 4: Muton Absorber: As the Ravager was designed to provide long-range artillery, the Absorber is designed purely to absorb damage. Also utilizing Muton Elite Structure, these are heavily armored Mutons that have no goal other than to advance and kill anything in their way. They carry plasma cannons, have self-healing armor, and integrated close-range systems such as flame and chemical dispensers. They are extremely difficult to kill, and their basic cybernetic programming does little to mitigate this.

 _Unit Count_ : 2,301

 **ANDROMEDONS:** Fectorian has never felt that the Andromedons would make good additions to his military, although he does have several Andromedons who work with him on projects. He respects the species highly, and has informed me he is working on some additional suit designs for Andromedons. These are unlikely to materialize for some time yet.

 **SECTOIDS:** Until recently, Fectorian has dismissed the Sectoids as not being worth the effort of experimenting on. With the development of the Vanguard, and a resurgence in psionic-integrated technology, he has begun exploring options for the Sectoids. Like the Andromedons, results will not be immediate.

 **HUMANS** : While there are no Human units available to deploy, Fectorian has assured me that experiments on potential uses are proceeding well, and prototypes will be constructed within months. Due to their psionic aptitude, he believes they hold exceptional potential, and his experience on aliens with similar physiology will no doubt improve the speed of the project.

 **ADDITIONAL UNITS** : The following units are experimental, and as such have either not been completed or are in few numbers.

Unit 1: Spectre: According to Fectorian, this is a nearly indestructible nanite war machine that is capable of self-replication, repair, and a high-level machine intelligence. He assures me that all appropriate safeguards have been installed, and are also not capable of being abused by ADVENT or XCOM forces. There will be limited trial deployments of these before they are used for wide-scale operations.

 _Unit Count_ : 16

Unit 2: Replica: As the name suggests, it is a physically identical replication of either a Human, or the majority of Vitakara races. It is a fully robotic shell, with a machine intelligence to observe without attracting suspicion. There are some uses Fectorian has shared with me, and has also said that this will not be the final iteration.

 _Unit Count_ : 1,000

For utilization of these units, I would initially recommend trial runs to determine actual effectiveness in combat, and once the data is gathered, continue to refine deployment from there.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 0072**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Fectorian

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Purple (Cybernetic)

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 8'10 (Regular) – 12' (Battlesuit)

 _Weight_ : Unknown – Estimated 350-700 lbs. depending on suit

 _Age_ : 1500 - 1600 Years (Exact age unknown – Not including cryogenic suspension)

 _Scars or markings_ : There is no scarring as far as I can remember, however, he has undergone extensive cybernetic modification. His legs, lower limbs, majority of skeletal structure and torso, as well as the eyes, have been cybernetically enhanced. Much of his advanced technology he directly interfaces with.

 _Physical condition_ : Exceptional, largely due to his cybernetic enhancement. Physically, in his battlesuit, he is stronger and faster than the Battlemaster, and even normally he is in overall better condition than the average Ethereal.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Fectorian is something of an enigma, even to other Ethereals. During the days of the Empire, he would be considered an isolationist pursuing a path of technology few were interested in. He could easily be considered the foil to Revelean, as Fectorian wishes to ultimately uplift the species in the Collective – through cybernetic enhancement.

He is of the strong belief that both the Ethereals and the Collective as a whole are not exploring this line of research, and ignoring him in particular, due to what he considers to be an outdated fear and trepidation of cybernetic implants. While such implants weren't uncommon in the Empire, it was nowhere to the extent of willingly cutting off limbs in exchange for mechanical ones.

Fectorian, in contrast to most, rarely considers a base physical body to be acceptable, and believes that it would ultimately be better if inferior organic bodies were slowly replaced with mechanical components over time. He considers such research just as valid as genetic modification, something which is largely unpopular with other Ethereals, yet he persists nonetheless.

Also like Revelean, he spends the majority of his time at his Blacksite, performing various experiments and trials on aliens. He is without a doubt one of the smartest Ethereals to ever exist, and is a weaponsmith and architect without equal. He is willing to take risks on projects as well as accept losses. In this aspect he is more impatient, but as a result more passionate about his work.

However, Fectorian has largely been ignored by most Ethereals in the Collective due to his controversial research and views. That is not to say he is disliked, but in general Revelean is the one the Imperator turns to for research. At this point, Fectorian seemingly does not care, and is content to focus on his own experiments.

With that said, anyone who believes this does not understand him well. Fectorian keeps careful track of events within the Collective, and is anything but idle. He appears resigned to the fact that he will be overlooked until needed, and is preparing for the time when that comes, and he will be fully afforded the respect he believes he is due.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

Fectorian's views are a mixed bag, to say the least. He is not a typical Ethereal beyond the cybernetics, and a reason why some question his contributions. But I will summarize as best I can.

The first major difference compared to ordinary Ethereals is that he does not consider our species the pinnacle of life, nor considers other species inherently inferior. It is more accurate to state that Fectorian believes that _all_ biological species are flawed, and that this can only really be remedied by cybernetic enhancement.

He admires the Andromedons the most, as they most embody what he believes, and how they overcome their physical limitations with cybernetics and mechanical suits. He is ambivalent towards the Sectoids at best, and does not really care about them for good or ill. The Vitakara are much the same, although he acknowledges that the Oyariah are one of the superior biological species due to their plating, but otherwise he believes that they would benefit from being enhanced.

You will likely be interested to know that Fectorian is becoming far more interested in Humanity, and finds your species fascinating. Your innovation and experimentation with concepts like the MEC are things he finds worthy of respect. Unfortunately for you, this means that Fectorian is going to become involved in this conflict as it progresses.

Fectorian's views on psionics are unusually ambivalent. He does not generally have much of an interest in the field, and believes we are far too reliant on it, and has hypothesized multiple times that our focus on that was what led to our downfall. I personally do not believe this, but Fectorian is more interested in the _integration_ of psionics and technology, instead of psionic abilities themselves.

One thing I feel obligated to bring up, is that Fectorian is without a doubt what you would describe as amoral. Much like Revelean, he does not necessarily take into account the wants of his numerous test subjects. In his own way, he _does_ care for them, but there are no choices given, and the concept of free will is one he doesn't appear to really acknowledge since a good portion of his army is modified to a degree where they are little more than organic drones.

He doesn't waste his subjects, but nor does he treat them especially well. Everything is organized, everything is planned. No more or less than needed is given. The result is more important than the journey, and it has resulted in his soldiers enduring never-ending pain from a misplaced implant, but being unable to act on it due to conditioning. Unless that is directly impacting their performance, it won't be fixed.

Numbers do not especially matter to Fectorian. One hundred or one thousand doesn't matter if the result is perfect. However, I must also acknowledge that he treats his subordinates with an appropriate level of respect, which is more than can be said for most Ethereals.

But one thing that stands out, especially with Fectorian, is that he feels an intense need to be _right_. He believes that his views are the correct ones, and he is being deliberately ignored by those who fear they would have to admit they are wrong. What he desires is _approval_ , and acknowledgement of his genius. Normally I would say this is oddly egotistical, but Fectorian is perhaps one of the few who could be justified in feeling this way.

Some of the points he raises are good, such as our reliance on psionics, but in the end, he is too radical for the Imperator to ever take as seriously as others, who would not recommend the construction of AI, or encourage the rapid utilization of cybernetics.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Fectorian is in the interesting position of being a persistent threat, but not necessarily a major one. Psionically, he is one of the weakest, and his focus on cybernetics has allowed his skills to weaken in that area. He knows some telekinesis and telepathy, but is not an expert at either. With that said, he can certainly defend against telepathic attacks, either through skill or cybernetics.

The greatest threat he poses is in his mind. The ideas he has. His skill in design, creation, and production. He can look at an army and design something to kill it. He can see the weaknesses in his own, and work to correct them. It is only a matter of time before the Battlemaster approaches him for solutions, and I can promise that the results will be catastrophic for XCOM.

What Fectorian designs is not unbeatable, at least after some time and experience, but Fectorian is picky about what he uses. Only the best designs he standardizes into his army, and if they _are_ used against humanity, then you should prepare for defeat until it can be countered. Psions are your best hope, as there is very little he can do to fully negate them.

If he _is_ faced in combat, the outcome will likely be in your favor, regardless of the suit he wears. There are two in his possession, one he uses for regular experimentation, and one for combat. To my knowledge, his combat suit has only been used twice and I was not present. The specifications indicate that it has built-in blades, chemical dispensers, rockets, missile launchers, grenades, and more. Dangerous, but something a team of psions could likely handle.

But again, Commander, Fectorian poses the greatest threat to you away from the battlefield, not on it. While I would not say he is as dangerous as Revelean, you are more likely to encounter his work and if you are unprepared, you will die to it.


	77. Ethereals - Dossier: Macula

Ethereals: Dossier

Macula

* * *

" _Victory is gained not through power or tools, but the correct application of each."_

\- Macula, Imperial Observer of the Division of Shadows

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Correct Applications of Psionics

 _Location_ : NULL

 _Author_ : Macula, of the Ethereal Collective

The autopsy of the outcome of the war with the Synthesized is a brutal, but necessary step in preparing for the wars to come later. They arrived in their flagships and legions of abominations swarmed over our soldiers, but ultimately, they were inferior to the Empire. Yet we still lost, so the question then becomes _why_?

It was not that we were simply inadequate, or failed to investigate unnecessary paths of destructive technology as others would claim. Our soldiers killed the hordes by the millions, our ships were enough to destroy their fleets in battle. Our Imperators could resist and destroy the Director Flagships in single combat. We had the capability to win, but we did not.

The answer is that the Empire mismanaged itself. Such a threat had never been seen before, and though we had the ability, we did not successfully adapt to the threat until it was far too late. We made the mistake of treating the Synthesized as an enemy alien species when they were far older and more dangerous than any of the lesser species could hope to be.

We failed to learn their structure, their ways, their strategies. We believed that they could not continue attacking forever, but they kept coming and we could not replenish our numbers fast enough. In the aftermath, the suggestion that we were too stagnant and reliant on the Gift of psionics is incorrect at best, and insulting at worst.

The issue was not our power, but the way it was not used correctly. Our mindsets were not adapted to the full exploitation of this advantage. The need for ground campaigns was none when planets could be destroyed and razed. We did not need to waste time attacking the strongholds of the Synthesized when there were no Director Flagships to protect them.

Our application of the Gift against them was only physical, but we failed to exploit their minds as we would with other upstart species. The questionable assumption that a mind corrupted by machines is invulnerable to the Gift is what held us back until it was too late. It is difficult to control a corrupted mind, but not impossible. The utilization of telepathy simply needs to be changed.

Complex commands are not needed. There is no point for the corrupted, but simple commands, simple phrases; these are what doom armies. There was no need for sleeper agents within the Synthesized. There was only destruction required. Confusing _complexity_ for _effectiveness_ is dangerous, and while the Empire tried to develop more complex solutions, such as the Reapers and Imperators, they failed to realize that simple solutions could have worked just as well.

But it requires the expansion of our Gift to different planes; changing abilities we have mastered, and adapting them to the new threat. An army that is frozen in time is no threat to even one Ethereal. A corrupted alien cannot function if the living brain suddenly shuts off. These only require mere thoughts, and the energy to maintain them. Maelstroms of psionic energy are effective, but they are draining and unneeded in wars of attrition. Such powers should only be saved for the most dangerous.

If there was one area the Empire truly stumbled, it was our isolation. We were and are the apex species of the galaxy, yet we confined ourselves to the Empire alone, under the false assumption that the lesser aliens deserved to hold their own place in the galaxy. If we had assimilated them, perhaps the additional tools at our disposal would have allowed us to survive long enough to wipe the Synthesized from the galaxy.

It is foolish to pretend that others are our equal, and as our numbers have been reduced to an almost fatal degree, we cannot afford to make the same mistakes once more. We must not hesitate when bending them to our needs, our Gift is something few others have, and even those cannot defend themselves against us.

Those who do not assimilate to us will be forced, and the willing servants must be exalted to serve as our chosen species. Failure to fully commit to this will lead once more to our defeat. There can be no more half measures, now that we know what fate ultimately awaits all those unprepared.

* * *

 _Internal memo sent to Betos's internal leadership_

GUIDELINES FOR TREATMENT OF ALIEN LEADERSHIP

DO NOT SHARE WITH SUBORDINATES UNTIL AUTHORIZATION IS GIVEN

OVERVIEW: We anticipated that our desertion and ultimate goals would attract both positive and negative attention. This was primarily expected from ADVENT and other African nations. We did not anticipate a similar response from the aliens themselves. However, it appears that the aliens have also been keeping track of us and appear interested in our goals.

As of this point, I have only made contact with one alien, self-identified as MACULA. As far as I can tell, this is his real name although it is quite possible the name is false. Initial and further conversations have provided useful information about the goals, plans, and motivations the aliens have for contacting us, as well as context about their own identified Collective.

Much of what they say should be taken with some degree of skepticism, but as of now, they have not proven hostile and Macula has already assisted in the removal of ADVENT spies currently observing the Sovereign African States, as well as the leadership. However, it must be stressed that ALL aliens are to be treated with EXTREME CAUTION as they are HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

INFORMATION ON MACULA: This is one of the prominent alien leaders, identified as an ETHEREAL. For those who are not aware, there have only been two identified Ethereals in the war, the BATTLEMASTER and a new one called CAELIOR. These are extremely dangerous beings that are experienced in the utilization of psionics, and it is generally assumed that all Ethereals are psions.

Macula demonstrated his own abilities, which primarily consisted of 'freezing' the minds of everyone in the immediate vicinity; in essence, stopping the perception of time. It is highly likely most of you were unknowingly affected by this, and it demonstrates that there is no foreseeable way to prevent telepathic attacks on this scale.

Additional extrapolation further details his abilities. References made during initial conversations indicate that he has extensive telepathic abilities, which include the ability to read and control the minds of those around him. It is then impossible to deceive or lie to him. Under no circumstances are you to do this, as Macula would likely take offense.

Macula himself appears to hold conflicting views on us, and Humanity itself. Interactions appear to indicate that he views Humans (And potentially all alien species) as inferior to his own. With that said, he also appears to believe that Humans can be useful. This is not exactly flattering, but it does indicate that Macula can be reasonable even if he contends with his own biases.

However, no one aside from those authorized should speak to him. The same goes for his alien allies once they arrive.

GOALS OF ALIEN ALLIANCE: The most obvious reason that Macula approached us, and me in particular, is because they appear to need at least some of humanity on their side for them to consider their victory complete. To this end, Macula has stated that, should the Collective be victorious, we would be architects in reforming Human society in conjunction with their greater Collective.

He is a convincing speaker, but upon reflection, it is also wise to not treat this as absolute fact. Much work remains before this has a chance to even be realized. While Macula has not lied yet, neither has he worked with us long enough to develop any kind of trust. His assistance in removing ADVENT spies is welcome, but it would make sense to make a good first impression.

It is likely to conclude that the aliens want a friendly Human state, albeit one which answers to them. Humans would theoretically have autonomy over themselves, although we have little confirmation of this outside Macula's word. However, considering the deteriorating states of the leadership of the SAS, it is likely that this opportunity is not one we can afford to pass up.

Macula has no stated willingness to help the SAS, but us, and myself specifically. If we were to restructure the SAS to be more amenable, it is likely that Macula would assist with this. However, utilizing a telepath of that power does lead down a path ADVENT itself would likely follow in the future. We must consider all options before taking drastic steps like that.

INTEGRATION OF ALIENS AND EQUIPMENT: Macula has promised to give us alien technology, including schematics and physical equipment itself. Some will likely not be reproducible without alien materials, but these can likely be provided. It is then imperative that we determine the needed resources, and begin the construction or reformation of facilities to construct these without relying on alien resources.

The first priority is overhauling the weapons, armor, and equipment of our own soldiers. Once that is complete, and the future of the SAS is decided, we will then begin applying these advances to the SAS army and then the civilian population.

During this period, it is imperative that ADVENT not learn of our alliance with the aliens, or they may be prompted to attack. For this reason locations of alien forces will be kept strictly confidential and not revealed to the civilian population until we are sufficiently able to defend ourselves.

Until then, we should work to reform and expand the SAS. Continuing discussions with Macula should be a part of this process.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile** **0081**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Macula

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics:

 _Hair_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Height_ : 9'2"

 _Weight_ : Unknown – Estimated 250 – 350 lbs.

 _Age_ : 700 – 900 Years (Exact age unknown – Not including cryogenic suspension)

 _Scars or markings_ : None

 _Physical condition_ : Macula is in exceptional physical condition, as he is an Ethereal, but is not enhanced beyond standard genetic modification. He also has no cybernetic enhancements.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Macula is one individual I do have some very tangible information on, as I interacted with him intermittently through the latter days of the Empire and throughout the war against the Synthesized. He was one of the most powerful and highest ranking members of the Division of Shadows. His specialty was that of an observer, who was often deployed to non-Imperial territories and unknown regions to gather information.

He, without fail, acquired the most accurate information on alien societies, governments, and militaries. If he judged they posed a problem, he would preemptively act and this usually resulted in the sudden assassination of leaders, civil war, or other conflicts between alien factions. The end result was always the original parties being severely reduced in power.

None of this was ever tied back to the Empire. I suspect that Macula utilized every tool at his disposal to make the actions have their intended effect. Perhaps he failed at times, and was forced to use his powers more openly. But the fact was that he was one of the most proactive guardians of the Empire, and in time, I believe he would have eventually vanished to become the new leader of the Division of Shadows.

During the war itself he was a pioneer of the research and development of anti-cybernetic psionic abilities. Specifically, disrupting minds that were supposedly immune to influence from psionics. The Empire did not give his research the resources it needed to be truly successful, believing their focus should be on other, more tangible means of defense.

Even with limited resources, Macula managed to develop techniques that could stop entire altered armies in their tracks and neutralize them just as easily. His mastery over telepathy was solidified during this point as well, and once the Empire realized what he could do, he was moved to the front lines and he killed millions of cybernetic thralls, and taught as many as he could the correct ways to do so.

Unfortunately, his revelations were too late to change the tide of the war, and the Synthesized seemed to adapt. His techniques became less effective over time, and eventually stopped working entirely. Due to his involvement in the conflict, he had little time to research new ways of breaking the new cybernetics.

By the end he was rather displeased with how the Empire had conducted the war, and immediately joined the Imperator when invited. I suspect that it was easy to convince him of the need, and the lure of a 'second chance' to win against the Synthesized was likely just as appealing. Upon waking from suspension, Macula has either been observing the inner galactic species, or monitoring the various Collective species.

He maintains a personal army of his own, aliens that impress him or otherwise attract his attention. He keeps their inner functions secret from all Ethereals, with the possible exception of the Imperator, and I do not have much information about their capabilities. What you should understand is that Macula would likely be drawn to recruit only the best, and those with mindsets similar to his.

If he arrives on Earth, it will not be long before his army follows.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Ultimately, Macula is similar to most Ethereals in the Empire psychologically. He is convinced that all other alien species are innately inferior to our own, and almost without fail looks down on them. No alien will ever be on the level of an Ethereal, but he does not believe that all of them are without worth.

The highest compliment Macula can give to an alien is respect, and that indicates that the recipient is _almost_ on the same level as the lowest Ethereal. Many of his army likely fit this category, but the vast majority he simply looks upon with apathy. He does not hate aliens, but simply sees them as not being worth his attention. Oddly enough, he is respectful of Sargons, but this is almost certainly due to the fact that they were bred through Ethereal genetic tampering, and are 'purer' than standard aliens.

He is similar to Quisilia in several ways, largely that he gains his amusement from the manipulation of alien species, but he is far more subtle and insidious than Quisilia normally is. The show is most important for Quisilia; that is not the goal for Macula. The _path_ is what Macula enjoys most. It is normally nothing complicated. Information, sabotage, suicide; these are all things Macula forces aliens to perform or carry out, but it is the chain of events that lead towards it that he focuses on.

He particularly enjoys warping the mindsets of those he comes in contact with, slowly shifting their perceptions and beliefs in seemingly natural ways. Nudges and hints, not all of them psionic either, as some of the alien species in the Galaxy were aware of what psionic tampering looked like. He used events, others, places, and words to manipulate his victims.

Gaslighting is one word Humans might describe this as, the repeated nudging and questioning of their very own personality and reality. Macula will modify this depending on the target of course, he particularly enjoys targeting naïve and emotionally vulnerable beings, and warping them into stoic sociopaths, which are likely then used by him in other ways.

I've observed this several times, and Macula is always proud of the fact that the results of his manipulations are almost never solely psionically influenced. His view on psionics itself is as a tool, one which has correct and incorrect applications. It is not something he always relies upon, but has no qualms about using it to its fullest potential if needed.

However, he often finds direct mind control 'unsatisfying', and far more enjoys the manipulation aspects of psychological reformation, even if they take longer. This is certainly dangerous, as tampering by Macula may not be as easily detected as other Ethereals. You likely understand this danger, as Humans have not had psionic abilities until recently, but have performed acts similar to Macula long before our arrival.

One final thing to mention is that Macula does not consider cybernetic enhancement as either needed or acceptable. As far as he is concerned, they lead to enemies like the Synthesized and reliance on them is just as bad as reliance upon psionics. He distrusts the Andromedons heavily as a result, although he rarely interacts with them directly.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

The manipulative aspects of his personality I have identified above, suffice to say that may be where the greatest threat poses. Psionically, he is a master telepath, not quite as powerful as Quisilia, but very close. His skill in telekinetics is also not to be underestimated as well. With that said, he dislikes direct combat and will likely take some efforts to avoid it.

In the case where he is directly threatened, he does carry some Shadow blades, which are little more than alloy daggers, and is by all accounts an expert at using them. But he will likely use psionics to defend himself, and one particularly dangerous application of telepathy is his ability to freeze the perception of time.

If this can be done before the enemy is even aware of his existence, it renders the fight over before it begins. Psions are also vulnerable to this, since they often need time to prepare their defenses. Cybernetics are also unlikely to be as…effective…as Macula is an expert at bypassing the normal difficulties they pose to psionic influence.

He does not wield any more than that, for that is all he believes he needs. Macula is exceptionally dangerous, Commander, and unfortunately, the ways to completely mitigate him are limited at best, and non-existent at worst. Let us hope he does not enter this war until Humanity has advanced further.


	78. Ethereals - History: The Guardians

Ethereals: History

The Guardians of the Ethereal Empire

* * *

" _We protect the leaders of our species, and ensure our continued future. No more or less."_

\- The First Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

REPORT: 111101111001

TARGET OF INTEREST: "THE GUARDIANS"

KNOWN ALIASES: "GUARDIANS"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED BODYGUARDS TO THE IMPERATOR OR SENIOR ETHEREALS

SPECIES: ETHEREAL (SUSPECTED)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPEARS CONNECTED TO THE TEMPLE SHIP

INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO NAMES CONNECTED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SMALL NUMBER SUSPECTED

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN

THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED LOW

THREAT LEVEL (ENEMY): UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED MEDIUM TO HIGH

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Ethereals have their secrets, and one of the most enigmatic are the continued references to a group or institution known simply as "The Guardians". These almost exclusively come from the Temple Ship, and there is little mention otherwise of what these Guardians are or what they do.

Considering they are almost certainly within the Temple Ship, where the Imperator himself is known to inhabit, the most obvious answer is that they fulfill the role of bodyguards or some other kind of protector. It would fit the title, but it does raise several additional questions if that is indeed their purpose.

The first is why an Ethereal like the Imperator would need guards in the first place? While not confirmed, it is almost certain that the Imperator is, if not close to, the most powerful Ethereal in the Collective. It could simply be insurance or tradition, but if so it is oddly sentimental for a race that does not seem to hold that in any sort of regard.

If we accept that these Guardians exist, the next question then becomes what exactly they are. To our knowledge, they have never departed the Temple Ship, and thus are presumed to be Ethereals of some kind. As "Guardians" is always referenced in plural, it stands to reason that there are at least two or more of these Guardians, which poses an immediate concern as their numbers cannot be verified.

There is no information on their abilities or psionic power, and they could also theoretically not be Ethereals at all, but a modified alien species converted to serve on the Temple Ship itself. As unlikely as it is, these might also not necessarily be of the species within the Collective, but an unknown one. Until these Guardians are revealed, little more than speculation can be given.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL REFERENCES WITHIN THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE TO THE GUARDIANS; RESEARCH KNOWN HISTORY OF ETHEREALS FOR ADDITIONAL REFERENCES; CONSIDER UTILIZATION OF INFILTRATION NANOTECH TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE TEMPLE SHIP

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 77; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

The beginnings of the Guardians can be firmly traced back to the original formation of the Ethereal Empire, as established by Regina. In the beginning of her quest to improve the Ethereal genome, the need for beings such as the Guardians were unnecessary. Regina had full control over all Ethereal species, and none posed a threat to her.

As Imperial genetic modification and cloning advanced in complexity, and the fledgling government along with it, Regina did recognize the need for some aspect of protection beyond the military. She tasked one of her closest family members, Consect, with forming a group with the sole purpose of monitoring the Ethereals themselves.

Despite this being several cloning generations after her victory, she was still paranoid that those she had conquered would rise again, despite her many safeguards. It is ironic that she never thought to consider that her own clan would pose a threat to her, for that was ultimately where the greatest danger lay. Unbeknownst to her, there had been internal meetings with her close allies and clan members, discussing the merits of allowing Regina to continue to rule the Empire for the centuries to come. She was ultimately deemed unfit to rule, and that the Ethereal species should advance without her.

However, there was disagreement about what path to take, as performing this task could very well lead to a second civil war they would almost certainly lose. Consect was one of these members, and having been given the order to create the order of Guardians, he put forth his own solution to the problem.

Regina was a legend among the Empire, and so simply killing her would cause too much disruption and panic. It would appear to be a coup, which was not an ideal outcome. She needed to be stripped of her power, and removed without conflict. A tall order, but one Consect believed was certainly possible, albeit one that would take several decades to fully complete.

The goal of the Guardians, as envisioned, was to serve both as a defense force to Imperial Civil Command, and provide personal protection to those on the Councils and Administration. The secondary, but true goal was to serve as a check on Ethereals within the Empire to ensure that those who were like Regina, who would maintain an iron grip on our species would not last within the Empire.

This would be done in conjunction with altering new batches of Ethereals by removing the mental conditioning mandated to prevent betrayal. As the Cloning teams of the then Scientific Branch of the Empire were only composed of those in Regina's clan, it made it easy to keep such information from her, and several generations of Ethereals were born without the conditioning to keep them servile.

As the new Ethereal generations began growing and were created anew, Consect began recruiting for the Guardians. He chose the best of the Division of the Battlemasters, ones who had similar goals and thoughts to his own; those who placed the protection of their species above all else. He spent additional time training them in telepathic abilities that weren't taught to others outside Regina's clan, and known only to the Overminds of that time.

Nearly five decades after the original order to create the Guardians, Consect presented the Order of the Guardians to her, and after a public announcement by her introducing them as "Those who would safeguard the Empire from the traitors within it." The celebration that followed was one of the most famous, and that was when the Guardians stormed her chambers in the Imperial Sanctum and quickly overpowered her.

As powerful as Regina was, she was no longer the prime Ethereal, nor could she adequately defend herself against twelve Ethereals trained in the techniques of the Overminds. They did not kill her, but they shackled her mind through sharp telepathic constraints, which forced her to follow all commands of the Guardians and rendered her psychologically unable to use her abilities.

Once the act was completed, the majority left, with only two staying behind to give the illusion of her bodyguards. And over the next months, Regina was forced to slowly give up her power, creating the Councils and Administration branches that controlled the modern Empire; divesting herself with the Empire that she created.

The process took nearly a century, but by the end we had truly and fully united. History was altered to provide the illusion of unity, and Regina was no longer remembered by most Ethereals, or if so it was only by passing mention. While it certainly was not the exact way she wanted, Regina ultimately was witness to her goal of a united species, but she would nevermore guide its path.

The Guardians continued in their role, and executed their tasks within the Empire with as much decisiveness and effectiveness as their first mission.

 _\- Ethereal Cogitian, on the formation of the Guardians of the Ethereal Empire_

* * *

 **XCOM File 6993**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Guardians of the Ethereal Empire

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

SECTION 1: Overview

As you have expressed a desire for more information on the old Empire, I feel that this can be tied with some relevant information, as there are two of the Guardians still alive today, now serving the Imperator. The Guardians of the Ethereal Empire were most equivalent to your…law enforcement, I believe. They were to watch for abuses of power and ensured that those in Ethereal Civil Command followed the established guidelines.

They were formally formed nearly half a century after our species unified, and have always been utilized for that exact purpose. However, as there was almost no crime within the Empire, they were largely regulated to extremely powerful bodyguards for the important civilians in the Empire. Nonetheless, they were a pillar in Imperial society for millennia, even if they were rarely used.

SECTION 2: Function in the Ethereal Empire

Their primary function was the safeguarding of the Ethereal species. This has several different interpretations, but what is usually inferred is protection of threats both external or internal. The Guardians were internally managed, and not beholden to any in Imperial Civil Command, and assigned Guardians to various councils, meetings, and individuals.

The duties they had often varied depending on their tasks. Those who were assigned to gatherings or meetings generally had the express goal of protecting from external threats, and handling disputes internally should that become required. This rarely was, but several Guardians reaching for their Sabers was often all that was needed to defuse situations.

Those assigned to individuals were more focused on ensuring that they did not pose a threat to the established order of the Empire. You did not receive a Guardian unless they had deemed the work done concerning, or of high value to the Empire and could not be afforded mistakes. Creators often had Guardians assigned to them, and more radical Ethereals did as well.

In theory, they could be refused, but none ever have because of the perception of guilt. Very few are treated differently if they had an accompanying Guardian with them, but knowingly refusing one was suspicious, and would not generally be treated with respect or trust. The accompanying Guardian was appraised of all facets of the targets life, and would remain so until he or she decided that there was no need for a Guardian.

While the idea of having the equivalent of an ultra-powerful spy following you around at all times might be disconcerting, in truth there was very little stigma attached to it. Most who received a Guardian became friends, and a few even managed to mate and raise children. Guardians had extensive personal freedom, so long as it didn't interfere with their objectivity should they be forced to act.

Interactions with the military were cordial, but separated. The vast majority of Guardians were Battlemaster candidates, and some in the Division of the Battlemasters did not like the Guardians 'stealing' their best and brightest, but this was assuaged by the fact that joining the Guardians was an honor, and they would have thousands more candidates once the next batch of Ethereals were grown.

Despite drawing their recruits from the Division of the Battlemasters, the Guardians conducted their own training regimes which were often totally different to standard Imperial military doctrine, which is unsurprising due to their smaller numbers and equipment. Much of their techniques were kept secret to the Empire at large, although the ranking members of other divisions were aware of what they did and incorporated what was useful into training their best operatives and soldiers.

SECTION 3: Function During the Synthesized War

Guardian operations during peace and war are radically different. The focus shifts from both _internal_ and _external_ to solely _external_. All investigations or personal guards are dropped in favor of front-line defense. It should be clarified that 'front-line' does not mean on the front lines of nameless planets, but on colony worlds with large numbers of civilians.

The primary objective was the protection and evacuation of civilians, and the Guardians on colony worlds would hold these as long as possible, and wait for military backup. Not once have the Guardians ever conducted preemptive strikes, but only acted in defense of other Ethereals. Shortly into the war, they began integrating with the military proper, and deployed to worlds that needed to be held at all costs.

High-ranking military leaders received Guardians that served largely as bodyguards, which were usually Battlemasters and certain members of the Division of Shadows, Overminds, and Aegis. I did have two Guardians of my own, although both sadly perished in the war, which was the fate of many Guardians.

In the latter days of the war, upon the creation of the Imperators, what Guardians remained moved to exclusively protect them, as did most of the Imperial military. It would not be accurate to say that Guardians were instrumental in the war, but they allowed the Empire to last longer than they would have otherwise, for better or worse.

SECTION 4: Organization and Structure

The Guardians are largely self-sufficient, and each one operates with minimal oversight from the leadership. However, the leader of the Guardians was always the High Guardian, and had a small council of advisors called the Chief Guardians, who were the ones primarily responsible for assigning other Guardians throughout the Empire. The High Guardian largely conducted high-level meetings within the Empire, and approved major decisions for them.

The rest of the Guardians were simply the warriors and watchers I have been primarily speaking of. All Guardians do not have static names as you or even I do, it changes depending on the assignment and where they are located. For example, the Guardians assigned to me were the First Guardian of the Aegis of the Skyllian Sector, and the Second Guardian of the Aegis of the Skyllian Sector, and so on if there were more.

They are fairly long names and titles, but it immediately indicated their role and position. Those assigned to our capital, the Imperial Sanctum, were titled much the same way, like the First Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum. These names can be changed as needed, and the Guardians have never been shown to display a distaste for continued name changes. Perhaps they keep personal names, but this information I do not know, nor do I think is relevant.

As you are likely curious, the names of the last remaining Guardians are structured similarly, although the latter part of the title can change as they are technically assigned to the Imperator, but they are referred to as this: The First Guardian of the Ethereal Collective, and the Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective.

SECTION 5: Powers and Abilities

Like most, you will likely first compare the Guardians to the Battlemasters. This is, simply put, intentional. While the Guardians fight with melee weapons, that is far from their only primary method of attack. They _do not fight like Battlemasters_. The styles are almost entirely different, and this style changes depending on the Guardian.

The primary reason for this is that Guardians use their psionic powers far more than even Battlemasters do, much less those in the division itself. They are taught secrets known by the Overminds, Illusionists, Observers, and Battlemasters themselves. Trying to predict how a Guardian will fight is an exercise in futility until you actually fight them.

Their size is a poor indicator of their technique, or lack thereof. If there is one thing I should stress, it is that Guardians use their telepathy heavily during combat, and they rarely seem to use defensive techniques. They continuously train, and likely have been working in preparation for eventual deployment on Earth, and unlike the Battlemaster, they have no qualms about exploiting advantages, such as the ones their weapons give them. Nor will they refrain from using telepathy to disrupt opponents.

They are not honorable like the Battlemaster. They are closer to one like Macula or Quisilia.

SECTION 6: Equipment and Tactics

I have already noted their similarity to the Battlemasters, but as their equipment is standardized, I will repeat what I remember so they are easy to identify. The good news for you is that their armor, while extremely thick and elerium-powered, is not nearly as durable as the Battlemaster's. They are most easily identified by their simpler helmets which only cover their head and mouth, with flaps that can slide down and cover the eyes.

Most Guardians will also have a deep purple cape, also similar to a Battlemaster's, or a hood of the same color. This is not mandatory, and some Guardians only wear one, or neither. However, those that wear them are even more easily identifiable.

Their signature weapons are the Guardian Sabers, handheld weapons that are used for melee combat. The Sabers are one of the most personalized, versatile, and dangerous weapons ever conceived in the Empire. The design is a closely kept secret, and requires highly exotic material to create, which are further changed by the Guardian making them.

Each individual Saber is unique to each Guardian. They are designed, built, and specialized to suit what that Guardian wishes. There is no limit on what they can make. Some have made only one saber, others four. One can tell quite a lot about the fighting style of the Guardian simply from their saber, which you should keep in mind.

As for what the Sabers are, they are best described as weapons that discharge unstable nanites to a certain shape, and then freeze them in place, effectively creating what appears to be a beam or blade of energy. Despite how it looks, which will appear to be yellow-orange, in actuality it is composed of billions of nanites.

The effect is that it allows the Saber to cut right through whatever it touches with near impunity as the nanites eat into the substance touched immediately, or simply explode. There is very little a Guardian Saber cannot cut through, although this does come with a cost. Should a Saber be used too much, it will simply lose effectiveness and the Saber cell will need to be replaced, which has a fresh set of nanites to reinforce the blade. This is similar to how your Templar weapons work.

While these are not completely indefensible against, it is more of a matter of avoiding the weapon entirely than looking for something to block it. Engaging any Guardian is highly dangerous, Commander, these Guardians were originally potential Battlemasters. That innate skill they never lose.


	79. Ethereals - Unit: Spectre

Ethereals: Unit

Spectres

* * *

" _Run!"_

\- Anonymous ADVENT Soldier

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Future of War

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Engineer Fectorian

The evolution of warfare varies from species to species, but there is a general theme that I have noticed. Militaries evolve one of two ways: They get more _efficient_ or they get _bigger_. Initially, almost every species goes through the latter route. Bigger armies. Bigger weapons. Andromedons develop spacecraft. Humans develop nuclear weapons. The Vitakara skipped warfare, but when they learned the necessity, they built the largest, most unnecessarily sized dreadnought in existence.

However, there is a point where the evolution stops getting bigger, and starts getting _better_. Weapons become more precise, more refined, sleeker. Aesthetics take a larger role. Efficiency is prioritized. The Human military industrial complex is especially interesting to read the history of. The sheer array of weapons at their disposal is fascinating, and that many of them work exceptionally well even compared to those only a few decades old.

The Sectoids are the embodiment of this, though it curiously is not for warfare. They, much like us, are focused on enhancing _themselves_. Their psionic potential, their genetics, they are almost exclusively focused on making what they have _better_ than making it _bigger_. As a species, I have found that the Ethereals tend to vary on the spectrum, sometimes existing on both sides.

Numbers and size are important to the Battlemaster, yet he also prefers his tools to be effective. Myself and Revelean prefer to create and enhance what we are familiar with, yet neither of us will hold back when designing things of scale. Of course, the majority eschew technology and weaponry altogether and enhance their psionic abilities.

Yet when designing for a war in the future, and even what we face now, I cannot help but wonder if there are truly the only paths of evolution.

Experiments have validated that the future of warfare may in fact become smaller.

Nanotechnology is a highly misunderstood and feared subject. Fears of doomsday scenarios have even permeated an enlightened species such as ours, and what can psionics do to machines that cannot be seen? Of course, if our species did not handicap ourselves with our reliance on psionics, this would not be as difficult a question.

But I digress.

It begins with questions.

 _Why_ do we need armies?

 _Why_ do we need complicated machinery?

 _Why_ do we need weapons that can destroy stars?

Warfare is messy. It is brutal. It is, in a word, _wasteful_. Necessary perhaps, but wasteful. So what can be done to harness the waste that would be caused?

Inspiration for this answer can be looked to in nature. Parasites ironically were an inspiration. Viruses that infect species are also a topic of interest. What is relevant is that they affect their target, drain and damage it, and in turn fuel themselves or multiply. Why can this concept not be applied to warfare itself?

Because the tactic exists: Nanowarfare.

Plasma and physical projectiles cannot hit what they cannot see. One single nanite can infect a soldier and replicate; consuming the organic matter in its path and continue spreading to other soldiers in the area. By morning there will be nothing left of an enemy force but the silent ghosts and empty bases. Armies are helpless against an invisible, but lethal machine that only needs the slightest opening to begin feeding.

Nanites only need two things: Material and targets.

Both are easy to achieve.

With the creation of the Spectres, I firmly believe that the future of warfare is not in the superweapons, or the refinement of the Sectoids, but in the invisible might of the machines that are unseen by our eyes.

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 110011011000

ANALYSIS COMPILER: FEDERATION MILITARY AUTOMATED SPECIALIST A'TERRA

RESTRICTION: ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

UNIT OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL NANOWEAPON ("SPECTRE")

SPECIES: NANOTECH (SUSPECTED ETHEREAL IN ORIGIN)

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY LETHAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SELF-REPLICATING

INFORMATION OF NOTE: IDENTIFIED AS "SPECTRE"

INFORMATION OF NOTE: COLLECTIVE HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF UNIT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: RESISTANCE TO PHYSICAL PROJECTILES AND WEAPONS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: VULNERABLE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED LOW NUMBER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: INQUIRIES INTO DEVELOPMENT OF SPECTRES WERE BLOCKED BY THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The development and apparent mastery of nanotechnology by the Ethereals is an extremely concerning development. While the Ethereals experimenting with such concepts of warfare is not surprising, there was absolutely _nothing_ to indicate that they had the knowledge to weaponize them to such an extent.

The Ethereals have created what can be classified as a superweapon without any hesitation. Footage recovered by scouring the Human Internet and intercepted videos from ADVENT show the utter devastation these weapons left behind that ADVENT had almost no answer to. Their standing army was completely useless against a nanoweapon, which is to be expected in such a scenario.

These nanoweapons appear to replicate by 'splitting' themselves, or throwing millions of nanites at a target and those nanites begin the process of replication, using the body of their target as a central 'shape' and once they have replicated to an acceptable number, they maintain that shape and continue to attack other identified enemies. This process of replication is an exponential effect, one that cannot be stopped without drastic measures.

Let there be no uncertain terms here.

This nanoweapon poses a DIRECT THREAT to the Andromedon Federation.

I must highlight the absolute danger of such a weapon, effective as it can be. All nanotech relies on basic programs as their memory simply is not capable of handling more due to their size. In theory, they are unable to be hacked, but nonetheless there are always vulnerabilities. One simple alteration could allow the nanites to continue replication without end, or be turned against us, or worse become unpredictable.

I do not know the redundant systems within these nanoweapons, because the schematics have been requested and denied. I must insist that the Federation DEMAND the Ethereal Collective turn over every piece of information related to this weapon to reassure us that these concerns are met. Their word is not good enough, not when it comes to superweapons.

Furthermore, the utilization of these Spectres on the Humans is, to borrow a phrase from their species, "Playing with Fire". At no point have the Humans shown any restraint in their actions against us, justified or not. Using this kind of technology against them will not only terrify them, but it WILL inspire the creation of nanoweapons of their own, and they will not hesitate to use them if their history against us has proven anything.

They detonated nuclear weapons to stop this. They will not take this attack lightly.

Furthermore, I will reiterate that this weapon existing poses a direct threat to us. The questionable usage of this nanoweapon might not be for the humans, but for _us_ as well. The Ethereals may feel like they need to remind us they are more advanced, and this can very easily be seen as a warning. If that is the case, it is insulting and the Federation should not tolerate it.

We are aware of Ethereals working with the Sectoids on projects. It is entirely possible that this was created in conjunction with them, and the GHC might possibly have access to this weapon. The Federation must not only demand schematics, but the entire history of the development of this nanoweapon. I cannot overstate how dangerous this weapon is, for it has the potential to change how war is waged.

In the event of continued stonewalling by the Collective, I propose the immediate research and development of anti-nanite weaponry and defenses which include EMP hardening, weapons, and suit additions. If the Collective objects, inform them that it is in preparation for the Humans developing nanoweapons of their own.

This is not an issue that I, nor I suspect, the rest of the Federation Military will back down on. This war does not exist in a vacuum anymore. The Collective must realize that if they wish our continued support, they need to inform us of projects with this level of destructive capability.

There is no negotiation here. If the Federation does not demand substantial action, I will ensure that Unions Apear, Jamoiar, and Zacarrim, as well as their allies solve this issue themselves. Ignore this matter at your own risk, inaction is no longer tolerable Chief Overseer.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT

* * *

 **XCOM Disassembly ETH02**

Machine Type: Nanotech

Unit Identity: "Spectre"

Codename: Parva Mortem

Alien Disassembly Overseer: Head of XCOM Engineering Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Raymond Shen_

"This…development by the Collective is quite possibly the most disturbing and dangerous of them all. It is fortunate that their susceptibility to EMP weapons was overlooked, else we might not be able to even begin to try and assess how this thing works, much less how to apply it to our own projects."

"What the Collective has done here by deploying such a weapon is what I consider to be borderline irresponsible, as it appears to be capable of full replication with very few restrictions. As expected, the means by which it replicates are brutal and horrifying, causing a prolonged period of suffering for the victim before enough damage is done to kill the target."

"I do not know if it was intended to be a weapon of terror or simply another tool in the vast arsenal of alien weapons, but it has the effect as one. It is not just what it does, but the implication of what it can do. Soldiers will run from this on sight, and for this I cannot blame them."

"We have very little to work with here, as the EMP reduced these Spectres to dust and what appears to be some kind of larger processor. I doubt we will be able to extract anything useful in a reasonable amount of time, but there is little harm in attempting."

 _Report_ :

Overview: The Spectre, as intercepted Collective signals have revealed, is a nanoweapon. There is no other conclusion. Very initial speculation was possibly that of an insect swarm, a changing state of matter, and other inane theories that no serious scientist would ever subscribe to. Even a cursory glance will make even the most scientifically illiterate being suspect nanotechnology.

With this established, there are several interesting things about this weapon that deserve recognition. The first is that the Collective did not appear to know of the existence of these units before their deployment in Washington D.C. This in all likelihood indicates that this is an Ethereal creation, likely one of Fectorian's as I know of no other Ethereal who would have the capability and interest in such a weapon.

How the Collective will react to this is unknown, but if their concerns about nanotech are similar to our own, I suspect issues will be raised. The second point of note is that the Spectre is in fact more complex than a series of nanites that resemble a shape. There does appear to be a reason they maintain a humanoid shape, although it is more design than anything else.

The nanites, contrary to what was originally suspected, are in fact directed by a local computer within the form of the Spectre itself. This appears to have been constructed by the nanites, but it retains the core programming and has direct control of the nanites themselves. This was the central processor that was recovered in piles of nanite dust. What is also interesting is that it can be in any part of the Spectre form, and can change if it detects danger. It can reside in the chest, arm, hand, and head. It can also have nanites harden around it to offer more protection.

Hardware Analysis:

There are two main components: The Central Processor, and the nanites themselves.

The nanites appear to be a slightly modified variation of MELD nanites, although with the biological component almost removed entirely to make room for disassembly capabilities. The nanites in fact are less complex than MELD, which makes some degree of sense as they are intended only for destruction and replication.

The Central processor is a small sphere that we were unable to extract any information out of. However, from the hardware we could make out some functionality. It does indeed appear to control the nanites within its form, which are slaved to its signals and it has a basic machine intelligence. This allows it to receive basic orders, store targets, contains an IFF system, and most importantly, has the capability to alter the directives of nanites it controls.

This presents a potential design flaw, or quite possibly a security measure. Even if this central unit was destroyed, the nanites it was slaved to would still operate on their programming. It would _not_ stop them as it is merely controlling them, not powering them. This is speculation, as we have not seen this in the field. It is possible that there is a contingency that destroys nanites when the central processor is destroyed to prevent endless replication.

But we do not know. Not for sure.

Software Analysis: Without a working nanite or central processor, this will unfortunately be speculation. However, it appears that the central processor has fairly sophisticated software and a machine intelligence that can adapt to situations, is precise enough to ignore potential targets and focus on specific ones, and otherwise act more intelligently than would be possible for nanites on their own.

The greatest capability is in the directing of the nanites themselves. It appears that when it orders the nanites to attack a target, specific ones are given a goal to replicate. Some work to form a central processor, which is for all intents and purposes, a clone of the first Spectre, containing the same programming and instructions as before, while the rest of the nanites replicate themselves and when the central processor is complete, slave themselves to the new Spectres.

I suspect Spectres also can simply replicate their nanites without creating a new Spectre, it would be odd if it could not.

Capabilities: Seemingly unstoppable replication. This is the greatest danger, and that it exploits the fact that none of our forces are capable of stopping it conventionally. Gauss slugs pass right through it, as do swords and melee weapons, and often just end up as fuel for more nanites. There is no way to really _stop_ a Spectre with the tools a soldier normally has.

It is honestly better to just run and deny it fuel. The Spectre is a disease that if left unchecked, will kill anything around it. It is a weapon of mass destruction, far more dangerous than a nuclear weapon and is only as indiscriminate as its programmer.

May God help us if these are deployed in mass numbers.

Countermeasures: Very few.

1\. EMP Weapons: As the sacrifice of President Treduant proved, it is that these Spectres are vulnerable to EMPs. By extension, smaller and more practical ones are an obvious solution. The WHEEE cannon is also likely to work against an intact Spectre. Immediate research and development into this must begin.

2\. Chlorine Triflouride. Nothing more needs to be said. While I normally would be opposed to usage of this dangerous chemical, there is no more suitable chemical for killing these things.

Additional Alien Comments and Notations:

 **[Sala'pharan'vitiary, Vitakarian computer specialist and alien assistant to XCOM]** : _The implications of this development are terrifying. Nanotech had limited research conducted on it in the past, but it was eventually stopped when we saw the danger of widespread use. Research was eventually banned and no Vitakara opposed such extreme measures, as they saw the obvious dangers._

 _To see that the Ethereals have not only researched it, but developed it to this extent is horrifying not just for your species, but for the galaxy itself. One mistake and entire worlds are consumed by machines, and only one is needed to bring the death of billions. Nanites are dangerous because they are nearly invisible, they can lie dormant, and they can act without warning._

 _This attack is horrendous, and the technology abhorrent, and now that it is introduced, it cannot be ignored. You will feel justified in responding appropriately and perhaps develop something worse; perhaps a nanite virus that lies dormant in us until a signal is sent that kills off millions. And the Collective will only respond with something worse._

 _I know you wish vengeance for these atrocities, but for the good of all species in the galaxy, please consider an alternative to these nanite weapons. No good can come from them._

 **[A'Darrah, Andromedon Artificial Intelligence and Mechanical Specialist of the Federation Military]** : _Interesting._

 _Concerning._

 _If the Collective deployed this without so much as warning the Federation that they even had such a weapon, that is going to raise alarms in the entire Federation Military. Nanotechnology is an extensive threat. There are no Unions that specialize in nanotechnology, and I will provide some history as to why._

 _The reason is that researching, developing, and using nanotechnology was the easiest way to having a Union destroyed. Unions would cease feuds and temporarily unite if they learned of a Union researching nanotechnology. We have seen the effects of what it can do. Worlds were turned barren by nanite bombardment, entire Unions were infected and killed with one single signal._

 _It did not take long for the Unions to learn that nanotechnology was the ultimate threat. So after several centuries, no one dared to research it further, even in secret. One of the Federation's founding laws was the outlawing of weaponized nanotechnology. These standards were slightly relaxed, with the introduction of MELD by the Ethereals, but those were not considered 'true' nanites because they were not as effective or capable as actual robotic ones, and were primarily used for genetic modification._

 _Even still, no Union has dared even consider researching nanoweapons._

 _That the Collective has this kind of weapon will be seen as a major threat to the Federation, and if this was developed with the help of the Sectoids, or even somehow tied to them, it will quite possibly start a war. Even if it is not, it is going to heavily damage the trust some Unions have in the Collective. I do not think whoever deployed these thought through the implications of what that means._

 _Andromedons do not take superweapons lightly. This Spectre is absolutely considered such._

 **[Aegis]** : _It is unsurprising that this weapon was developed. It is obviously Fectorian's work, and knowing him, he is quite proud of this. I can also guarantee that neither he, nor the Battlemaster for that matter, even considered the implications of deploying such a weapon. Neither are experienced diplomats, nor are ones to let politics and relations interfere with their actions. While I am sure the Battlemaster did not intend to damage relations, I wonder how this will affect his response if the Andromedons truly do react badly._

 _However, I believe that your concerns about this suffering a programming or mechanical failure are unfounded. Fectorian is many things, but he is not sloppy. He would not design something with such capacity for destruction without a safeguard, that is simply not how he works. He does not make mistakes in his work; flaws exist of course, but every project is in a constant state of improvement in his eyes._

 _While the fears of this being a dangerous weapon are true, and should not be discounted, decrying it as irresponsible is reactionary and is akin to fear-mongering. Fectorian is well aware nanites are dangerous, and even Ethereals discouraged their development for fear of such a scenario. But in the end, nanites are tools which can be turned into weapons. That is what Fectorian has done._

 _Do not allow fear to cloud your minds when considering what to do next. Fectorian will not cease his usage of nanites and Humanity must react and learn accordingly. You have gotten this far by taking what we have and turning it against us, and refusing to do that now would be giving yourself a permanent disadvantage._

 _While Fectorian is radical in some areas, he is right that technology that we do not understand is not something to be feared, but a challenge to be eventually mastered._

 _Do not succumb to the fear of what might happen. Focus on what you can eventually do._


	80. ADVENT - Organizations: Special Forces

ADVENT: Organizations

Special Forces Units

* * *

" _Not all can be Lancers, but that doesn't mean they aren't exceptional soldiers."_

\- Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes

* * *

 **Proposal 0042**

 _Latest Revision_ : 11/1/2016

 _Program Name_ : The Special Forces Division

 _Program Type_ : Military Special Forces

 _Authors_ : Helion Weekes, USSOCOM Commander of the United States of America; Ewald Eisenberg, Commander of the Rapid Forces Division of Germany; Dantrell Schalit, Chief of General Staff of the Israeli Defense Force

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : ADVENT will continue to grow and absorb the militaries of more countries, as a consequence they will find themselves with more of the elite special forces of the world. This is something that needs to be addressed before the process of assessing and assigning becomes hampered by an unworkable number of applicants.

The pioneer units for this initiative are the LANCER CORPS, which serve as the pinnacle of ADVENT Special Forces. However, we recognize that this will exclude a great number of special forces soldiers who are currently serving in units across the world who would be wasted if integrated with standard military units. Thus the SPECIAL FORCES DIVISION will be established to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these soldiers and place them in appropriate units, all of whom will have different focuses.

As with the LANCER CORPS, the SPECIAL FORCES DIVISION will answer only to ADVENT and no other foreign or international authority. Information on operations within the SFD is to be kept at a confidential level, only available to ADVENT MILITARY COMMAND, which is composed of the following members:

\- The COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military

\- The GENERAL of the Army Division

\- The CHIEF ADMIRAL of the Navy Division

\- The WING COMMANDER of the Air and Space Division

\- The CHIEF RESPONDER of the Special Response Division

\- The CHIEF OVERSEER of the Oversight Division

\- The CHANCELLOR of ADVENT

\- The CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations

\- The DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence

\- The COMMANDER of XCOM

\- The SPEAKER of the Congress of Nations

It will be directly overseen by a designated CHIEF OPERATOR of the Special Forces Division, who will also be appointed by the CHANCELLOR of ADVENT and approved by the CONGRESS OF NATIONS. Please note that the CHIEF of Lancer Operations will also answer to the SPECIAL FORCES DIVISION.

 **CONCERNING THE LANCER CORPS** : While the Lancer Corps is under the purview of the Special Forces Division, this document will focus on the less elite branches of the SFD, and those wishing for more information on the Lancer Corps are advised to review the attached document as what is discussed within directly relates to the training all special forces units receive, and each is descendent from the Lancer Corps as well.

 **BRANCH 1: THE HUSSAR CORPS** :

OVERVIEW: The purpose of the Hussar Corps is the advanced reconnaissance and long-range suppression and removal of threats. Hussars will be primarily elite snipers and scouts, armed and equipped with lighter equipment and more precise weaponry to surgically eliminate and sabotage high-value targets identified by earlier information or ADVENT Command.

UNIT COMPOSITION: Teams within the HUSSAR CORPS will vary depending on various operations. Depending on the unit in question, the team size may be as low as TWO, mostly for infiltration and surveillance missions, and as high as SIX. Each HUSSAR UNIT is composed of no more than SIX Hussars. Like the Lancer Corps, the full unit will not necessarily be used.

Within the units themselves, there will be THREE primary specializations:

 _WINGED HUSSARS_ : These Hussars will specialize in long-range combat to assist ADVENT Forces. They will be crucial in providing long-range suppressive fire if ADVENT finds themselves in need of assistance, disrupting back lines and coordination. When the Winged Hussars arrive, they will add another element to an attack that no other branch has. WINGED HUSSARS will be primarily armed with sniper rifles and specialize in long-range combat. As such, they will engage enemies at LONG RANGE, although they will also carry pistols in the event of close-range situations.

 _ROYAL HUSSARS_ : These Hussars are the primary scouts and will serve as forward units to assess enemy strength, composition, and possibly sabotage enemy forces. They may also work directly with ADVENT Intelligence in pursuits of these tasks. They will be armed with long and medium ranged weaponry, and will not engage without prior orders.

 _BLACK HUSSARS_ : These Hussars will be fewer in number and will be used exclusively for the elimination of high-priority targets on the battlefield or outside it. They will not be used on other targets aside from the designated ones, and will not interact with standard ADVENT Forces on a significant or regular basis. BLACK HUSSARS will be primarily armed with sniper rifles and pistols, and only engage at EXTREME RANGE.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: As the primary focus of Hussars is to be primarily long-range combat and reconnaissance, they will need to be experts in weaponry with further training in survival and scouting. To be authorized to join the HUSSAR CORPS, applicants must pass the COMBAT Stage of Lancer training. They also have to pass the RECON Training given to field agents in ADVENT Intelligence.

POST-TRAINING: Upon successful and full completion of training, the HUSSAR will immediately undergo genetic modification and have the ENHANCED EYESIGHT and DISEASE RESISTANCE modifications applied to them. Immediately afterwards they will undergo a brief period of training which will acclimate them to their enhanced abilities. Once this is complete, and they are fully aware of current HUSSAR operations, they will be deployed as full Hussars.

 **BRANCH 2: THE DRAGOON CORPS** :

OVERVIEW: The intent and mission of the DRAGOON CORPS is the destruction of enemy structures and hardened targets designated by ADVENT. Dragoons will specialize in the removal of these kind of enemies, using various types of explosives and other destructive agents. All Dragoons will bear heavy armor and weaponry to accomplish this task.

UNIT COMPOSITION: The squad size for Dragoon units will be NO MORE or LESS than SIX Dragoons. There will be a limited number of situations where they will be deployed, primarily for DESTRUCTION and SABOTAGE Missions. DESTRUCTION missions will specifically target hardened targets such as bunkers and buildings held by hostile forces. SABOTAGE Missions will specifically target enemy vehicles, weaponry, or equipment for destruction.

As such, there are TWO primary specializations.

 _DRAGOON SABOTEURS_ : These are Dragoons that are designed and equipped for quicker operations; their armor is slightly lighter, and they are equipped with wrist-mounted chemical dispensers, high-explosive grenades and X4 charges. They will specifically target stockpiles, vehicles, and other consumable equipment in enemy territory, as well as often participate in quick strikes in conjunction with other forces, then escape quickly. They will use lighter weaponry as well, primarily assault rifles, and engage enemies primarily at CLOSE to MEDIUM range.

 _DRAGOON DESTROYER_ : These Dragoons are designed and equipped for heavy combat. Their armor is the heaviest in ADVENT, needing mechanized assistance when moving, and equipped with micro-missile shoulder launchers, and the suits incorporate MDU intelligence and assisted targeting. They have wrist-mounted rocket gauntlets, and wield heavy gauss autorifles. They will participate in attacks to destroy heavy targets or emplacements and will be able to provide sustained support for a long period of time. They will primarily engage enemies at MEDIUM range.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: The primary focus of the DRAGOON CORPS is heavy front-line combat and explosive usage. As such, to be authorized to join the DRAGOON CORPS, applicants must pass the COMBAT and ENDURANCE Stages of Lancer training. They will also have to pass an internal EXPLOSIVE AGENTS training course before fully being approved into the Dragoon Corps.

POST-TRAINING: Upon successful and full completion of training, the DRAGOON will immediately undergo genetic modification and have the IRON SKIN and DISEASE RESISTANCE modifications applied to them. Immediately afterwards they will undergo a brief period of training which will acclimate them to their enhanced abilities. Once this is complete, and they are fully aware of current DRAGOON operations, they will be deployed as full Dragoons.

 **BRANCH 3: THE CUIRASSIER CORPS** :

OVERVIEW: While the Lancer Corps is composed of the most elite soldiers in the world, they are few in number and cannot be everywhere. The CUIRASSIER CORPS is designed to assist in this issue, and act to both assist in Lancer operations and take assignments that require a special forces intervention, but not necessarily a Lancer intervention. These will be both enhanced front-line soldiers, and soldiers capable of acting in small groups. They will be among the most visible of the ADVENT Special Forces, and regularly assist ADVENT forces in combat, easily identifiable with their silver and smoothed armor; distinguishing them from the majority of ADVENT Forces.

The CUIRASSIER CORPS will also be the first special forces unit to receive certain experimental weapons, armor, and tech to perform field tests. Once those have been completed in a satisfactory manner, they will be distributed to ADVENT at large.

UNIT COMPOSITION: The Squad Size for Cuirassiers will be exactly SIX soldiers, and units will be composed of exactly EIGHTEEN soldiers. They will primarily fight on the front lines on both large battlefields and confined spaces, and thus are prepared to primarily engage enemies at MEDIUM and SHORT RANGE. They are also the only special forces branch to have a dedicated support unit, which will provide assistance to all ADVENT Forces in the area.

There are TWO primary specializations:

 _CUIRASSIER OPERATIVE_ : These are the primary soldiers of the Cuirassier Corps, who will be equipped with armor equivalent to Lancer Predators, and primarily wield gauss rifles and one sidearm. They will engage enemies primarily at MEDIUM range, and participate in a variety of both covert and public operations.

 _CUIRASSIER MEDIC_ : These are primarily support soldiers who will provide medical support in highly dangerous situations. As such, they will be primarily deployed on major operations with multiple ADVENT forces engaged, and there will be a minimum of one Medic in each covert mission. They will carry light weaponry, such as pistols and SMG weapons, and engage enemies, if pressed, at MEDIUM RANGE.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: The primary focus of the CUIRASSIER CORPS is to provide support to ADVENT and LANCER forces and serve as the elite front-line soldier of ADVENT. As such, to be authorized to join the CUIRASSIER CORPS, applicants must pass the CRISIS RESPONSE and ENDURANCE Stages of Lancer training. Cuirassier MEDICS must pass an internal BATTLEFIELD MEDICINE course before being authorized to join the Cuirassier Corps.

POST-TRAINING: Upon successful and full completion of training, the CUIRASSIER will immediately undergo genetic modification and have the IRON SKIN (Cuirassier Operatives), MUSCLE FIBER DENSITY (Cuirassier Medics), ENHANCED EYESIGHT, and DISEASE RESISTANCE modifications applied to them. Immediately afterwards they will undergo a brief period of training which will acclimate them to their enhanced abilities. Once this is complete, and they are fully aware of current CUIRASSIER operations, they will be deployed as full Cuirassiers.

 **CONCLUSION** : While the Lancer Corps will serve as the true elite forces of ADVENT, the rest of the Special Forces Division will address the other needs of various military operations. Each branch proposed will address different scenarios faced, and provide options to be deployed as well as assisting ADVENT forces in various capacities.

For more information on the LANCER CORPS, please refer to the attached document.

* * *

Operation: Special Problem

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'kameron'mattis

Authorization: Zar'Chon

The knowledge that ADVENT has more special forces units than the Lancers is not surprising, as we have recovered information on the three additional branches of the ADVENT Special Forces Division, which were the Hussar, Dragoon, and Cuirassier Corps. Based on what they were being armed and equipped with, some predictions could be made on their role, most of which have proven to be accurate.

Now that they have been observed in combat, we can begin gathering more data on how to counter them, because initial engagements with Collective forces have shown to significantly favor the various ADVENT units.

The most common units identified were the Cuirassier soldiers, as they were among the most distinctive with the standout silver armor, which also appears to be based on XCOM Aegis armor instead of the standard ADVENT blocky, geometric style. Their role seemed to be primarily as elite front line soldiers, taking damage and being significantly more accurate than standard forces.

With that said, compared to the other special forces units in play, they were clearly the most expendable, though this might be due to their role on the front line. They were also seen performing medical duties, which is atypical of most special forces units. While dangerous, they are perhaps the easiest to counter.

The Dragoon Corps are the closest ADVENT has to a walking weapon platform, as each Dragoon is easily larger and more equipped with explosives than any other unit in ADVENT. They are extremely difficult to take down due to their heavy armor, which has taken clear inspiration from the SSR, and also appears to be partially mechanized.

They are relatively few, but they are capable of putting out extreme amounts of damage from their missile launchers against fortified positions. There appears to be a slightly less-armored subgroup that performs sabotage operations using flamethrowers and chemical dispensers, as well as planting explosive charges. They are also equipped with extremely heavy gauss weaponry, ultimately making them equal to a Muton Elite. As they are Humans, they have the advantage in intelligence and are difficult to displace or damage fast enough.

If they have one weakness, it is that they are slow and easily able to be flanked. However, ADVENT is well aware of this weakness and Dragoons are always protected by other forces in combat. They are few in number though, and are easily spotted and targeted. They should be made priority targets whenever encountered, as an entrenched Dragoon is clearly difficult to stop.

The final group is surprising in how effective they have been against us: The Hussar Corps. Initial reports indicated that they were primarily an elite long-range assassination unit, and while they _do_ appear to be, where they are felt most is surprisingly on the battlefield. These units within the Corps are referred to as the Winged Hussars.

Their purpose is to provide a high volume of long-range fire at the back ranks of our forces, which as you know, are primarily support forces and commanders. Of course the front ranks are targeted as well, but the Winged Hussars primarily focus on the back lines. There have been numerous reports of ADVENT forces being severely outnumbered, ranging from five to fifteen to one, and while this is primarily because of Muton numbers, when the Winged Hussars arrived, the back lines, which felt they were out of danger, were suddenly decimated by sniper fire.

This had an immediate effect on battlefield coordination as the Winged Hussars further disrupted communications by targeting exposed equipment and explosives, causing more chaos in the back ranks. While there were quite a few instances where the lines were held, the battles are still going on and I can guarantee that this is something they will not forget.

We underestimate the Winged Hussars at our own peril, and I suspect these are not even their best units. We should be sure to remember what they are capable of when anticipating ADVENT attacks. Ultimately, these various special forces units pose further threats to our own forces, and since all of them appear to be genetically modified to a degree, they are already more dangerous than the majority of our own forces.

The deficiencies in our military need to be addressed soon. At this time, I cannot say with confidence that we are trying to actually win this war, whereas ADVENT clearly is.

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 110010101111

ANALYSIS COMPILER: COLLECTIVE ANDROMEDON COMMANDER J'LORAN

RESTRICTION: COLLECTIVE MILITARY COMMAND; ANDROMEDON MILITARY COMMAND

UNIT OF INTEREST: ADVENT SPECIAL FORCES UNITS (HUSSAR, DRAGOON, CUIRASSIER)

SPECIES: HUMAN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SPECIALIZE IN DIFFERENT FORMS OF WARFARE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ADVENT SPECIAL FORCES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CURRENT CHIEF OPERATOR IS DANTRELL SCHALIT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: GENETICALLY MODIFIED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: UTILIZE A MIXTURE OF EXPLOSIVE AND RANGED WEAPONRY

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The expansion of the ADVENT Special Forces Division is not an unexpected development, and the additions seek to address multiple scenarios and specializations encountered in the field. However, unlike the Lancers, the three now-deployed Corps have very distinct areas of operations and that can be exploited in combat.

As they have not participated in combat until very recently, this document will be further refined as more data is acquired and compared to existing conclusions. It is also likely that further internal documentation on the units themselves will further highlight areas of interest and points to be exploited in future operations.

CUIRASSIER CORPS: There appear to be two distinct specializations within this unit. One is a front-line unit which fulfills the role of an elite soldier, and the other is a medical specialist. Genetic modification has yet to be determined, but the front-line units are likely hardened more, and will require concentrated fire to take down.

Cuirassier soldiers are best dealt with by long-range forces, explosives, or acidic agents and other means of penetrating armor. Suppressive fire will prevent continuous offensives, and their distinctive silver armor makes them a noticeable and easy target. Cuirassiers appear to be more effective than standard soldiers, but not as dangerous or aggressive as Lancers. While they do not have any major weaknesses, they do not have significant strengths.

Cuirassier Medics should be eliminated as long range, primarily when they are working on wounded soldiers. It would be optimal to deliberately wound, but not kill, soldiers in exposed areas to lure Cuirassier Medics to them and eliminate them as they arrive. While this may be complicated by the intervention of PRIESTs, it will divert forces away from an ADVENT offensive.

DRAGOON CORPS: The arrival of any kind of Dragoon soldier should immediately be a high-priority target as Dragoons can cause a large amount of damage in a short amount of time. They are heavily armored and armed, and are difficult to destroy offensively. Thus, high explosives, psionics, and coordinated fire are all recommended ways of taking these soldiers out.

What must be exploited is the lack of mobility. Dragoons are near-stationary targets and cannot relocate easily. Deployment of Blaster Launchers will be needed, and slower, but more accurate weaponry would likely be effective against them. While outflanking may not always be tenable, they are large targets even if they can withstand heavy fire. Coordinated plasma fire or artillery strikes would almost certainly be effective and force ADVENT to sacrifice them, or devote resources to protecting them, both of which are acceptable outcomes.

Determining structural deficiencies in our defensive structures, and hardening them further may also be considered to mitigate the effect of Dragoons.

HUSSAR CORPS: These break the traditional standard of sniper units not having a major impact on the battlefield. Hussars are deployed in surprisingly large teams, and focus on disrupting the far ranks of our forces including leadership and vulnerable infrastructure. This has led to highly uncoordinated defenses and as a result, easy victories for ADVENT.

While being aware of them on the battlefield is useful, there are definitely ways to counter them beyond using artillery and counter-snipers, however, the options are unfortunately limited. Psionics is of limited use due to the lack of range and precision of Sectoids. The good news is that the numerical damage that can be done is limited, the issue is that the damage is on more critical units or infrastructure.

It is highly possible that the only way to adequately address this is by using forces designed for operation behind the lines, such as Zararch agents, drones, and the possibility of deploying Chryssalids should be considered. ADVENT is not holding back in fighting us, and we cannot take more damage before we must respond in kind.

There is little point in waging a war, and not adapting to your opponent for the sake of fairness and honor.

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT


	81. ADVENT - Organizations: PRIEST Division

ADVENT: Organizations

The PRIEST Division

* * *

 _"The advancement of psionic research has completely changed the course of scientific progress and Human evolution. This is a new, untouched field of study, just waiting for able minds to master. The Ethereals made a mistake in allowing us to be awakened to this power. Soon they will understand the depths of their error."_

\- PRIEST Program Director Dr. Akilah Kettani

* * *

 **Proposal 0101**

 _Latest Revision_ : 11/16/2016

 _Designation_ : The Psionic Research, Investigation, Enhancement, Specialization and Training (PRIEST) Division

 _Program Type_ : Psionic Utilization and Control

 _Authors_ : The Commander of XCOM; Patricia Trask, XCOM Psionic Overseer; Moira Vahlen, Head of Research and Development; Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Akilah Kettani, PRIEST Program Director; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : It has become apparent over the course of this escalating conflict with the Ethereal Collective that their strength does not primarily rest in their armies or technology, but in their utilization of the power that has been designated as PSIONICS. The accepted explanation as to the workings of this phenomenon have been documented by Dr. Moira Vahlen in her proposed Psionosphere Theory (See attached document), and will not be addressed here.

XCOM has been instrumental in the field of psionics, and has produced the first Human psions through experimentation, trial and error, and has ultimately proven that Humans can wield the ethereal power as both the alien species known as Ethereals and Sectoids do. They have also proven the effectiveness of such powers in combat, with one psion sometimes equaling an army by themselves.

Thus, Humanity has an untapped reservoir of millions of psions to be recruited and used against the aliens. The PRIEST DIVISION has been established by ADVENT as a means of utilizing, researching, and controlling this phenomenon to ensure that the widespread and invasive abilities allowed by psionics are not used against ADVENT or its citizens, and directing them against the aliens themselves.

Before continuing further, the four disciplines of psionics will be stated below:

OFFENSE: Utilization of psionic energy for destructive purposes.

DEFENSE: Utilization of psionic energy for defensive purposes.

TELEKINESIS: Utilization of psionics for remote manipulation of one or multiple objects.

TELEPATHY: Utilization of psionics to influence, dominate, or destroy organic minds.

The potential for psionics is not simply limited to military applications, but also multiple law enforcement, civilian, and psychological applications as well, all of which the PRIEST Division will dedicate resources and personnel to fully exploring to their fullest ability.

 **PRIEST DIVISION BRANCHES** : Each PRIEST Branch will focus on the utilization of psionics in one field, and multiple sub-fields and specializations within that. This has the potential to be expanded in the future, both within Branches themselves and in the creation of new entire branches for different applications. Each Branch has their own structure, leadership, and resources, although all coordinate and communicate with each other and the various ADVENT Organizations themselves, with special focus on the OVERSIGHT DIVISION, ADVENT INTELLIGENCE, and the PEACEKEEPERS.

MILITARY BRANCH: The immediate application of psions for military purposes is apparent, and all military operations in the PRIEST Division will be conducted under this branch. PRIEST forces will participate in designated military operations in offensive, defensive, and supporting roles contingent on their psionic specialization.

PRIEST Forces will be divided into individual squads, five strong, and squad members will be chosen based on the decision of the designated regional Archpriest. The following hierarchy applies exclusively to the MILTIARY BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

 **\- VICAR GENERAL** : The VICAR GENERAL is the designated leader of the Military Branch of the PRIEST Division, and is responsible for coordinating between other branches, the ADVENT Military, and participating in overall strategy and Priest Deployment. The Vicar General is also responsible for choosing Archpriests and has immediate authority over any Priest forces in combat. As such, the Vicar General will participate in larger operations and assist ADVENT Forces. The Vicar General _must_ also be a Magus-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power.

 **\- ARCHPRIEST** : The ARCHPRIESTS are Priests responsible for the MILITARY BRANCH operations over a specific area. There will be at minimum one Archpriest per country, and larger countries such as the United States and Russia will have additional Archpriests to oversee specific areas of the country. They are responsible for assigning squads, and maintaining coordination with the local ADVENT Legions and the Vicar General. Archpriests must be a Psion-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power.

 **\- PROTOPRIESTS** : These are the designated leaders of PRIEST squads, and handle inter-squad communication and battlefield coordination with allied ADVENT and foreign forces. Protopriests must be a Psion-class or higher on the Trask Scale of Psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline.

 **\- PRIEST** : These make up the squads of Priests, and act in a military capacity to support allied positions or attack alien ones. Priests must be an Adept-class on the Trask Scale of Psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline.

INTELLIGENCE BRANCH: With psions having the ability to read and manipulate minds, it is logical to utilize these psions in ADVENT Intelligence. With psions at their disposal, infiltration missions, in-field interrogations, and agent support can be fully supported and enhanced in a way that was simply not possible before. Utilizing psions, we no longer need to rely on older methods of information extraction and manipulation and can simply extract information actively from captives, or passively from observers in alien or foreign territory, who are unlikely to be aware of our psionic monitoring.

NOTE: The INTELLIGENCE BRANCH of the PRIEST Division will NOT be activated until the development of Manchurian Restraints is completed. This requirement will not be lifted under any circumstances.

Psions in the Intelligence Branch will primarily act alone or in support of small groups or individual agents. Other psions will be employed in Intelligence bases and perform additional monitoring and interrogation duties. The following hierarchy applies exclusively to psions of the INTELLIGENCE BRANCH.

 **\- GRAND INQUISITOR** : This is the head of the Intelligence Branch, and has direct control over the entirety of recruiting, policy, deployment, and assignment of psions within the branch itself. The Grand Inquisitor will work directly with the Director of ADVENT Intelligence in all stages of planning, designing and executing operations, and will be appointed by the Director themself. The Grand Inquisitor must be a Magus-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and of the telepathic psionic discipline.

 **\- INQUISITOR** : These are the primary psionic agents of ADVENT Intelligence and members of the Intelligence Branch of the PRIEST Division. They will have a wide range of applications, which include, but are not limited to the following:

\- Surveillance  
\- Assassination  
\- Interrogation and Information Extraction  
\- Loyalty Monitoring  
\- Counter-Intelligence  
\- Target Acquisition

They will work primarily alone in the field and will maintain a low profile to ensure secrecy, and if their job is done correctly, they will not be expected. Inquisitors must be a Psion-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and of the telepathic psionic discipline. In certain cases, those of the telekinetic discipline will be allowed if they fit the correct psychological profile, and are exceptionally skilled.

For various purposes, it is recommended that the general population, nor any foreign power be officially notified of the existence of this branch even if some suspect. There is little practical or logical reason to reveal one of our arguably greatest assets.

PEACEKEEPER BRANCH: The usefulness of psionics has been adequately shown for the purposes of military and intelligence, and the natural extension of such information is applying it to law enforcement. Psions within the PEACEKEEPER Branch will participate in all aspects of the ADVENT Justice System, including the Peacekeepers proper and the Judicial Courts.

The goal of the branch is not only to protect the citizens of ADVENT, but to end the plague of incorrect judgement that has been the bane of courts since their formation. Utilizing the power of telepathy, false judgements will be rendered a thing of the past and the faith in the courts can be firmly restored for as long as ADVENT exists. There will no longer be a question of guilt or innocence, simply trials and judgements. False testimony, corruption, and subversion will be eliminated by the psions of this branch, and our Peacekeepers will be further reinforced as they bring justice to the lawless in ADVENT.

NOTE: The PEACEKEEPER BRANCH of the PRIEST Division will NOT be activated until the development of Manchurian Restraints is completed. This requirement will not be lifted under any circumstances.

NOTE 2: This only applies to ARBITERS, and does not apply to military support for the Peacekeepers themselves.

Psions in the Peacekeeper Branch will primarily focus on two differing aspects of the Judicial System. The first will work with the Peacekeepers and those affiliated with them, and will support State Officers in their standard law enforcement duties, and assist in combat situations with regular Peacekeeper and SSR forces. The second will work directly in courtrooms with the Judicial Courts in assisting judges with cases. The following hierarchy exclusively applies to the PEACEKEEPER BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

 **\- PONTIFF** : This is the head of the Peacekeeper Branch, and works directly with the Chief of Peacekeeper Operations in determining policy for both Peacekeepers, the Judicial Courts, and the Peacekeeper Branch itself. They will assist in designating assignments, Arbiters, and participate in multiple operations against criminal activity. The Pontiff must be a Leviathan-class on the Trask Scale of Psionic power, and be of the telepathic, telekinetic, or defense specializations.

 **\- ARBITER** : These are the psions who work directly with the Judicial Courts to determine the guilt or innocence of certain parties. They will be involved in _all_ criminal cases brought by ADVENT, and will be brought to assist in civil cases on a case-by-case basis. While the final judgement is not up to them, they will provide the condemning evidence, or lack thereof, for the judge to make the correct decision.

Arbiters will also be utilized to confirm the guilt of any persons sentenced to death or experimentation, to ensure that there are no false convictions, regardless of if this was previously confirmed by another Arbiter. Arbiters have the authority to arrest any citizen if they are performing psionic reconnaissance on an area and learn of criminal activity. This will be confirmed by another Arbiter.

As Arbiters have a serious and powerful role in the justice system, they will be subject to heavy mental conditioning, using highly potent forms of the Manchurian Restraints, and be subject to weekly psionic interrogation by the Inquisitors to prevent potential abuses of power. While it is unlikely that Arbiters will be able to override their programming, justice cannot rely on only one means of insurance.

Arbiters must be an Awakened-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and be of the telepathic psionic discipline.

 **\- ARCHDEACON** : These are Priests that work exclusively with the SSR in their efforts to stamp out violent and organized crime. They will provide combat support similar to that provided by the Priests and Protopriests. ARCHDEACONS must be a Psion-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline. Due to the dangerous situations and material the SSR encounter and participate in, the psychological profile of the Archdeacon is stricter and certain requirements must be met.

 **\- DEACON** : Much like the Archdeacons, the Deacons will provide support to standard Peacekeeper forces, although not necessarily in a military capacity. They will assist State Officers and Riot Control in their duties, and will be a highly visible presence much like all ADVENT Peacekeepers are, to acquaint and familiarize the general population with them and destigmatize the utilization of psionics for law enforcement or military purposes. DEACONS must be an Adept-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline.

TRAINING BRANCH: Psions are awakened with powers, but none innately know how to use them without substantial practice and training. It is then imperative that there be a comprehensive training program for adult and child psions to fully explore and utilize their psionic potential, as well as determine where they belong within the PRIEST Division.

All psions will first be trained in this branch, and then will be deployed throughout ADVENT where they are needed most. During this time they will receive their implants and, when developed, implementation of the Manchurian Restraints. As of the time of writing this document, implants are being utilized, and the Manchurian Restraints are becoming close to deployable. XCOM has provided several of their own psions to assist in training programs, and as the PRIEST Division expands, they will be phased out and replaced by those in ADVENT itself.

The structure of the TRAINING BRANCH will be organized based on the age of the trainees and complexity of said training. One half will be devoted to the training of adults and advanced child psions, and the other half will be devoted to the training of child psions. The following hierarchy exclusively applies to the TRAINING BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

 **\- GRAND MAGISTER** : This psion is in charge of the Training Branch, and has extensive authority over the inner workings of the branch, and is the one who determines training regimes, choosing designated teachers, in addition to personally approving potential recruits to join the PRIEST Division initially. The Grand Magister is continuously in heavy communication with the heads of all the branches to determine needs and receive feedback. The Grand Magister must be a Magus-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline.

 **\- MAGISTER** : These are the primary instructors of adult and advanced psions, who are responsible for acclimating the newly awakened psions to their new abilities and further refining them to a usable degree. Once trainees have received an adequate amount of preparation, they will assist in choosing what branch they will join. MAGISTERS must be a Psion-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and they may also specialize in any psionic discipline. Due to their role, they will also need to be able to manage and teach adults and meet several additional requirements.

 **\- MENTOR** : These are the primary instructors of awakened children who are not used to, or might become overwhelmed with their abilities. They will be instrumental in teaching children how to control, manage, and when to use their abilities over a period of years. In addition to psionic training, they will also receive regular schooling from other teachers. As this is a very influential position, Mentors will have tighter Manchurian Restraints than normal, and must be an Adept-class or higher on the Trask Scale of psionic power, and can specialize in any psionic discipline. Mentors are also encouraged to have an educational background to teach additional scholarly subjects.

CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH: While the applications for psionics in government and military are the obvious uses for such powers, they are also excellent for more traditional civilian work and public service. The implications of psionics on mental illness have yet to be fully realized, nor the impact of psions working in non-combat situations such as firefighting, explorations of hazardous zones, or dangerous construction work. In nearly all civilian fields there can be some application of psionics from the four disciplines, which can ultimately make them more effective, safer, and further destigmatize the fear which is surely to come with wide-scale psionic usage.

NOTE: The CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH of the PRIEST Division will NOT be activated until the development of Manchurian Restraints is completed. This requirement will not be lifted under any circumstances. Due to the amount of psions interacting with the general population, this is a risk that cannot be afforded, especially as these psions are the ones who will most often interact with civilians and impressions must not be tainted.

The Civil Service Branch is excellent for weaker psions, and those who might not be able to withstand the stresses of combat or that which comes from high-stress positions in ADVENT Intelligence or with the Peacekeepers. They can perform equally good work bettering ADVENT itself instead of strictly protecting it, and further the usage of psionic powers for non-combat situations. The following hierarchy exclusively applies to the CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

 **\- MONSIGNOR** : This is the official leader of the Civil Service Branch, and is responsible for the deployment and utilization of the psions in this branch. The Monsignor will maintain tight relations with all organizations of ADVENT, especially those that pertain to infrastructure, public safety, diplomacy, and most non-military organizations. As the Civil Service Branch also has a large humanitarian component, relations with various charity and humanitarian groups will be maintained.

 **\- COUNSELOR** : These will be the dedicated medical psions of ADVENT, both for assisting hospitals and medics in various situations either providing protective or telepathic support/focus for medics or victims. In addition, they will be continuously experimenting and utilizing telepathy to assist in the treatment of various mental illnesses and the effect psionics can have on them. Due to their heavy utilization on telepathy and potentially critical role in an experimental field, the restrictions placed on them by Manchurian Restraints will tighter than normal.

 **\- CHAPLAIN** : These psions will work primarily in humanitarian fields and organizations, providing translation support, protection, and general mediation. They will assist in all ADVENT-sanctioned foreign work, and in the event that ADVENT encounters situations that require a translation for a language they do not know, Chaplains will be employed. While it will not be common, they may occasionally work with the ADVENT Diplomatic Service, though not in a significant capacity due to the implication or perceived threat. In situations on foreign soil, they will be permitted mediating powers in the absences of an authorized ADVENT authority, and are encouraged to come to a peaceful truce. If necessary, they can also be called as mediators for civil legal disputes without need for an Arbiter.

 **\- VOLKHV** : These will almost certainly be the most numerous in the Civil Service Branch, as they will be the ones utilized to assist in various ADVENT Projects and situations all over the world, from assisting construction projects to firefighting, to evacuating civilians in attacks. They will be highly versatile and be among the most visible psions in ADVENT.

RESEARCH BRANCH: In any aspect of society, it does not advance without continuous refinement and advancement. For psionics it is no different, and there will be a branch within the PRIEST Division that will focus exclusively on the research, experimentation, and application of all aspects of psionics. This will result in a refinement of currently available knowledge and abilities, and development of new abilities and our understanding of the field of psionics.

Unlike all other branches in the PRIEST Division, having a position within the Research Branch does NOT require the applicant to be psionic for all positions. There are many academic opportunities in the field of psionics, and for theory and experimentation one does not necessarily need to be a psion to propose new ideas or theories. As such, even psions do not necessarily need to be exceptionally powerful to hold a position within this branch, nor do they need to be of a specific specialization, as all fields are prime for further research.

The extent of psionic experiments that are allowed are dependent only on the proposal itself. All forms of experimentation are legal, but must be done through proper channels and must follow the same rules and regulations the ADVENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY and EXPERIMENTATION LABS are subject to. Failure to follow these regulations will result in immediate arrest, prosecution, and sentencing. The following hierarchy exclusively applies to the RESEARCH BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

 **\- MAHARISHI** : The MAHARISHI will serve in a primarily administrative role and assist the various sections and decide high-level research paths as suggested by the various branches in ADVENT. They will also be responsible with handling requests from various research groups and requesting permission from the appropriate ADVENT bodies. There is no psionic requirement for this position, but extensive administrative/academic experience is required.

 **\- ARCHIMANDRITE** : The role of Archimandrites is the investigation and research of the Psionosphere itself, and ways to navigate, manipulate, or alter it. Techniques and abilities possibly discovered will be explored by the Savoraim and Qalandar and all research conducted is to be highly monitored as the nature of the Psionosphere itself is not fully known and dangerous experimentation could yield unknown consequences. There is no psionic requirement for this position.

 **\- SAVORAIM** : These scientists and researchers will primarily focus on psionic theory itself and be the primary academic authority on the nature of psionics and the scientific exploration of how it works and interacts with the world, Humans, and aliens. While there is no psionic requirement, psions will likely increase the overall accuracy of any research conducted.

 **\- QALANDAR** : These are composed exclusively of psions and work primarily with refining, creating, or otherwise experimenting with practical psionic usage and powers of all known disciplines. They will work with all other parts of the Research Branch and be instrumental in putting theories and suggestions into actual practice. In addition to this, they will perform independent experiments, though these of course must be appropriately filed and cleared with the Maharishi.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Recruitment will be conducted three ways: Targeted, Internal, and General

GENERAL: This is open recruitment that will be publicized to the general population, and allow anyone to come and be tested for psionic sensitivity. It should be noted that not all who are psionically sensitive will be psionically awakened. If it is determined that they are psionically sensitive, they will undergo a full background check and psychological evaluation to determine if they have the emotional, psychological, and mental capacity to use psionic powers responsibly. Additional factors such as family, education, employment, and physical condition will also be considered before deciding to awaken an individual psionically.

INTERNAL: This is specifically for those already employed within ADVENT who wish to be psionically awakened. The same restrictions and conditions for awakening apply to those within ADVENT, although in some cases where they have already been psychologically evaluated may bypass this step if they are found to be psionically sensitive.

TARGETED: This is when a specific individual who has been identified as a potential psionic candidate based on genealogical or genetic data is targeted for recruitment. ADVENT Intelligence will covertly determine their psychological state, history, and other information, and then if they are satisfied, they will approach the individual directly with the offer. Should they accept and they are indeed psionically capable, they will immediately begin training and will continue as a regular recruit. They reserve the right to refuse as well, though ADVENT Intelligence will likely attempt to sway them towards accepting long before they officially offer.

Once the individual is recruited, they will be taken to the primary headquarters of the TRAINING BRANCH, and they will be trained over a period of one or more months before being deployed into their designated PRIEST Division Branch. During this time their psionic discipline, skill, abilities, and other factors will be determined and refined. All recruits will be in excellent physical condition and certain military branches will receive genetic modification to further enhance their survivability.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : As the potential for abuse is high within the PRIEST Division, there are certain steps that will need to be taken to ensure that these abilities are not used against ADVENT or any Human unnecessarily. The PRIEST Division is continuously subservient to the various organizations the branches are a part of. The Peacekeeper Branch ultimately answers to the Peacekeepers, the Military Branch is under the jurisdiction of the ADVENT Military, the Intelligence Branch answers to ADVENT Intelligence and so on.

The rollout of the PRIEST Division will happen over two phases:

PHASE 1: The deployment of the Military Branch, and the partial deployment of the Peacekeeper Branch (Pontiff, Archdeacon, Deacon) and the Training Branch (Grand Magister, Magister) into immediate service. During this time infrastructure and potential candidates for other branches will be selected in preparation of the second phase.

PHASE 2: The full deployment of the Peacekeeper, Training, Intelligence, and Civil Service branches into immediate service. This will come after the development of the Manchurian Restraints.

No member of the PRIEST Division will be able to legally act outside their own authority, and cannot override their superiors with very few exceptions which will be given on a case-by-case basis. While ADVENT does not wish to stigmatize our psions, ignoring the risks posed is simply impossible. As such, there will be multiple methods used to keep control over psions to prevent them from betraying ADVENT, going rogue, or turning on citizens.

NOTE: The following methods of control WILL be used on every single psion within ADVENT. There will be absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS.

EXPLOSIVE IMPLANTS: These will be implanted in each psion directly below the back of the skull. These will be a low-yield explosive that will instantly kill the psion, and only the psion. The explosion will not affect any others. Attempts to negate, hack, or otherwise remove them will result in the IMMEDIATE execution of the psion. All ADVENT Handlers, or other ranking officers who interact with psions will be given the means to execute psions who turn on them or otherwise break the law. Officers can request authorization from Command if needed as well.

Please note that in the event of an implant being activated, the one who sends the signal, as well as witnesses, will be questioned to ensure that the termination was valid and not an overreaction or done with malicious intent. All information relating to the list of detonation codes will be heavily encrypted and secured using KERBEROS, and/or other forms of security as deemed necessary.

MANCHRIAN RESTRAINTS: This is an internal ADVENT Project utilizing work first created by XCOM, particularly that of Dr. Moira Vahlen. It is a form of mental conditioning that involves the rewiring or reprogramming of the brain utilizing MELD as the primary tool to achieve this. Experiments are still ongoing, but initial results are promising and the completion of the project is estimated to be one or two more months. As XCOM is also working on this, if they complete their project (Identified to us as the Manchurian Program) and it meets our standards, we will immediately use that. Likewise if the Manchurian Restraints are completed before XCOM, we will share it with them as the risk of uncontrolled psions is extremely high.

Once the Restraints have been installed in the respective individual, they will be given a verbal series of limitations of their powers, which the brain will automatically force them to follow regardless of personal desire. The extent and complexity of these limitations will vary depending on their position and role within ADVENT, as well as the content of their psychological profile.

There are multiple forms of direct and passive control that are being experimented with at the time of this document:

CODE WORDS: These were the first and most obvious methods of active control. This would involve each psion, or potentially a group of psions, being given a code word or series of words or numbers that allows them to issue any order to the psion and it will be followed. It is simple, effective, and can be broadcasted over radio or loudspeaker with the same effect. The issues are present nonetheless, such as hostile parties gaining control of code words and the issues with storing the likely hundreds of thousands of code words themselves. These code words would only be available to a select few people, which would include other members of the PRIEST Division, but there are logistical issues with this solution.

PASSIVE BROADCASTING: An alternative solution without code words is, instead of using an active stop, a passive, invisible signal is used instead. The brain will respond equally well to subsonic or certain noises without the need for speech, and if the limitations are continuously maintained by constantly emitting invisible sound, either through devices in cities or helmets, it removes the risks of code words altogether. The issue would then be stopping a psion who would manage to find weaknesses in the programming, as there would be no easy means of control. This is still being investigated.

HARDWIRING: The third idea proposed is that instead of the commands and limitations being given verbally, they are directly programmed into the individual during the installation of the Manchurian Restraints. This would negate the need for any kind of broadcasting, and could be fine-tuned more easily than verbal instructions. It could also allow for direct installation of various contingencies in the event of the psion turning hostile. This will likely not be developed without further research as it involves an absurd level of precision and neuroscience.

 **CONCLUSION** : The field of psionics poses many opportunities, and just as many risks. While it may be the key to our ultimate victory, it could also be our downfall if simply allowed to be used unrestrained. Human nature is fickle and dangerous, and we cannot rely on the idea of letting Humans with this power regulate themselves, as the risk is simply too high for those who cannot hope to defend against these powers.

However, in pursuit of this we must take efforts not to fully strip away the free will of the psions themselves, as many are perfectly acceptable individuals. They will provide humanity with a tremendous advantage, and while we do our best to honor and recognize that, we must never allow it to override our directive to act for the good of Humanity, especially when the greatest threat is ourselves.

"Why my job is necessary? A good question, and one most people should know about. I suspect you have heard about the PRIEST Program now, correct? Good, then I don't have to go over that again. So the answer to your question is pretty simple: Not everyone is cut out to be a psion."

"No, I'm not talking about physically. That's really a small part in our recruitment process. By the end of training you won't be an out of shape mess, regardless of where you end up in the division itself. Physically adept people are given a little priority, but that's really not nearly as important as the mental side of things."

"Yes, exactly. You know how it sounds. People having supernatural abilities, reading minds, lifting objects; people generally react to this in two different ways: They are either terrified by it, or think it's [REDACTED] cool. Generally it will be the older generation who is the former, and younger generations the latter. Science fiction, movies, and games have all played a part in making the idea of powers seem 'cool."

"And let's be honest here – both perspectives are right. Having psionic abilities _is_ amazing, but at the same time, you have to understand the consequences of that. You can now control someone's mind. What is in place to stop someone from forcing them to commit things they otherwise would not? Murder, rape, theft, suicide, and you would not be able to detect it without another psion. What happens when a telekine snaps and begins killing everything they see, laughing off bullets they can easily deflect?"

"Mmm, people honestly _should_ be scared of what psionics can do, but not the psions themselves. Most, I genuinely believe, are good people. But as you know, when people get a taste of power, they can change. So we have to walk the fine line between using this gift our species has, and ensuring that it is done _responsibly_."

"This is why we have the psychological component to our test. This is why we have background checks. We pass up powerful psions daily because they simply are not _fit_ to be psions. At this stage of the Division, they can't be trusted to wield the power responsibly. You would be surprised how many sadists, bigots, and all around awful people seem to think that if they can wield the purple space magic we'll just give it to them. This, I can state unequivocally, is not true."

"You want to know if you'd pass? Well, Miss Wong, I can't say without the test, but if nothing else, you seem like a determined and honest woman. You wouldn't be able to be a journalist of course, but I can see you taking a role in the Peacekeeper Branch."

"Ah, that. No, you can't be a civilian and a psion at the same time. That is too much of a risk for the general population, and as harsh as it sounds, psions must be _controlled_. They need to be monitored and watched to ensure they don't become a problem. I find it slightly amusing how this is already garnering condemnation from various Human rights groups, because they fail to see that this is _bigger_ than just the rights of a person, or lack thereof."

"On some level, I agree that psions should be treated well, and we are. But absolute freedom? No. You are aware of what XCOM's own Patricia Trask has done. She's something of a celebrity because of what she's done against the aliens. With that said, that could very easily happen to _us_ if we are lax in our security. One psion is dangerous, and we already have thousands."

"If anything, we need more restrictions on our psions, not less. Sorry, repeat that? Ah, details? No comment, but if all goes well we'll have a much more reliable and humane way of controlling psions than an explosive device. We can't account for everything, but we can do everything we can to minimize the risk."

"How we're keeping XCOM under control?"

 _Pauses for a brief laugh._

"I have no [REDACTED] clue what XCOM is doing. But considering the restrictions were developed by the Commander himself, the aforementioned Patricia Trask, and their head scientist, the ever respected Moira Vahlen, I think they recognize the risks of psionics just as much as us."

"Probably more, in fact."

 _\- ADVENT Intelligence PRIEST Timothy Gonzales in sanctioned interview to Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

Operation: Purple Death

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'erina'dakka

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

As we have been expecting for some time, I am afraid our concerns have been realized and ADVENT has unveiled a robust and dangerous psionic division for their military as well as a dedicated research component. I am personally surprised at the size of the division and apparent skill of these psions themselves, which implies that this has been at least several months in the planning.

Even reviewing previous reports which covered the topic of ADVENT researching and applying psionics, as well as beginning limited recruitment, the original estimation that ADVENT was still several months from large-scale deployment and have likely conducted their recruitment in secret. Now that the so-called PRIEST Division is public, I suspect they will open it up to general recruitment immediately. There are some things that I have personally found interesting about the division which we did _not_ anticipate.

1\. The name: PRIEST stands for Psionic Research, Investigation, Enhancement, Specialization, and Training. I am convinced that it has this ridiculously long name because someone really wanted the abbreviation to be PRIEST. Considering the obvious supernatural component of psionics, I can see why this would be amusing to them.

They have taken this one step further and appear to have based their entire hierarchies on various religious titles (Primarily from the older Catholic Church and Orthodox Christianity), which I can only assume was because they liked the names and it fits with the odd pseudo-religious themes of the PRIEST Division. Here are a list of example titles:

\- Pontiff

\- Grand Magister

\- Archpriest

\- Protopriest

\- Archdeacon

And so on.

2\. Their recruitment process. Thanks to a lot of information that just went public a short time ago, ADVENT is surprisingly open about their means of selection. Contrary to what we would expect, they are _not_ recruiting just everyone, just instead _allowing_ anyone to be tested. The way they determine recruitment is based on a psychological evaluation which is supposedly to ensure that the person can handle psionics responsibly.

This is surprisingly…smart…I am impressed that ADVENT is actually looking at the short and long-term consequences of widespread psionic usage. This is both good and bad for us. Good in that there will be fewer psions, and bad in that there will still be thousands of them, and the ones they do have will likely be better able to handle their abilities.

3\. ADVENT has not fully deployed the PRIEST Division. There is a partially deployed Peacekeeper branch, and they have released that there will be a "Civil Service" branch as well (Which might mean something else, as this seems an odd addition). The question then becomes what they are waiting for. Given their apparent understanding on the dangers of psionics, it's possible that they are trying to develop some more effective means of control.

What that control is, however, is unknown. It also raises the question of why they deployed the division to begin with if this was not finished. Perhaps they felt they had no choice?

Now that ADVENT has access to an army of psions, they are almost certainly going to expand them to every single part of their organization. They are already doing it for the Peacekeepers, and they will almost certainly do it for ADVENT Intelligence, and likely internal organizations like the Oversight Division. If they begin instituting psionic guards, this will make _any_ infiltration attempt not only impossible, but highly dangerous for ourselves since they can now very easily extract information without resorting to torture or drugs.

The development of psionics is, and has, changed the war going forward. We now have to assume that since ADVENT has psionics, _they will use them_. Our current tactics are designed not for a psionic species, but for a standard one without the ability to read minds. The same is true for our military forces.

Against a psion, our own forces are woefully ineffective. We have seen what XCOM can do with only a _few_ psions. Now we are going to potentially be facing hundreds of Patricia Trasks in battle, and our own forces are simply not good enough to protect themselves. We're seeing it now. Psions are allowing ADVENT to hold positions by deflecting bombardments, or attack through telepathy, telekinesis or offense. While extreme, enough psions could very likely protect them from orbital bombardment as well.

Here are the biggest identified vulnerabilities that ADVENT will exploit:

1\. No telepathic protection

2\. No means of penetrating psionic barriers

3\. Weak armor units that most telekines can crush

4\. Ineffective armor against psionic attacks

There are more specific ones, but these are the four major ones that are weaknesses that, if not fixed, must at least be addressed. I am not completely sure on the status of researching anti-psionic weapons, but regardless of what the standards are, they must be changed if we want to stand a reasonable chance against ADVENT going forward.

If they are giving us trouble with the relatively few Priests they have now, it will only get worse once they began recruiting by the tens of thousands.


	82. Ethereals - Dossier: The Second Guardian

Ethereals: Dossier

The Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

" _Never underestimate the dedication of a Guardian to one who gives their lives meaning."_

\- Aegis

* * *

CODEX LOG 9921

PRISM PROFILE 03

PROFILE = THE SECOND GUARDIAN

PRISM SIMULATIONS ACTIVATED: 722

VICTORIES ACHIEVED: 401

DEFEATS ACHIEVED: 299

PREMATURE DEACTIVATIONS: 22

ENEMIES DESTROYED: 10346

MOST DESTROYED ENEMY: SYNTHESIZED GROUND SOLDIER (3088 UNITS DEFEATED)

LEAST DESTROYED ENEMY: THE BATTLEMASTER (0 UNITS DEFEATED)

NEMESIS: THE BATTLEMASTER (102 DEFEATS TO THIS UNIT)

MOST USED SIMULATION: TEMPLE SHIP (322 USES)

LEAST USED SIMULATION: HIVESHIP SPACE COMBAT SCENARIO (1 USE – NOTE: SIMULATION ENDED BEFORE THIRTY SECONDS HAD ELAPSED – CAUSE: DEFEAT BY HIVESHIP DEFENSES)

UNITS WITH ZERO DEATHS ON THIS PROFILE:

\- THE BATTLEMASTER

\- CAELIOR

\- AEGIS

\- SPECTRE

\- ADVENT MISSILE STRIKE

\- NUCLEAR STRIKE

\- ADVENT PURIFIER

\- DOMESTIC CAT

NOTES ON COMBAT

STRENGTHS:

\- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AGAINST STANDARD AND ADVANCED SOLDIERS

\- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN DUELS OF THREE OR FEWER ENEMIES

\- EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEMPLE SHIP

\- GOOD PERFORMANCE AGAINST ENEMY PSIONS

\- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

\- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL ADAPTABILITY

WEAKNESSES:

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST SPECIALIZED UNITS

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST EXTENSIVE NUMBERS

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST BATTLEMASTER-LEVEL DUELISTS

\- CANNOT OUTRUN MISSILES AND AIRSTRIKES

\- INCAPABLE OF EFFECTIVE SPACE COMBAT

MOST RECENT SIMULATION: EARTH SNOWY CITY 12

MOST RECENT VICTORY: EARTH SNOWY CITY 12

LAST KILLED ENEMY: XCOM GUNNER

MOST RECENT DEFEAT: SOUTH KOREA CITY 2

DEFEATED BY UNIT: ADVENT GUNNER (NOTE: WAS ON OPEN BATTLEFIELD AND EXPOSED TO HEAVY FIRE)

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 111100001011

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 08 (THE SECOND GUARDIAN (REAL NAME UNKNOWN))

KNOWN ALIASES: "THE SECOND GUARDIAN"; "GUARDIAN"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN (SUSPECTED MILITARY COMMANDER)

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: FEMALE ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: POSSESSES UNKNOWN WEAPON TYPE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: OF SIMILAR SIZE AS THE BATTLEMASTER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL GUARDIAN

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEKINESIS; TELEPATHY

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: After extensive speculation as to what the nature of the Ethereal "Guardian's" were, it appears that we have at last seen what the Guardians themselves are, and they appear to be even more dangerous than we had anticipated. It appears that despite their name, they are not restricted from performing in an offensive capacity.

The self-identified Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective appeared during the skirmish in Fairbanks, Alaska, and has since been assisting in the battles for northern North America. During this time she has proven to be an exceptionally dangerous duelist, leader, and a moderate tactician, although her targets thus far have not been especially entrenched, she does not seem to devote significant effort to more complex military operations.

However, that does not necessarily seem to be needed in her case.

I should note that this is the second appearance of a female Ethereal, and confirms suspicions that there is little imparity between the two genders as the Second Guardian appears equivalent in size and strength to the Battlemaster, indicating the female Ethereals have a distinct role in combat operations. Unsurprising given their mastery over genetics, but it is useful to have confirmed.

She has been observed using a combination of telekinesis and telepathy in combat, elevating her beyond the Battlemaster in terms of versatility, although she lacks the brute approach of the Battlemaster, opting for destroying and killing enemies with more finesse than the Battlemaster himself. This has been observed to hinder her in combat with a large amount of enemies, as while she is not in immediate danger, she does suffer more damage than normal, and has been seen to be visibly slowed down.

With this noted, she recovers quickly and her armor, while not appearing to be as durable as the Battlemaster's, is nonetheless capable of handling significant damage output. There has yet to be a recorded example of how it sustains direct hits from explosives.

Her primary weapon is also a curiosity, as there has been nothing like it ever recorded before. It resembles an orange-yellow beam of light and is activated from a handheld cylinder. This functions as a melee weapon of sorts, one where the blade can be manipulated to be longer, shorter, or in a few cases, function similar to a whip.

Initial observations considered it an energy weapon, but this does not appear to be the case as the damage caused by the weapon is not cauterized and messier than even standard metal weapons. It is possible this incorporates some kind of nanotech, or is yet another Ethereal technology unseen before. The Second Guardian is undoubtedly dangerous, as without knowing enough about her, it is difficult to determine what threat she could actually pose to us.

As the Guardians presumably answer to the Imperator, I suspect that answer will depend entirely on him.

RECOMMENDATION: DETERMINE BACKGROUND OF THE SECOND GUARDIAN; DETERMINE CONSTRUCTION OF USED WEAPON; ANALYSE FIGHTING STYLE AND MEANS OF COUNTERING IT; BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF FAST-TRACKING MISSILES FOR LONG-RANGED TARGETING

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 092; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

 **Log IM33 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category: Recruitment Log**

 **Type: Audio Log**

 **Participants: The Overmind of the Ethereal Collective; the Imperator of the Ethereal Collective**

 **Begin Playback:**

"The preservation of the Guardians is necessary. The order will play a part in the future to come."

" _They provide a balance to the Battlemaster. His loyalty is to our species and the Empire. Loyalty to you will be necessary to keep the peace once we awaken."_

"Unlikely to be needed. The Battlemaster will follow my orders, but your point is made. Their training, weapons, and combat abilities will be needed once we awaken. The galaxy will not be the same, and we cannot rely solely on a Battlemaster or Reaper to handle all threats."

" _Then the ones chosen must be powerful and loyal."_

"Indeed. I have multiple candidates, one of which I personally ensured the survival of. The Twelfth Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum is one such Guardian who shows promise, dedication, and willingness to adapt."

" _She is not mentally sound, not after the loss of her mate."_

"That is not a concern. I will remove her memories of such an event should it become necessary."

" _That is dangerous."_

"Only if it becomes a problem. However, with him dead and the Sanctum lost, she has little left to lose. She is a Guardian without purpose. That is what I can provide; her grief and failure can be turned into strength and loyalty. The Empire is collapsing, and she can be convinced of the need for contingency plans."

" _If that is what you decree, Imperator. I would refrain from selecting too many Guardians. Too many of our kind housed in one place may attract attention."_

"There will only be two. An enforcer and an ambassador when the time comes. Their purpose is primarily ceremonial, and will distract any enemies from the hidden watchers I have at my disposal."

" _Sicarius is not invincible. Do not become reliant on her."_

"I am confident in her abilities. As I also will be in the Guardians I command. Go, Overmind. Determine if she will be suitable. Allow Aegis to participate in this. He is more diplomatic than you are."

" _As you wish, Imperator."_

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 133**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color:_ Solid Orange

 _Skin color:_ Purple

 _Height:_ 12'2"

 _Weight:_ 297 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features:_ We will discount the standard Guardian armor, as it is not all that different from Battlemaster armor. She wears a deep purple cape and hood. She is also identified by the single Guardian Saber she wields.

 _Physical Condition:_ Her strength and speed is equivalent to a Battlemaster. However, from personal experience she does not have the stamina for sustained combat and will tire far quicker than you might expect.

SECTION 2: Assessment

I am able to provide some deeper insight into both of the Guardians, as I was involved in speaking to them on behalf of the Imperator to convince them to join him in his contingency plan, and thus I had significant access to their histories and profiles built. I did not interact with them particularly much later, but very few did as both Guardians took their duty to the Imperator seriously, and rarely left his side.

I will first begin with the Twelfth Guardian of the Imperial Sanctum, or as she is known now, the Second Guardian of the Ethereal Collective. Her history prior to the war is not particularly of interest, aside from that she was designed as a candidate for the Division of the Battlemasters, and she demonstrated enough skill and strength to eventually be chosen as a candidate.

However, the Guardians intervened and offered her a chance to be one of them, which she ultimately accepted. She spent several decades with the Overminds later, learning the finer rules of telepathy and she spent several additional decades training and incorporating them into her fighting style.

Once she became a full Guardian, she took a position on the Imperial Sanctum, the capital of the Empire, as one of its Guardians. Her reasoning for this was that such an important position in the empire needed to be protected, and she found the entire place fascinating. Over time she eventually mated with the First Battlemaster of the Imperial Sanctum, and they spent nearly a half century together before the Synthesized attacked.

The Second Guardian herself did not participate much during the war proper; however, she extensively researched, followed, and kept up to date with the war itself. She was one of the Guardians who attempted to extend the roles of Guardians to act in more direct methods than purely defensive. She was unsuccessful, but I imagine that this was what initially got the attention of the Imperator.

The fall of the Imperial Sanctum was what could be considered the tipping point. It was a disaster when it came under the direct attack of six Director Flagships, and all prominent and powerful Ethereals were gone, aside from the two Battlemasters of the Imperial Sanctum. Most Ethereals on the station died that day, and only a few, the Second Guardian included, escaped.

She spent the rest of the war in combat, in what I would describe as a near-suicidal state where she, for a time, didn't follow orders from the Guardians and simply joined campaigns against the Synthesized until she was eventually convinced to pull back upon the deployment of the Imperators. Afterwards, the Imperator approached her and offered her a choice to assist in the preservation of the Ethereal species and to serve as one of his Guardians. With little left, it is unsurprising that she joined him based on the promise of eventually avenging their species.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

The Second Guardian has undergone what I would consider several distinctive shifts in her mental state. Her initial recruitment was questioned by the Overmind, as she seemed more driven by emotion and vengeance than the level-minded beings the Imperator tends to recruit. This was addressed by her, and she had promised to regain control of herself should she join.

From my observations of her, she has kept her word, now one would likely not assume anything about her difficult past. With that said, she is without a doubt still driven by loss and vengeance, only retains tighter control over herself, and frequently vents it in training and combat. I suspect the Imperator has also spoken to her at length, and that has likely also helped to an extent.

While the Second Guardian has never made a public appearance, she does have something of a fascination with alien species on a purely military level. She studies their military history, combat units, and fighting styles, especially of the Oyariah Titans and various blademasters of the Dath'Haram. Even from the Sectoids she learns what she can about them.

I fear that the war with the Synthesized has made her xenophobic, more so than the average Ethereal already was. At minimum she sees aliens as suspicious, and at worst, an enemy to be destroyed. She is utterly convinced that other species can't govern without Ethereal oversight, which in this case is that of the Imperator.

However, she is very well-spoken, and generally the one the Imperator sends to other Ethereals to summon or speak to them. She is polite and calm, provided no one is foolish enough to mention her mate. I am hesitant to suggest such tactics, but the Second Guardian is one who could likely be goaded into a blind rage, should the right words be said.

Within herself, she feels angry at herself and guilty for first abandoning her mate on the Sanctum, and once more abandoning the Empire even if it was for the good of our species. She is stable for now, but it would likely not take much for the mask she puts around herself to be broken. She is not the Battlemaster, she is vulnerable to words.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

The Second Guardian is an extremely dangerous opponent, one who could potentially pose as great a threat as the Battlemaster. She carries her Guardian Saber, which can have the beam lengthened, reduced, or can be changed to function as a nano-whip of sorts. No single soldier can stand against her and survive.

She incorporates telepathy into her attacks, and does not hesitate to use it liberally. Luckily her range is limited, even if it is extremely effective and difficult to stop. Her telekinesis is not on the level of a Battlemaster, but it is more than enough to destroy squads of soldiers. Her Guardian Saber also makes armor meaningless, as well as most protection in general.

The Second Guardian is an expert duelist, in that she is most effective in small confrontations and one-on-one combat. She will excel against Templars and small XCOM squads. With that said, she becomes much less effective if she is substantially outnumbered. She simply does not have the multi-tasking capabilities of the Battlemaster, and cannot keep track of everything on a hectic battlefield.

She also is not experienced with heavy munitions and rockets. It is likely those would also be effective against her, or at least force her to devote energy towards blocking them. As I have stated earlier, goading her into making mistakes would also provide an effective means of destabilizing her mentally, although this could potentially backfire.

The Second Guardian, ultimately, is what I would consider manageable. With the correct tactics she could be defeated, and she is not the Guardian I would be more concerned about. Do not underestimate her, but at the same time do not assume she is anywhere near the level of the Battlemaster.


	83. Ethereals - Dossier: Isomnum

Ethereals: Dossier

Isomnum, the Fallen Overmind and Dread Lord of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

" _It really says something when the majority of beings would rather spend time with the Creator than Isomnum."_

\- Quisilia

* * *

 **ADVENT After-Action Report 2091**

 _Subject_ : D.C. Aftermath and Soldier Conditions

 _Author_ : ADVENT Psychologist Trish Pirana

We suffered severe and continuing casualties as we attempt to recover from this devastating attack, and all who gave their lives in the goal of stopping the Battlemaster will not be forgotten. However, our duty is also to the living, and the actions of the unidentified Ethereal who extracted the Battlemaster have had clear and ongoing aftereffects.

I must recommend that _every_ living soldier that was recovered from the immediate area be placed into mental wards, and restrained so they don't hurt themselves, because whatever the Ethereal did to them, they _are not themselves_. I do not exaggerate when I say that _every_ single one appears to have gone insane, either attacking others, harming themselves, or screaming and shouting at things both seen and unseen.

Right now we are simply unprepared to handle this, and from what I have been able to acquire from the PRIEST Division regarding psionics, it's unlikely that this effect will fade with time. Perhaps it can be reversed through psionic therapy, but that is such a new field that I doubt any such expert exists, let alone one to help thousands of affected soldiers.

In either arrogance or forgetfulness, the aliens did not seem to remember that everything was recorded by hundreds of armor cams, including audio, and it is without a doubt one of the most disturbing elements of this entire situation. I do not want to speculate what will happen to Humans captured except that it would be a fate worse than death.

This is what _needs_ to be done in order to address this:

Response 1 – Immediate Evaluation and Treatment of Affected Soldiers: This is not up for negotiation, and if this is rejected, I will ensure that this gets directly taken to the Supreme Court. Even if we cannot reverse their conditions, we can at least do everything we can to ensure that they are kept alive and safe. I would also recommend that they be made trial subjects in any kind of psionic therapy program as, frankly, that is the best chance they have.

I would also recommend that the details of what exactly caused this be classified, even to the families, until we determine that there is no actual means of reversal. We do not need civilians more scared about Ethereals, especially since this particular one embodies nothing _but_ that goal. It is more prudent to ignore this for now.

If no solution is found, it may simply be easier to tell the families they died in action and easier to explain than stating they were psionically forced into insanity. Given that we are trying to portray a positive view of psionics for the inevitable Civilian branch of the PRIEST Division, this would only stir up resentment and fear towards our own psions.

Response 2 – Selective Utilization of Recovered Video: The conversation, video, and audio between the Battlemaster and the Ethereal is one we must broadcast everywhere to highlight the pure monstrosity of these aliens and what they are willing to do to us. While I personally have no knowledge of a 'Venomorph', the description alone, helpfully provided by the Ethereal himself, is enough.

It would also be advisable to cut the part of the Battlemaster mercy killing the unfortunate victim, as that would undercut any effect we wish this to have. If anything, it will make the Battlemaster seem less malicious as a result, despite him leading the attack on D.C. Any related audio should be cut as well. Not altered, as the aliens and foreign nations may be able to prove it, but simply remove the questionable elements.

It is also advisable that we release the final cut ourselves first, and then send copies to media outlets soon afterwards. We should only offer the facts, as standard, and let the media demonize the aliens for us, not that they need much help with that. As for our official statement, that I will leave to other people.

Response 3 – Expansion of Military Mental Health Services: This is more of a consequence of the situation, and what will inevitably come back. I do not feel it wise to shield soldiers from the reality of what they might face, as opposed to civilians, and as such there are some who are likely going to be extremely shaken or worse from learning and seeing the aftermath of such an event.

This is more addressed to Command and the Congress of Nations, as they are the ones responsible for allocating resources and funding, and thus I would humbly request this be done, as it is arguably not only necessary, but essential if we wish to maintain the morale of our soldiers, especially as the current conflict seems to not be showing any signs of slowing down.

Ultimately, this matter needs to be handled in a quick and decisive manner before things become much worse. Anything that can turn thousands of soldiers into psychotic wrecks is something that we cannot afford repeated strikes from. It is likely this will happen again, and as a result we need to know what to do when it does. This is the first time; let us be sure we never have to ask the question of 'what do we do now' again.

* * *

To Respected Overmind Isomnum,

Since your official acceptance into the Division of the Overminds, we have recognized your significant ability and talent in our techniques, and you have been without a doubt one of the most successful Overminds that our division has produced over the centuries. You have been provided everything needed to be a productive Overmind of the Empire, and once your final trials had been completed, there were high expectations.

Overminds, Isomnum, have our first loyalty to the Empire and its citizens. We are the ones who watch over and protect those less powerful than we are against the threats of this galaxy, and ensure that the lesser species understand their place. By that same token, we do not abuse our power on the lesser species, and only act when they act against us.

War, Isomnum, is not the goal of the Empire. Nor is conflict. Many in your position would devote themselves to the betterment and higher understanding of the Gift we command, and further spread that to others. Those who wish for more activity and intrigue in their lives only have to travel to the colony worlds, or participate with the Division of the Battlemasters in training exercises.

Yet, as I understand it, you have not done any of those things.

I do not write this lightly; what I have heard and have been able to confirm is beyond disturbing. If even a fraction of your rumored activities is true, that may not just be grounds for expulsion from the Division of the Overminds, but execution by the Guardians themselves. I find it difficult to understand how you developed this fascination with terror, but I am quite certain that it was not taught by us.

It is one thing to be curious, Isomnum; it is another to leave worlds as barren tombs of aliens with no minds. It is another to destroy the minds of aliens safe on their worlds over a long and torturous process. It is another to solicit Ethereal children for _experiments_ , should you have been foolish enough to have done so.

Such abuse of the Gift is not something I can tolerate. You have two options remaining before you at this point. You will submit to a trial by the Guardians to determine the truth of these rumors, and if you are indeed innocent of the grievances against you, you will remain in your position and the ones who brought this to my attention punished.

While I cannot force you on rumor alone, your only alternative is to simply leave the Division of the Overminds. We do not wish a large public event, and neither do you I suspect. So this is your one and only chance to leave before you tarnish the reputation of our Division. You will be blacklisted from all cloning labs, science, and engineering facilities in the Empire. You will no longer be able to access the resources of the Overminds. You will be required to register and be chipped as a potential psionic hazard-quietly of course, and you will not be permitted to join with a mate or have children.

If you fail to comply with any of the following, you will be taken before the Guardians and tried. You will almost certainly be executed.

I do not wish to believe the acts you are rumored to have performed, but they are too grave to ignore. I will not allow our Division to be tarnished by a child-experimenter. You will have three days to respond.

\- The Greater Overmind of the Ethereal Empire

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 111101100111

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 09 (ISOMNUM)

KNOWN ALIASES: "ISOMNUM" "DREAD LORD"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: COMMANDS PERSONAL ARMY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BATTLEMASTER

INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPARENT EXPERT IN TERROR/FEAR PSYCHOLOGY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HAS EXTENSIVE TELEPATHIC ABILITIES

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATHY

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED MEDIUM TO HIGH

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): OMEGA

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Until the surprise extraction of the Battlemaster, we had no prior information that this Ethereal actually existed, and after seeing a small glimpse of his capabilities, there is perhaps a reason that he has not interfered much in the Collective. The Ethereal identified as Isomnum appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a weapon of terror.

From the brief conversation between the Battlemaster and Isomnum, it appears that not even the Battlemaster agreed with his methods and in fact overrode his initial plans to infest the civilians with Chryssalids and an unidentified parasite called a Venomorph. This is perhaps the first recorded instance of disagreement between the Ethereals, but it is likely this might be a special case.

Every single being who was in the presence of this Ethereal was reduced to a stuttering wreck (Curiously, this did not include the Battlemaster who appeared to not be affected), including the identified Warlock Senorium, who was told to leave if he wished to retain his sanity. Isomnum does not particularly appear to care about any of his victims, and in fact seems to take pleasure in their suffering. Every aspect of him, from his voice, to his Ethereal death mask, are designed to evoke terror from whoever is unfortunate enough to speak to him.

Isomnum was accompanied by a multitude of aliens, who were primarily Vitakara, but there were, oddly enough, a small number of Sectoids enhanced with unidentified technology that did _not_ appear to be Ethereal. What was strange was that these beings acted like automatons, and wore blindfolds of various types. I suspect this may be somehow ceremonial, as they did not appear to have their vision impaired.

The primary danger Isomnum poses to anyone is his telepathy, which based from initial results, forces the victims to go insane. It is unknown how it works, or what it shows victims, but like the rest of his persona, will likely tie into the fears of the victim. He also appears to have some experience in telekinesis, but there is not enough data to say to what extent.

What is absolutely clear is that Isomnum is perhaps the most dangerous Ethereal that we have publicly seen from the Collective. He shows no regard for any being, and even challenges the Battlemaster, and I firmly believe that any attempt to try and communicate with this Ethereal would result in literal madness. This alien is a clear and present threat that the Ethereals have hid until now.

It is imperative that contingencies be drafted to deal with a potential arrival by this alien, and the Collective should be told in no uncertain terms that Isomnum is not permitted in Federation space. We cannot act passively to this, regardless of political issues that may occur. This is a telepath more powerful than we have ever seen, and as a result, the threat to our species is high.

We cannot risk it. Certainly not with an Ethereal such as this.

RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE DRAFTING OF A PLAN TO NEUTRALIZE THE ETHEREAL KNOWN AS ISOMNUM; INVESTMENT INTO ANTI-TELEPATHY MEASURES; INVESTIGATION INTO ALIENS ACCOMPANYING ISOMNUM

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 077; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Failings and Opportunities

 _Location_ : [ERROR! LOCATION DATA NULL!]

 _Author_ : Isomnum

It is rare to find a being who is willing to understand the work I specialize in. While I suspect the Imperator is just as unsettled at what I do as the rest of the Empire was, he is at least willing to acknowledge that mine is a perspective that is needed, even as he makes plans concerning the inner galaxy and these Humans.

It is questionable why he wishes to toy with the Humans, as their usefulness to us will only become apparent years after their assimilation and time is of the essence if we wish to uplift this species as one of the chosen. Yet if the Imperator wishes to undertake his own interests, I will do likewise.

Such freedom is something that has been fleeting, and this time I will be able to achieve what I have always intended to create: A galaxy that will bend to the will of the Ethereals, and kept in line by the terror defiance will bring. Even now the words of _diplomacy, agreement,_ and _ally_ are sickening to behold.

We could have controlled the galaxy, yet held back in weakness; our archaic ethics and morals preventing us from reshaping the galaxy as is our right. Revelean is correct about one thing; all beings have a purpose in this galaxy. Ours is to rule it, all others are to be subservient. To treat aliens as equals is to devalue our own kind; it is to say that the predator and the insect are equal.

And we are _not_ equal.

We were too lenient with the Hive Commanders. Their kind should have been slaughtered and ripped apart the moment they even conceived of defying us. Their Hive Commanders should have been flayed and thrown into the vats until the rest swore true fealty to the Imperator. The Andromedons should have been dominated and the Unions that to this day conspire behind us be executed for all to see, and their sympathizers thrown unto oxygen-rich worlds unhelmeted.

The Vitakara are a weak species, one we should have let die, or at minimum established our rule over them publicly. Hiding in shadows does not inspire loyalty, but the constant presence of one of their masters would have prevented the Nulorian, it would have turned the soft races into something worth protecting.

Yet instead we have a species of _pacifists_ that even now is growing more resentful of our generous lenience.

Only the Mutons we have treated correctly. A species that is fully under our control and a weapon to use in the future. The _fear_ of disobedience is instilled into them from their first moments until their deaths on the battlefield. Theirs is the life of a tool, and that is all they are privileged to have. To serve an Ethereal is to serve the rightful heirs of this galaxy.

Yet an empire cannot be sustained by _peace;_ it cannot be sustained by _friendship_ ; the naïve and weak views of other Ethereals, even the vaunted Battlemaster, will destroy this Collective as it did the Empire. It is not enough that the species be dominated; it is not enough that we maintain invisible influence.

They do not _fear_ us.

Thus, they will eventually turn on us.

The weak continuously watch the strong; the lesser always attempt to emulate the greater. It is no different for Ethereals and the lesser species. It is the relationship between master and slave; it is what we should be treating these aliens as, as it is what they deserve. But instead we treat them as equals, we grant them the _illusion_ of equality, and inevitably, they will consider themselves greater.

The question then becomes what _can_ keep a diverse Empire together; what can ensure the reign of our species for thousands of years? For we must no longer think in the short term of centuries, but in the view of thousands, for time is meaningless to us, is it not?

The answer is _fear_.

Fear is at the core of all living beings, from the simplest organism to the ancients of this galaxy. It is an innate, primal instinct from which all desires are based off of. The Ravaged One was incorrect in his assertion of _pain_ being the basis, as it would have no meaning if beings did not _fear_ the pain that came with it.

Terror is overriding in the mind. It cannot be stopped naturally; and the triggers for each being are different, yet it is at the core of who they _are_. Fears are simple and complex, from them you can control the beings themselves far more effectively than appeasements like _gifts_ or _friendliness_. Those have a temporary effect, fear is _permanent._

Fear is something poorly understood by many, and it is seen in a negative light, which is something personally strange as it is simply another aspect of a personality, yet one many feel should not be touched. But fear can be liberating, as if reveals the true nature of beings; truths that they might not have known themselves. It is a gift to them that few will appreciate, but it _will_ ensure that they live another day.

There are such beings that can resist this. These beings who can see and experience their greatest fears and emerge with their minds intact. These are rare and they are the only ones who can have true value as an alien. These are the highest of tools, and should be treated as one treats a weapon; maintained and treated well, but willing to dispose of if it becomes unwieldy or broken.

But for the rest of the lesser aliens, an empire ruled by terror is not one that is dark, necessarily. It is simply the primary tool of _control_. Bonds between family and friends shall be allowed to be formed, freedoms should be allowed, and the instant one dares raise their hands and voices against their masters, what they love most is taken away or destroyed in front of them.

Let the lesser species suffer to impart a lesson onto the survivors. Death is the second means of control. Death breeds terror, terror breeds compliance, and compliance breeds stability. Fear will keep the species in line. All aliens are ultimately disposable, and their worlds may be purged and repopulated with life should it be required.

We have not conquered the final barrier; we as a species must push past the _fear_ of embracing what our purpose is. We are too scared, too timid to exert our dominion over the aliens out of a misplaced sense of mercy, tactics, or other trivial excuses. In the end, that is all it is: An _excuse_.

We are gifted by a second chance to rule this galaxy. We have failed once.

I will not allow us to fail once more. This galaxy will one day be ruled by the new Ethereal Empire, and when the Synthesized return, we will destroy them under the true might of our new Empire.

For if we do not learn from our mistakes, we deserve to be forgotten in the void.

I will bide my time for now, allow the Imperator to play his games with the Humans. But my patience is running low.

The Imperator understands what must be done. It will eventually be time to see if he can overcome his fear and carry it out.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 191**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Isomnum

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color:_ None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color:_ Solid Orange

 _Skin color:_ Dark Purple

 _Height:_ 10'2"

 _Weight:_ 192 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features:_ Aside from the mixture of robes and armor that is similarly worn by Macula and Quisilia, the most distinguishing thing about Isomnum is his helmet, which is distinctly made to resemble the face of an Ethereal. This combined with the dull metal, gives a skeletal and unnerving appearance. Despite his past, he also does not wear any clothing reminiscent of the Overminds.

 _Physical Condition:_ I can only estimate this, but I suspect he is one of the weaker Ethereals. The physical combat of the Guardians or the Battlemaster is not something he is interested, nor specializes, in. If needed, he could likely be physically overpowered.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Isomnum.

It is rare to reach a consensus, even among the few Ethereals that exist, but if there is one universal agreement, it is that Isomnum is without a doubt either disliked, despised, or feared by everyone. I truly believe not even the Imperator is free of this. When alien species feared that the Empire would one day arrive to enslave them, it was Ethereals like Isomnum they envisioned.

I am unfortunate enough to know his history, as the only reason I can fathom for why the Imperator shared it with me at all was in the event that Isomnum acted without his permission, and attacked Collective species or even other Ethereals. I have a theory as to why the Imperator believed allowing him of all Ethereals to survive was needed, but this will be discussed later.

Isomnum was one of the rare children who was born naturally to a mother and father. This already made him a prodigy, and he attracted the attention of many Imperial scientists and figures. Early on he was found to be an expert in telepathy, although even as a child he was…different. He was not one to socialize, and the few times he did he left those involved mentally unsound, if not close to suffering direct mental trauma. This was fixed by Imperial Medics, but all who were affected were too afraid to directly accuse Isomnum of anything.

They did of course, wonder _why_ Isomnum did these things, which also included telepathically manipulating animals on his homeworld, often causing heart attacks or insanity for no apparent reason. But they ultimately deemed it not important enough, and put it down to a young Ethereal experimenting with his powers. The answer, I believe is simple; Isomnum is a sadist. He has always been one, and always will be.

This attitude did not change as he grew older.

His telepathic abilities led him to the Overminds, who gratefully accepted such a prodigy, and once accepted Isomnum began his own sadistic experiments; all of which were closely guarded secrets with few or no witnesses. There are rumors of what he did, but sadly no hard evidence. But what was even implied was unthinkable.

I will address this in more detail later, but Isomnum makes Ethereals like Macula look completely reasonable in their view of aliens. He does not believe non-Ethereals to be anything more than slaves, and as a result, much of his work involved either aliens, or finding ways to 'break' the Empire of this supposed weakness of _tolerance_.

Entire alien colonies underwent sudden psychotic episodes. Prominent leaders slowly went insane before the public eye. Aliens reported their children and family went missing randomly, only to return and attack them later; insanity clear in their eyes or equivalent organs. There were even rumors that Isomnum had somehow acquired a vat, or had dominated a Creator into supplying him with Ethereal children to experiment on.

I suspect the last point is what forced the Overminds to act, and they gave him a choice between constant monitoring in the Empire, or to submit to the Guardians to determine the truth of these crimes. He chose the former, of course, and everyone considered the issue solved. Isomnum did not seem deterred by this however; despite the constant monitoring, he spent his time reading every single paper and report on alien, as well as Ethereal psychology he could find.

He made no attempts to change or reform, and for all intents and purposes, appeared to be biding his time and maintaining good behavior.

The Synthesized attack initially did not change his situation, although he also began monitoring that extensively. Eventually he was allowed to participate in combat operations, and was granted a license to do whatever he wished on the Synthesized that were captured. He had an entire lab devoted to living subjects, and from what the Imperator told me, there were indeed results.

Isomnum was one of the few Ethereals who could make the Synthesized horde turn and run. Other Ethereals attempted it, but it wasn't a matter of power, but of having the mindset of a depraved being. It was not enough to wield the power; one had to enjoy and bask in the fear and terror caused and that was impossible for many Ethereals to do.

There are few who understand the Synthesized as well as Isomnum does, and that is one major reason why the Imperator allowed him to join. The other is that he is a powerful telepath, and I also suspect the Imperator is curious about the views of such a being. Since awakening, Isomnum has, as usual, kept to himself, and carrying out projects only he knows. Should he enter the war, it will likely not be his choice.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Isomnum is at best described as an Ethereal supremacist. That, however, is too mild a word for the depth of hate Isomnum feels towards alien species. There is no good reason for this, Isomnum simply sees all aliens as inferior, fit only to be slaves or tools to their Ethereal masters. If he had his way, every species would be in a similar position to the Mutons, although likely somewhat better as most other aliens are actually developed. But the point still stands.

He is of the firm belief that the Empire was too lax, should not have bothered having peaceful relations with other alien species, and should have subjugated them under the Empire. It is for this reason that he does not appear to have any feelings towards abandoning the Empire itself. He sees this as a new opportunity, likely to establish another empire, as ludicrous as that is.

We then must talk of his primary means of exerting power over others: Fear. Isomnum is obsessed with the concept and has built his entire persona around it. He is of the opinion that fear is all that is needed to keep order, and has no hesitation in carrying out abhorrent or malevolent acts, and takes extensive pleasure in doing so.

This has earned him the title of "Dread Lord" from Quisilia, which Isomnum has never acknowledged, but seems oddly pleased by.

Isomnum is an unapologetic sadist as well, one who thrives off the power he exerts over others. He derives extensive pleasure from displaying the greatest fears of his enemies, and will happily toy with victims for months to break their minds. He has told me that there is little a more satisfying feeling than the moment when a mind snaps and all the careful programming within breaks down into meaningless code.

Abhorrent.

He has also begun the creation of a small army of soldiers, who I shall detail later if it becomes necessary, even if information is limited. But ultimately, I do not think it is unreasonable for Isomnum to wish to be viewed as a god-like figure. How better to do that than by surrounding himself with disciples and slaves?

I cannot fathom how he ended up this way, but Isomnum is what you would describe as evil. I do not use such a word lightly, as I often see the galaxy, even the aliens you fight against, as being more complicated than such black and white, but in this case, it is a fitting word.

There is nothing redeeming about Isomnum. He should never have been preserved by the Imperator.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Isomnum is a former Overmind, and as such possesses the abilities of one. He is an expert telepath, and one none of your psions can hope to beat alone. His main telepathic attacks are centered on the fears of the victim. I do not know exactly how they work, but based on results, they are vivid, they are real, and they can break even the strongest of minds.

Isomnum will almost never kill his victims outright either. He will prolong their suffering as long as possible. Anything that will spread terror, he will do. He has no code like the Battlemaster, or morals like Sana'Ligna, anyone is a fair target from child to adult. Whatever causes the most anguish and pain will be the option he chooses.

Fortunately, while he is a master telepath, he is inexperienced with the other disciplines of psionics. He has limited skill with telekinesis and offensive psionics. His armor will not protect him long under a sustained assault either, and he is physically far weaker than many Ethereals. Yet despite this, he has a tendency to always be in the vicinity of an attack. He will not hide, for better or worse, like the Overmind, but face his enemies in person.

Thus, he can be drawn into a trap, but be vigilant, Commander, for while Isomnum is one of the most despised Ethereals to live, he is not insane. He is not stupid. He will not fall to traps easily, and he would be more than happy to leave anyone left alive a broken, screaming wreck if you fail.

You must take whatever means are necessary to defeat him. He is a disease on our species, and I will do what I can to ensure he is purged from this galaxy once and for all.

* * *

If there is one constant across cultures, it is stories. There are so many different kinds, with even more messages and meanings. They elicit emotions from the reader, and in the end, the best ones make us think on some level.

For Ethereals, it is no different. There were stories; from children's fables to the complex plots of galactic warfare. They were used to scare children into compliance, and give them a sense of wonder. However, there is a very particular story I wish to focus on here.

Even Ethereal children can become disobedient, and there were many a story to fall on for the parent in the dead of night, before the child went to sleep. One of these stories was that of the Dread Lord.

It was a simple story, but one which has kept children up at night at one point or another. It tells of a being who was both powerful and arrogant; he amused himself by showing off his gifts, believing himself better than his peers. Yet one day he attracted the attention of beings more powerful than he, and they stripped him of everything he was; his powers, prestige, and his life as a punishment for wasting the gifts he had been provided with.

He was left for dead, yet he managed to survive and reflected on the lesson he had been forced to learn, and so resolved to wander the world and ensure that no one would fall to the arrogance he had. And so the Dread Lord was born. He was a being of shadow and black, one who appeared before the arrogant and first offered what they wanted most.

It was a test, of course, and those who failed the allure of what they desired he condemned to the nightmare of being trapped inside their own mind. Their desires turned to fears, and they lost all semblance of who they were. To those who refused, he simply vanished as retaining their minds and freedom was all the reward they needed.

It is said to this day that the Dread Lord wanders the galaxy, always vigilant for an opportunity to tear the arrogant down and condemn them to the hell of insanity.

The lesson was to teach children that they should not be so arrogant as to believe they were above their parents, and the concept of such a being, in a galaxy where telepathy was very real, proved sufficient to scare children enough to make a point.

This was considered a fable, and the origin of which I have little idea of.

Yet one young Ethereal, instead of being repelled by the tale, instead became enthralled by it. The ideals of such a being were the ones that captivated him and sent him on a journey exploring the depths of fear and the mind which had lasting repercussions to this day. Yet a different message was taken from the one in the fable of the Dread Lord.

The original and common interpretation was a warning against arrogance. The interpretation taken by the Ethereal was one of the presumed alien arrogance to believe they could be equal to the Ethereals themselves.

And in the coming decades, the whispers and stories of a being similar to the Dread Lord manifested. Such incidents in alien governments were put down to chance or freak accidents, but there was one thread tying them together: They were all connected close to the Empire itself. Alien colonies bordering the Empire suffered sudden bouts of psychosis and insanity.

Prominent figures in government who were considering more aggressive negotiations with the Empire suddenly became unstable, in periods lasting months where the alien citizens watched a formerly respected figure slowly descend into insanity. No one could learn why, but after it happened to figures with similar motivations and goals, the fear set in.

The Empire denied any involvement of course, but the terror did not stop. In time there were no more alien colony worlds along the Empire, who later claimed some of the planets for themselves. Yet there was always a sense of unease around the abandoned buildings overrun with vegetation. No one was ever truly comfortable living there.

As for the Ethereal himself, he only grew more in skill and influence. Even the powerful recoiled in his presence, so unnerved were they yet could not explain why. When he spoke it set the hearts of those who could hear into a panic. When they heard his voice they wished to scream and run. He had become the Dread Lord, the dark desire of the Empire to take the galaxy for their own.

However, he was stopped for a time; for committing crimes to heinous to ignore, but he never vanished. He simply waited; he learned; and when the time came, he inspired terror in the heart of a machine. The horde ran from the arrival of the Dread Lord, but even he could see that the Empire he had wished to see rule would crumble.

So he took a different path.

And for a time, he slept soundly, and the galaxy was freed from the terror the Dread Lord brought. The ultimate promise of Ethereal dominance was removed from the galaxy.

Yet that is no longer true.

The Dread Lord once more walks this galaxy, and his name is Isomnum.

 _\- Isomnum, the Dread Lord of the Empire_ _by Archivist Cogitian (Excerpt)_


	84. ADVENT-History: Razing of Washington DC

ADVENT: History

The Razing of Washington D.C.

* * *

" _And in the face of might, she stood firm against the threat of subjugation and paid the ultimate price. In giving her life, she saved countless others and became a symbol of defiance against the alien threat."_

\- Plaque on the Memorial of Nicole Treduant, 45th President of the United States of America

* * *

"There are places where you feel safe, even if there is a war going on. D.C. was one of those places. No one, including us, ever thought that we would be attacked. The war was everywhere else; the West Coast, Korea, Japan. All very far away. Attacking here was unthinkable; the center of American government."

"I heard the guns firing in the distance, but sort of ignored it thinking it was something else. That was when the screaming started and…things started appearing on the streets. Purple ghosts, it looked like; they weren't attacking us but they began attacking the soldiers. We saw…a lot of people die in front of us."

 _Long pause._

"This was before the other black aliens appeared. I won't be able to get the screams out of my head. I don't know what they were doing to the soldiers, and I don't really want to either. I don't know why they left us alive, or anyone for that matter. The last thing I remember is a blast that shook the ground. I hit my head as I fell down."

"Afterwards, nothing worked. Phones, cars, nothing. Before we were picked up we didn't know that it was a nuke that was responsible. I didn't know they could do that. But I don't know what we'll do now. Our home is gone and I don't think we'll feel safe again. If they can hit D.C., where else would we be safe?"

 _\- Civilian Interview Transcript 1162, Collins Family – One Mother, One Father, Two Children - All Survived_

* * *

"Washington D.C., also known as the District of Columbia or simply as Washington, is more than just the capital of the United States. It is not simply the political and military heart of the country. It is also the cultural heart of the nation."

"Much of the city is filled to bursting with monuments, historic buildings and museums. You can scarcely walk 10 feet in places without tripping over a monument or plaque or something of that sort. This city is a crucial part of our national identity and houses a great many historical artifacts, structures, sites and knowledge. For the aliens to have not only attacked D.C. but to also seemingly have deliberately targeted such sites with no political or military value was shocking to us all, and not just because many of us, myself included, happened to be in said buildings when the attack began."

"Some people may ask why all the concern for the damage to a few monuments and museums; after all we have plenty of pictures for everything, along with detailed measurements, reports, etc. We can just rebuild them can't we?"

 _Short pause._

"The answer is yes, but also no. We can indeed rebuild and repair all of the destroyed monuments and structures and can even do so using the same methods and materials used in their original construction for maximum authenticity, in such a way that you would never know that they had been damaged at all, but there's no replacing the objects which were destroyed. We can make a copy and indeed we do keep copies of multiple objects, but the object itself and much of the information it held is still gone."

"Hmm? Why does it matter so long as the replica is perfect? Your question carries more weight than you may realize for those in the Museum Science field. I could go on and on about that subject but I'll spare you and keep it brief."

"Humans like our stuff, we grow attached to certain objects and locations and they take on sentimental value which results in them becoming culturally and historically significant. A wooden chair is nothing special, but what if I told you Abraham Lincoln had sat in that same chair at one point? That I suspect would impress you, yes it's still a chair, why does it matter? The object itself helps us feel closer to the past, almost giving us a physical connection, at least that's my take on the matter and- gah I'm rambling. I apologize, I'll try to keep this brief Miss...what was your name again? Sorry I don't interact with the media much, well not until now anyway."

"Wong? Right, right, my apologies, I'll try to remember. Anyway, back to the original question, a replica just is not the same, and they are of limited use to scholars and researchers as well since some information, such as the petina, various chemical or biological traces which may have accumulated in the long history of the object, cannot be reproduced. So for anyone hoping to study the object itself some information is irrevocably lost when the object is damaged or destroyed, and that's ignoring the damage the objects take just in the typical day to day."

"You see, while everyone else is focused on the current war with the Collective, those of us working in museums or gathering artifacts have long been engaged in a war of our own against a far more insidious and powerful foe: Time. We are in a constant war with the forces of time and entropy who damage objects and structures with every second that passes."

"It is a battle we cannot win, but can only continue to fight and struggle against in an attempt to delay the inevitable. Pests, temperature, humidity, air, even light, all cause physical and chemical changes and damage in objects and structures and we are constantly trying to limit it. Now we have to deal with the aliens on top of everything else?"

 _Another pause._

"It's terrible I tell you, some objects were damaged beyond repair, others are now in an even more fragile state than they already were, yet we can do nothing but press forward and wars have long been a threat to such places of history, culture and learning. The Nazis in particular took a great interest in historical sites, artifacts and in particular art."

"How bad was it? I'm assuming you're referring to the damage caused by the aliens and not the Nazis. Simply put, it wasn't great but it could have been far, far worse. I consider it a minor miracle that anything at all was left standing, though I suppose we can thank Treduant for that. As much as the nuclear detonation scared the shi-uh, pardon, scared us all, the EMP put a stop to the alien army before they had time to do much, all things considered."

"Unfortunately, that EMP also knocked out all of our power and with it our climate control equipment, lights, computers, security, you name it. It's a good thing we make regular backups of all our data since everything on any of our devices that happened to be on at the time of the pulse is now gone. We do still need new equipment though, and it will be a nightmare to go through all that information and get the databases and records back up, as if we weren't behind enough already!"

"When the power went out we all went into a panic since many of the objects in museum collections and in some other facilities require specific storage conditions in order to better preserve them. Part of the reason I'm the one speaking to you and not someone from one of the many other museums affected is because we got off relatively easy. Many of our collections, while delicate and irreplaceable, do not deteriorate too quickly, and most of the more of the important stuff is kept below in collections, not above where the public can see it or worse, touch it."

"The vast majority of the skeletons you see on display here are actually resin replicas, the few real objects on display are either not rare or valuable enough to worry about too much, or are considered stable enough to handle the stress of being on display, although we did not prepare for a war. That is something we will all have to discuss going forward and we are in talks with ADVENT to try and prevent such losses in the future."

"Of all the things we had to deal with though, looting was, amazingly, not one of them. As a cynic I suspect a lot of it had to do with there simply not being any time nor good reason to bother, though part of it does seem to be genuine respect by the public. You may have heard about people fleeing the battle outside and heading into the museums, and this is true, what is not always mentioned though is that we let them in. In times of need we open our doors, we were hoping to shelter the public, though it soon became apparent that they were not the target, the buildings themselves were."

"At this point some people started literally shielding certain objects on display or barricading collections areas and putting themselves between the objects and the aliens. Many of these people were museum staff, not just people working with collections but also security and maintenance, some of the public did join in, though. It was an incredible sight seeing a visiting child attempting to protect a T-Rex skeleton from an alien over 5 times his size and seemingly part machine, only slightly diminished by the fact that the skeleton in question was, as mentioned earlier, a resin replica. God that was frightful though, when the child started trying to hit it I was certain he would be killed, but thankfully someone nearby finally snatched the kid away and the creature was apparently smart enough to know the child wasn't a threat."

"Hmm? Where was I? I resent your accusation, I was shielding the rest of that childs tour group, who in turn were also in front of another object in the exhibit, a Triceratops skeleton nearby, I got so wrapped up in the moment that I myself briefly forgot there was no need to protect it. Both skeletons sustained damage yes, though only to some of the "bones", which can be replaced easily enough. Actually, they themselves may end up on exhibit somewhere else after all this since they now have greater significance from the association with the attack, it's quite amusing. Well, to me at least."

"In the end, ADVENT was quick to get the power up and running in these buildings, something we are immensely grateful for. We did have to ask them but the promptness of their response was quite surprising. In the past the US government and military have often dragged their feet on such matters, particularly during the War on Terror, for example, a museum gets looted while begging for military protection while the oil facility a few blocks away already has guards posted around the clock before the shooting has even stopped in the city."

"The power was only out for a day or two in most museums, which, while bad, is not as bad as it could have been. Other museums were not so fortunate, many objects on display in the Air and Space Museum are the real deal, including actual space suits, capsules, et cetera, donated by NASA, and NASA itself no longer has the records regarding their design and construction in some cases. Why not, you ask? Well they were basically chucked in the garbage after the space program was gutted, we've actually had some NASA personnel come in, before the invasion mind you, requesting to take a look at some of the objects they donated to us, all quite amusing of course, gah I've gotten off topic again. I apologize again, I'm rambling."

"Anyway, to sum things up, the attack on D.C. went beyond political or military, if that was the purpose then they could have simply sent those...things...to kill every government and military official...God, I'll never forget the screams...pardon me, we've all been through a lot as I'm sure you know."

"That an alien species, or group of species rather, who have achieved interstellar travel would not only come here and attack a harmless, pre-space travel, civilization, that has far inferior technology, but also deliberately attack such sites is quite frankly extremely disturbing. Let me be clear on this, these are not the actions of an enlightened or noble society, this is not something done intentionally in civilized warfare and here on Earth it is considered a war crime, or at least it was before ADVENT. I'm not sure anymore, but that's beside the point".

"The point is these are the actions of brutes; of tyrants, barbarians, or warlords. The fact they intentionally targeted these sites implies either a lack of understanding regarding our species, or worse, a lack of interest in even trying to understand us. They do not respect us, not who we are, not what we've done, nothing. It is heartbreaking to see something like this being done again in warfare, that it is being done by an advanced alien race is somehow even worse."

"I realize not many people will understand my viewpoint on this but for myself and others this was a deeply violent and horrific act, akin to a rape of our cultural identity, our history. I know it is an extreme analogy but I am not exaggerating. It is said that history is written by the victor, if that is the case, I cannot help but fear this as being indicative of what would happen in the case of an alien victory. Even if our species survives we will no longer be the same. They will warp our history, mangle our identity, our culture, perhaps beyond any recognition should they win".

"Hmm? Is there anything I want others to know? Yes, yes there is. To everyone, and I am addressing this to those in countries who have joined ADVENT and to those yet to join, do not believe whatever the aliens may try to tell you. That their intentions are noble; that they only want peace, this attack puts the lie to their words. They have no interest in peace, only in our submission, they came here as conquerors…"

 _Brief pause._

"No, scratch that, at first they likely saw us as little more than insects, like wild animals, just think back to all the abductions, all the empty towns, all the missing people in the early days. They viewed us as livestock, as a resource, not as an intelligent race worthy of respect. These... _creatures_ , their actions reveal their true nature, they are little more than savages if you ask me, violent, aggressive brutes who came here thinking us easy prey. They are bullies, nothing less and there must be no mistaking this."

"Do not be fooled, I can understand why some nations may be hesitant to join ADVENT, although I probably shouldn't elaborate more on this, but as far as I can tell, they are the only ones fighting the aliens, well, them and XCOM obviously. Our best chance of winning, of retaining our identity as humans, of preserving our past and ensuring that all that those who came before us accomplished was not in vain, lies with them. Should they lose...I see dark times ahead of us."

 _Transcript from interview with Dr. Robert Horner, Ph.D, Department chair, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, conducted by Journalist Jessica Wong, in a sanctioned interview after the Razing of Washington D.C._

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 1091**

 _Operation_ : Imperial Ensemble

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, XCOM Central Officer Ariel Jackson

The aftermath of the attack is still difficult to quantify until the area is fully secured, as the EMP fallout from Treduant's nuclear launch has made it impossible to immediately get information in a timely manner. At this moment we are working off incomplete information as ADVENT forces are moving to secure the city and remove any additional threats now that the Battlemaster is gone.

Despite this, we have gathered enough information to learn how the attack was carried out, the sequence of events before the nuclear blast, and issues that need to be addressed immediately once Operation Sherman is complete and D.C. is secured.

 **CLUSTERED CITIES ARE MILITARY TARGETS** : Throughout the war we have acted on certain unspoken conditions. There are some places that are clear and valid military targets that are logical and obvious when viewed from what territory the Collective controls. However, our focus on this has allowed us to become lax in recalling that the Collective is not limited to land.

They can, and now have, struck where we are vulnerable to make a point. It is almost certain that this is in response to Operation Sherman, and that this is intended to deter us from performing similar actions in the future. Targeting a figure such as President Treduant is intended to demoralize and break the resolve of our citizens.

However, in this instance, I believe that the Battlemaster has underestimated just what we can endure and recover from.

 **NANOTECHNOLOGY IS IN USE** : The deployment of these nanotech figures is a highly disturbing and dangerous development. From the limited footage that was received, they appeared impossible to conventionally kill and replicated to unbeatable numbers in a short amount of time from consuming the armor and bodies of soldiers.

While we don't know the full capabilities, the Collective is now willing to use nanotechnology against us and we must accelerate our own development of nanoweaponry, as well as defenses against it. The EMP from the nuclear blast has likely solved the problem, but that is not a practical solution to any kind of nanotech threat.

 **CYBERNETICALLY ENHANCED ALIENS ARE BEING DEPLOYED:** In addition to the alien Warlock, the nanomachines, and the Battlemaster, clearly enhanced aliens were also deployed. These appeared to be Mutons and some Vitakara who had been modified to be faster, more accurate, and dangerous than their organic counterparts.

These units were responsible for the attacks on buildings and seemed to serve as demolition units for the Battlemaster. It is unknown how affected they were by the EMP, but they have likely been damaged or destroyed. Forces being sent are prepared to deal with these enhanced units. Autopsies will confirm just how advanced they are and what can be done to counter them.

 **IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENT OF EMP WEAPONS AND DEFENSE** : With the previous two notes above, it is imperative that more practical and widespread EMP weapons be developed and deployed. In the case of nanotechnology, it is not only a recommendation, it is the only responsible solution. We cannot deploy nuclear weapons as our only response.

By that same token, we also need to begin hardening our own technology and weapons against EMP weapons and bursts as well. The majority of D.C. is no longer functioning and it will take weeks to fully restore the city. We need to ensure that we can function if we need to detonate something like a nuke to disperse an EMP effect. It does little good to cripple the Collective if we are similarly neutered.

 **DEATH OF PRESIDENT TREDUANT** : The loss of President Treduant is a major setback in leadership for the United States, and ADVENT at large. The loss of the majority of American national government, while extensive, can be replaced. Treduant is more difficult, and her death will be a blow to the morale of Americans.

However, we can work to ensure her sacrifice was not in vain, and perhaps turn the blow to anger. Treduant was one to always have control over the narrative, and she apparently planned to die while maintaining that. Her conversation to the Battlemaster was being recorded to an EMP resistant recording device carried by her evacuating staff, and lasts up to the point of nuclear detonation.

Her words are a testament to her resilience, and we will have to consider using them to rally the populace. Her body was recently found and confirmed dead by forward Lancer squads, decapitated, likely by the Battlemaster. It is advised that images of her body not be released to the public.

 **CONCLUSION** : The political and social ramifications are still yet to be determined, but this was without question a blow to us and we have a massive void to fill in the United States. The Collective has deployed more advanced weapons, which were thankfully able to be neutered by the creative use of nuclear weapons. However, as this was in direct response to our own operations, this means the Collective is taking us more seriously and will possibly stop taking chances with us.

Despite the Battlemaster ultimately escaping, we can take some assurance in that he was apparently in a precarious enough to position to leave when the opportunity presented itself, and had the other Ethereal (Identified as "Isomnum") not arrived, it is possible that we would have been able to kill him, even at great cost.

Between this incident, and XCOM nearly killing him before, I think it can be clearly stated that the Battlemaster is not invincible. We can kill him. It is only a matter of time now.

* * *

The Ethereal Collective attack on Washington D.C. will likely be debated in military history for decades on who ultimately benefited most from the attack, if it was even successful, and if it was a wise target to begin with. What cannot be argued is the effect it had on America and the world at large. While it had been speculated that the Collective could theoretically attack anywhere, this was the first instance of it actually happening.

The war to this point had largely consisted of mostly predetermined locations that both sides had unconsciously chosen, and ultimately followed through on. It was obvious that the Collective would eventually attack America, and when they eventually did, it was largely where it was expected: The West Coast. It made sense from a tactical and logical standpoint, as the Collective was based primarily in Australia.

Likewise, Japan was another obvious target and no one gave the illusion it would be otherwise. An attack on Japan, despite being fairly small and the center of an influential government, was not unexpected and thus there was no outrage.

Another reason for the lack of shock was largely the absence of civilians. While there were some, especially in larger cities, the conflicts were primarily between ADVENT and the Collective. There was a lack of collateral damage, and the Collective has appeared to restrain itself from intentionally committing acts of mass civilian murder.

How the attack on Washington D.C. differs from this is simple. First, this was never an expected battleground and ADVENT was simply unprepared for an attack there. Two, this attack was clearly intended to largely have a psychological effect and serve as a warning to ADVENT instead of actually conquering any land. Three, the conflict had civilians placed directly in the crossfire. While the Collective did not target them, they deliberately attacked knowing they would be at the center of the conflict.

There were multiple responses when news of the initial attack came out. News stations were shocked and visibly worried, and this only increased when more information came out. The annihilation of Congress, the destruction of dozens of monuments and buildings, and of course the execution of President Treduant.

Social media was similarly shocked, and there were thousands of people giving updates which fortunately allowed ADVENT to piece together what had happened in the aftermath. The entire world was shocked at the development, including foreign nations. Both the EU and China, in a rare moment of agreement, condemned the attack and offered condolences to ADVENT and the United States specifically.

The indiscriminate targeting of the various historical monuments and museums has also attracted condemnation from historians and museum curators all across the world, especially since locations of international renown such as the Holocaust Museum were destroyed, with both ADVENT nations and foreign ones specifically condemning why such buildings were targeted to begin with. Israel and Germany have both sent additional soldiers, resources, and supplies to assist in rebuilding.

The effects of this in foreign nations are still developing, and it is quite possible it will eventually form into change. England in particular is becoming more open to joining ADVENT, and public support for arming themselves against the aliens is only getting higher. Politicians and leaders of Europe are facing pressure to do something, because neutrality is becoming more and more unpopular.

Major developments with China are also likely to happen in the future. They have issued a statement of willingness to allow ADVENT to operate in Chinese waters, and there are even discussions about a military alliance, though what this would entail is unknown. But it is extremely likely that an attack this brazen will prompt China to fully enter the war in some capacity, which is only bad for the Collective.

If there is one thing the attack on D.C. ensured, it is that any opposition in America to ADVENT died with Treduant. When the audio of her words to the Battlemaster before the nuclear blast hit was leaked, that turned her into a symbol and rallying cry for not just Americans, but people across the world united in defiance of the aliens.

While many people disagreed with President Treduant politically, she was one of the most popular Presidents for a reason. Her supporters crossed party lines, and no one doubted that she was doing what she truly believed was best. Targeting such a figure for death was without a doubt a questionable decision, and in doing so the Battlemaster ended the debate about ADVENT in America. To even question ADVENT after the attack was seen as traitorous and the few who remained critical of ADVENT became true social outcasts.

Militarily, the attack was a valid one. However, it does not seem that the Collective fully considered the implications of what would happen if they actually succeeded. If they felt that this would shock ADVENT into compliance, it is clear they still have much to learn about us.

 _\- New York Times Op-Ed – "Current and Projected Impact of the Razing of Washington D.C" by Historian Chi Yong_

* * *

 _A/N: The section with museum curator was written by one of my beta readers, Thuzan117. Probably won't be a regular thing, but there might be a few more sections like that if they're up for it, and it's good to have some other talented people show what they can do._

 _\- Xabiar_


	85. Ethereals - Dossier: The First Guardian

Ethereals: Dossier

The First Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

" _He is among the most dangerous of Guardians; one who is only driven by an empty vengeance."_

\- Aegis

* * *

 **CODEX Log 2201**

 _Subject_ : Updated List of Melee Combat Usage In Alien Species

 _Location_ : The Temple Ship of the Imperator

 _Note: For internal use and only to be turned over on the request of the Imperator_

 _Note: Organized alphabetically and is fully comprehensive of alien species within the Ethereal Collective (See secondary memo for identified Inner-Galactic species)._

ANDROMEDONS: The Andromedon species is a highly immobile, but advanced alien species, constrained in bulky and unwieldy suits by their extra-galactic biology. As a result they do not have dedicated melee units, although close-range combat is understood and utilized by them. Contamination Operatives and certain Special Operators fulfill this to an extent, but the entirety of the species is vulnerable to powerful melee attacks.

There are multiple forms of attack, yet the most obvious is striking the helmets, as even small leaks will kill them in moments. They are able to be easily outmaneuvered, vulnerable to telepathy, and otherwise large targets for easy manipulation by telekinesis and saber strikes. They do not pose a large threat, even in large numbers. Once engaged at close range, they have very few countermeasures.

There is a being that I will include, as from what I can ascertain, it was originally an Andromedon who was warped as one of the Creator's experiments. However, this should not be taken as any kind of acknowledgement of melee usage by Andromedons:

 _Occidera_ : The so-called "Assassin" of the Elders, as we are so reverently called, is a being that believes itself more useful and powerful than it truly is. Occidera utilizes melee combat almost exclusively, and primarily specializes in hit-and-run operations and tactics, very likely to compensate for the fact that it lacks any kind of defensive capabilities whatsoever against a moderately talented opponent.

Occidera relies on the element of surprise, using primarily telepathy and limited teleportation to quickly strike and vanish. Reflexes are highly tuned, but it is only useful against non-psions or those without any kind of combat ability whatsoever. In a straight duel she often loses, and is easily beat down once pursued aggressively. Telekinesis is highly effective, and the weapons it uses do not hold against Guardian sabers.

There is ultimately no threat posed, and it is rather ironic that Occidera admires the Battlemaster and his order so much, despite being a sad imitation that can never match the actual skill and ability shown by even the lowest of Battlemasters.

ETHEREALS: As our species has a long and proud tradition in melee combat, it is necessary that those who still possess the skill be analyzed in the event of betrayal or to help improve notable weaknesses. As of the writing of this document, there are very few Ethereals alive who possess adequate skills in melee combat. They are as follows:

 _The Battlemaster_ : The last true swordmaster of the Ethereals, and one of the finest Battlemasters produced by the Empire. He primarily wields a greatsword and specializes in nearly every single combat encounter that can be conceptualized. He is equally effective in one-on-one duels as well as against large numbers of melee and ranged opponents.

His sword allows for extended reach, and his immunity to telepathy negates that factor. Furthermore, he is skilled enough with telekinesis of his own that it being used against him would likely be of limited effect. He is easily capable of closing the distance between opponents using his psionic dash, which is impossible to replicate by non-Battlemasters.

His armor also provides superior protection to even Guardian armor, and he is an expert at incorporating telekinesis and swordplay into his attacks, releasing and recalling his weapon in combat as needed. It should also be noted that he is perfectly capable of leveraging his physical strength and physically beating opponents if no weapon is at hand.

The Battlemaster is a highly dangerous opponent that cannot easily be beaten in duels or even in large numbers. There are only a few Ethereals that could reliably beat him in combat, and I am not certain that I would count myself as one of them.

 _Sicarius_ : Sicarius is an excellent assassin and observer.

She is an exceptionally poor duelist.

She cannot win in a one-on-one duel with a highly skilled opponent, and if she cannot confuse them with her telepathy, her chances of survival continue to plummet. She is small for one of our own, and does not handle multiple opponents well. Multifaceted attacks from multiple angles, which incorporate telepathy and telekinesis are almost guaranteed to work against her. And even in a simple duel she can eventually be beaten if one is persistent and fast enough. She poses little threat to one such as Macula or Quisilia, much less a Guardian or Battlemaster.

 _The Second Guardian_ : Another one of the order, and a decent representation of our capabilities. She has a fighting style which she clearly developed for fighting low numbers of opponents, or preferably one opponent. As a result, she is a highly skilled duelist, but is far less effective against large numbers of opponents and is susceptible to being outmaneuvered and overwhelmed.

The whip-like modification on her Saber is interesting and creative, although it serves a far more defensive purpose than an offensive one, and has a high potential for being turned against the user if handled improperly. Her telepathy is stronger than average, and superior to my own, though is capable of being suppressed by a moderately skilled psion. Her telekinesis is passable, though not exceptional.

She is perfectly capable of defeating most, if not all, non-Ethereal opponents, but I can easily see her being defeated by either myself, the Battlemaster, or a more powerful telepath than herself who utilizes melee weaponry. It is not a flaw she can easily overcome without modifying the majority of her fighting style. As a result, deploying her must be treated with a degree of caution.

 _Macula and Quisilia_ : I have chosen to put the two of them together, as their fighting styles are extremely similar. They, much like Sicarius, are not true duelists and in straight matches against skilled duelists, they will likely lose. Quisilia lessens this disadvantage slightly by being able to teleport and his exceptionally powerful telepathy, but that is useless against a Battlemaster-level opponent.

They typically use small blades as their primary weapons, primarily for assassination, but the size does allow fighting smaller species quite easily. They have as many as two to four weapons used at a time, and can attempt to overwhelm opponents this way. However, once again, they rarely find themselves in such a position, and are unlikely to do so unless they make major miscalculations.

But in duels, there are very few situations where they would emerge victorious, even against a unit like the Oyariah Titans, provided they were telepathically protected.

HUMANS: I was both surprised and fascinated to learn that Humans actually have a very rich history of melee combat, which, while it has certainly lost practical usage in the more recent centuries, Humans continue to incorporate it in sports, entertainment, or otherwise historical presentation and recreation. This is in contrast to many species who often do not preserve melee combat or similar combat forms beyond historical documents.

It is common in many species that when ranged weaponry becomes common, melee weapons become obsolete. This is initially true, and species either adapt or abandon them altogether. More often is it the former, despite this being a fallacy brought on by initial hardship. Humans, in this war, have apparently realized the usefulness of melee combat against our primarily ranged armies, and have made admirable efforts to exploit this vulnerability. They are listed below:

 _ADVENT Lancer Executors_ : These are ADVENT's version of the XCOM Templars, and retain many of their characteristics, which is mainly the utilization of blunt melee weaponry. This is an intelligent tactical decision as bladed weaponry is of limited use against armored opponents. Blunt weaponry however, is exceptionally useful against such opponents, and they have employed it to great effect.

These Lancers are also genetically enhanced to withstand more damage, and this allows them to reach Collective lines and began wreaking uncontrolled havoc. With that said, very few of them appear to possess much skill or finesse in wielding their weapons, and this makes them easily dealt with even in large numbers. They are additionally vulnerable to telepathy, telekinesis, and nearly every kind of psionics.

 _XCOM Templars_ : This is the first Human unit to be developed exclusively for melee combat, and is without a doubt the most effective one. All Templars utilize a different kind of weapon, some using blunt weapons, some using bladed. XCOM has overcome the disadvantage of using bladed weapons against armored opponents with a method very similar to how the Guardians originally developed our Sabers.

Their bladed weapons are coated in a layer of nanites that can have an electrical, incendiary, or a reinforced 'mode' which allows them to still cause damage to armored opponents. While not a Guardian Saber by any means, the attempt is admirable and it will likely be further refined. A portion of Templars are also psions, and as a result they are usually skilled at incorporating psionics into their attacks.

In large numbers, these Templars could pose a threat, especially if they become more skilled, but there are not enough of them to be a concern, and they are as vulnerable to Guardian Sabers as everyone else.

 _XCOM MECs_ : Utilize telekinesis to destroy them. If necessary, outmaneuver and cut them into pieces. There is little reason to engage these flawed attempts of designing a Battlemaster-killer aside from amusement.

MUTONS: Mutons are slow, unintelligent, and easily killed. Berserkers are the closest thing to melee units that we have created and they are utterly useless against any moderately skilled opponent. It is not worth time discussing them. They pose little to no threat.

SECTOIDS: This is a species that has eschewed most combat until fairly recently, much less melee combat. It is a concept they understand, but do not really see a need for. This makes some sense, as the species is not physically adept for physical combat of any kind, and they are easily able to be killed as a result. The development of the Sectoid Vanguards is worthy of discussion, however.

 _Vanguards_ : These are clearly designed to fight non-psions or non-duelists, as they are completely worthless against either. They are exceptionally weak psions, and can be destroyed with barely any effort. Their psionic gauntlets can emit either a shield of sorts which _can_ stop a Guardian Saber, or a blade of psionic energy with strong cutting power.

The issue is that the shield can be eventually bypassed and battered into being disabled, and the psionic blade is far too short against any opponent with reach. It is an admirable start, but one which poses little threat to those intelligent and skilled.

VITAKARA: The Vitakara are a curious species in that the various races have developed along extremely different paths. Some never even developed melee combat, while others maintain it to this day with firm discipline. The majority of races are easily killed however, and do not have effective countermeasures to aggressive melee attacks. The units worth noting are as follows:

 _Oyariah Titans_ : This is perhaps the oldest and most effective melee combat unit in the entire Collective. They have demonstrated the ability to be able to defeat Lancers in single combat with ease, and face down Templars with similar results. Much like the Templars and Lancers, they use either a type of hammer or flanged weapon in combat, designed to crush and mutilate enemies.

This is an exceptionally useful approach, and their natural biology makes them ideal for front-line combat, as they also are larger than many they fight. Their weaknesses are that they are slow, and vulnerable to telepathy. However, with correct protection and a sufficient number, they could pose a significant threat to any duelist.

 _Dath'Haram Bladedancers_ : This is perhaps one of the strangest melee units I have ever encountered. The history of the Bladedancers is utterly bizarre, and only recently have they actually become a military unit. Prior to our uplifting of their species it was simply what the art was called, and the purpose of it was not for any practical reason, such as military usage, protection, or even hunting.

No, it was a _mating ritual_.

For some unfathomable reason, Bladedancing was once practiced – and still _is_ to my knowledge – by the vast majority of Dath'Haram. It is a highly ritualized ceremony where the male and female duel, both following an arbitrary set of rules, which interestingly enough, do _not_ require the defeat of one party in the traditional sense.

Instead, victory is contingent upon scoring done by two master Bladedancers. Different moves, hits, and actions have various scores attached to them, which are further altered depending on how well the individual executes the move. As a result, the duel becomes less of a battle of life and death, and more about form, movement, and fluidity – hence why the name of _Bladedancer_ was applied.

Whoever reached an arbitrary score first wins, and that ultimately determines if the two combatants will be able to mate. If the one who proposed the challenge wins, they will be mated in _another_ ceremony, but otherwise it will not be permitted. The score to be reached is also set by the one being challenged, which can lead to exceptionally short or long duels.

It is an interesting ritual, and is quite…beautiful…to watch, but I write this to demonstrate that literal centuries of tradition is no guarantee that it is actually useful. When the Collective Military was being formed, the Bladedancers offered to form a small unit, believing that their skills actually made them valuable.

This was soon disproven. They are utterly useless against Oyariah in simulated combat, and easily overcome by any kind of moderately skilled duelist. They are not fit for deployment in any sort of military capacity, and the Bladedancers is one unit that should have remained ceremonial. They pose little to no threat, and I would advise they be removed from the Collective Military altogether.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 134**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The First Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 12'3"

 _Weight_ : 302 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : Unlike the Second Guardian, the First Guardian wears exclusively Guardian armor with no further distinguishing features. He looks exactly like what you would expect an armored Ethereal to look like.

 _Physical Condition_ : Physically he is equal in every way to the Battlemaster, and due to his service under the Grandmaster, and his extensive involvement in the Synthesized War, he is nearly equal in being able to survive sustained combat to the Battlemaster as well.

SECTION 2: Assessment

The First Guardian is the closest thing to a proper Battlemaster in the Collective, and if the Battlemaster of the Collective was to die, it is very likely that he would be replaced by the First Guardian. This is due to several reasons, not the least of which being that the First Guardian actually also served as the First Guardian of the Grandmaster of the Battlemasters for several centuries.

Ignoring that detail, it would also be because the First Guardian is one of the finest ever produced by the Empire, and his combat abilities nearly equal those of the Battlemaster himself. While not quite a master tactician, he is actually an Ethereal that is willing to listen, and take advice, from his subordinates.

The slight issue there is that the First Guardian is not one of the friendliest to aliens. He fortunately, is not hostile, but he does not truly see them as equals or even having such potential. They are useful for him, but he does not consider them more than that.

However, the history of the First Guardian is worth noting. He was grown like most Ethereals, and early on demonstrated an aptitude for physical combat and received several decades worth of training and experimenting with various fighting styles. He is unique in that he did not immediately join the Division of the Battlemasters once his initial schooling was completed, but instead dedicated time to working to master various kinds of weapons to the best of his abilities.

When he judged himself sufficient, he joined and immediately attracted the attention of the superiors in the Division of the Battlemasters, and was soon offered an opportunity to become a Battlemaster himself. The Guardians made a similar offer, and he ultimately chose the Guardians. The reason for this, he told me, was because the Guardians were more flexible and afforded him more opportunities to experiment and research various combat techniques. I do not necessarily agree, but considering what he did later, I can understand his point of view.

During this time, he had attracted the attention of the Grandmaster himself, and after he became a full Guardian, he put forth the offer to be one of his own Guardians. The First Guardian accepted, and began working with the Grandmaster and his previously recruited Guardians for a number of undisclosed projects.

One thing that set him apart was his focus on multi-enemy combat. His Guardian Sabers were unique, and were specifically designed for this mindset. He was also responsible for developing the only prominent strategies for fighting large numbers of enemies, which is something that few had actually considered as a possibility, let alone an issue. His foresight was likely what allowed him to survive the war, and also attract the attention of the Imperator.

As you can imagine, when the Synthesized attacked, his tactics and skills were highly effective against them, and as a Guardian of the Grandmaster, he was almost constantly on the front lines against them. His kill count is in the millions, and he assisted the Grandmaster in thousands of combat operations personally. He was the only one of the Guardians of the Grandmaster to survive, and when the Grandmaster was eventually slain, he retaliated by rallying the survivors and leading a near-suicide mission against multiple Synthesized-controlled planets.

But he knew that the war was lost, even with the creation of the Imperators, and it was not difficult to convince him to participate in the Imperator's plan, as he knew that it was the best chance of destroying the Synthesized. I suspect he would have refused if the Grandmaster was alive, but with him dead, there was little holding him to the falling Empire.

But the First Guardian has never forgotten the horrors of the War, and as a result, is hardened enough to do anything to ensure victory against them.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Mentally, the First Guardian is in a far better state than the Second Guardian, and witnessing thousands die around him during the war has almost numbed him to feeling loss or pain. He never mated, although he has said that he had considered it during the Empire, and even now has expressed some desire to do so, but does not believe he actually has the capability to maintain and develop such a relationship correctly, especially with how few of us remain.

If there is one thing that drives him, it is vengeance. He does not show it, either in actions or conversation, but he utterly hates the Synthesized and the only motive he has for continuing to live is to destroy them. He does not care beyond that. He has no wish to restore our Empire, or even our species. He likely considers them impossible to reclaim, and is instead settling to avenge them.

As a result of this, he has a tendency to treat everything around him with an…almost absentmindedness. Nothing truly matters to him anymore beyond that goal, everything is either a sideshow, a distraction, or an opportunity to keep preparing. He has become far more analytical and mechanical now than even in the latter days of the Empire.

Very little elicits emotions in him. He will use words that signal emotion, but never reflects it in his tone or actions. He is reserved in his speech and movements, even when speaking to other Ethereals. Even Isomnum cannot provoke a strong reaction, and ever since awakening, he has devoted more and more of his time to training in the Prism. The only ones he speaks to regularly and willingly are the Imperator and Sana'Ligna.

He is not one prone to speeches or intractability. If he fights you, he will intend to kill you, but with everything he does now, it will be with the absentmindedness of an Ethereal who only considers this a distraction.

Because of his hatred for the Synthesized, I am concerned that he can be easily swayed into supporting dangerous measures, especially against other alien species. A means to an end is an argument he could be swayed by, even if he doesn't necessarily subscribe to the idea of a galaxy of Ethereal dominance. Even now, I doubt he hates Humans, but instead sees you as a curiosity. However, if you were to directly stand in his way against the Synthesized, he would become far more invested.

I am somewhat saddened to write this, as he would be the ideal ally against the Synthesized, but I sincerely doubt he can be swayed to abandon the Imperator. He is a flawed Ethereal, but not one who deserves to die.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Some time should be spent discussing this, even if I stand by what I've stated above. The First Guardian is an exceptionally dangerous opponent who does not hold to many of the 'rules' the Battlemaster holds himself to. He has no qualms about simply killing everyone in his path using his abilities to their fullest potential. He will rarely toy with enemies or otherwise needlessly prolong the fight.

He is a skilled telekine, although not one who I would consider on the level of Caelior, obviously, but arguably just as skilled as the Battlemaster, if not more so. He is skilled with telepathy, and does incorporate it in combat, though it is not his strength and he prefers to use it to protect himself rather than use it offensively.

His twin double-bladed Guardian Sabers are his greatest advantage. As you can imagine, they are highly effective against large groups of opponents, and the First Guardian has spent literal centuries perfecting a weapon style that would most likely wound the user if they are not skilled enough. Note that he will not necessarily use all four blades at once, but determine that depending on the situation.

Against one or two opponents, he might use one single-blade Saber, maybe two, and would use the inactive ends either to surprise his opponents or provide more options at a later time. He is more subtle than you might expect, and you should treat him as seriously as the Battlemaster when it comes to his combat intelligence. If he sees a weakness he _will_ exploit it.

The good news is that he is more vulnerable than the Battlemaster. His armor can eventually be weakened, and enough telepaths could almost certainly overpower him. In fact, enough psions could pose a significant threat, although then the risk of him exploiting overconfidence grows. The First Guardian does not want to die, I can assure you of that much.

But I firmly believe that he can be defeated.


	86. Ethereals - Dossier: Occidera

Ethereals: Dossier

Occidera, Nightmaiden of the Creator and Assassin of the Elders

* * *

" _She strives for something she is never capable of attaining. One cannot become an Ethereal; they can only emulate them."_

\- The First Guardian of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

CODEX LOG 9792

PRISM PROFILE 07

PROFILE = OCCIDERA

PRISM SIMULATIONS ACTIVATED: 1052

VICTORIES ACHIEVED: 372

DEFEATS ACHIEVED: 680

PREMATURE DEACTIVATIONS: 0

ENEMIES DESTROYED: 8221

MOST DESTROYED ENEMY: ADVENT SOLDIER (2811 UNITS DEFEATED)

LEAST DESTROYED ENEMY: ALL UNITS DESIGNATED AS ETHEREALS (0 UNITS DEFEATED) | VENADIAR (0 UNITS DEFEATED)

NEMESIS: VENADIAR (122 DEFEATS TO THIS UNIT)

MOST USED SIMULATION: PARADISE (BLACKSITE OF THE CREATOR)

LEAST USED SIMULATION: ANDROMEDA PRIME SCENARIO 4 (0 USES)

UNITS WITH ZERO DEATHS ON THIS PROFILE:

\- THE BATTLEMASTER

\- THE FIRST GUARDIAN

\- THE SECOND GUARDIAN

\- VENADIAR

\- AEGIS

\- SPECTRE

\- SICARIUS

NOTES ON COMBAT

STRENGTHS:

\- EXCELLENT USAGE OF PSIONIC TELEPORTATION

\- EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AGAINST STANDARD ENEMIES

\- EXCELLENT ASSASSINATION CAPABILITIES

\- GOOD PERFORMANCE AGAINST MELEE OPPONENTS

\- GOOD PSIONIC USAGE

\- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

\- ABOVE-AVERAGE SITUATIONAL ADAPTABILITY

WEAKNESSES:

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST HOSTILE PSIONS

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST MULTIPLE OPPONENTS

\- POOR PERFORMANCE AGAINST LONG-RANGE OPPONENTS

\- POOR PERFORMANCE IN OPEN COMBAT

\- INCAPABLE OF DEFEATING ETHEREAL-LEVEL OPPONENTS

\- INCAPABLE OF EFFECTIVE SPACE COMBAT

MOST RECENT SIMULATION: EARTH DESERT CITY 2

MOST RECENT VICTORY: EARTH SMALL CITY 7

LAST KILLED ENEMY: XCOM SNIPER

MOST RECENT DEFEAT: EARTH DESERT CITY 2

DEFEATED BY UNIT: N/A (STEPPED ON EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE. OPPONENTS FOLLOWED UP WITH SUSTAINED AERIAL BOMBARDMENT)

* * *

To the Zar'Chon,

Despite the operation against Mexico not performing entirely as expected, we gathered significant and more accurate data on ADVENT defenses and personnel than had been known before. The intelligence gathered by Zararch agents, while appreciated, did not paint a complete picture of their capabilities as has been proven beyond any doubt.

Our soldiers were initially kept away from a foolish charge forward, as it was clear that any kind of advance would simply cut our soldiers apart by ADVENT weapons and explosives, but as a result, our own options in responding were severely limited. The capabilities of their 'Flak Towers' were far more than anticipated, and we lost the majority of our air superiority in the opening stages. I suspect ADVENT is already stripping the Fighters of their valuable components.

Long ranged attacks were more effective, and I use this word sparingly as 'effective' in this case translates to 'occasionally scored a hit'. The vast majority of ADVENT forces were in trenches built into the ground in a ring around the city, and it was difficult for snipers to get an accurate shot at the exceptionally small openings. ADVENT was not hindered by this, even if we eventually erected defenses of our own.

Our artillery and mechanical units also performed well below expected, as they suffered severe damage before even getting into the appropriate range from concentrated ADVENT fire, missile and artillery strikes. ADVENT had also seeded the battlefield with buried explosives and mines, which further damaged our units. Cyberdisks were close to useless, and Sectopods only fired a limited number of missiles at best.

Our most effective unit was the one that identified herself as Occidera, an Ethereal observer or so I was led to believe. While she was not able to be ordered about, she did assist in the operation to the best of her abilities. She first managed to cross to the ADVENT line and returned, with detailed layouts and intel about the defenses we were facing.

This allowed us to coordinate our own forces better, and prevent any more needless losses. Occidera returned to the enemy lines, with the goal of assassinating ranking officers and sabotaging critical equipment. There did appear to be disruptions noticed by our forces, although they were unfortunately not enough for us to gain a significant advantage.

She returned later, heavily wounded and explained that ADVENT had eventually forced her back, and that there were enemy psions in their ranks. The danger of telepathy was very clear, although if they had that capability, I had suspected they would have used it by now. She then informed me that she would have to have a reprieve from the operation to heal, and I allowed it.

I confess to not being aware of the capabilities of the Elders, but I genuinely do not know what Occidera is, nor do I know why more like her are not assisting. Even one allowed us to salvage something of this failed operation, and a larger number could perhaps be enough to turn our defeats into victories. I would ask that you inquire with the Elders about the possibility of having more of her kind be deployed.

Further details and documentation is enclosed in this message.

 _\- Runi'satta'borelia, Runianarch Ground Commander_

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 171**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: Occidera (Sanctioned Ethereal Assassin)

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Abigail Gertrude; Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM; Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None seen

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange (Comparable to an Ethereal or Andromedon)

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 8'0" – 8'7" (Height unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Weight_ : 220 – 260 lbs. (Weight unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Age_ : 5 – 200 Years (Same situation as Senorium, Aegis assumes that this one was made at, or around the same time as Senorium. The similarities to Andromedons also give some credence to the idea that this one could actually be older)

 _Scars or markings_ : None seen. With how quickly it regenerates, it seems impossible to actually achieve.

 _Physical condition_ : Extent is unknown, but it certainly didn't get tired, and getting shot in the fucking head and coming back implies that it at least has some resilience.

SECTION 2: Assessment

I suppose that since I've been the one to interact with this…alien…the most, it makes sense that I'm the one to write this. Fair enough, but I'm not really sure it's going to be the ultimate guidebook to these things.

Anyway.

I first encountered this alien in Australia; it had managed to track down our cell and presumably proceeded to kill everyone in the area viciously. From exchanges between myself and the alien, this was likely not the only attack, and it's likely that she is the reason the Australian Resistance cell is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

I will also note that while I refer to this alien as a female…considering what I saw in Busan, I'm not sure it actually is one gender or another. The figure itself is very slim and agile, but the voice is distinctively raspy and deep, which I would put down to a throat condition or injury, except that nothing seems to hurt these aliens. It's possible she sounds like this because she was once another alien, likely an Andromedon from the physiology, and can't really change the effects that has.

Or it can be put to Ethereal tampering. This Creator sounds like someone who would like designing something as unnatural as this.

 _Addendum: Aegis – Without a doubt._

I am convinced I would have died if not for the intervention of the Chronicler, and the rest of the time they fought, I was trying to get Harper and the survivors out of there. Needless to say that, while I'm not a psion, she appears to be very skilled in some kind of psionic teleportation and other offensive abilities. She appears to be skilled with a sword as well, or it can be chalked up to the Chronicler not being as skilled.

 _Addendum: Aegis – Teleportation is an exceptionally difficult skill to learn, much less employ repeatedly in a combat situation. The fact that she can do this easily implies that she is highly skilled, even if not necessarily as powerful as the Warlock._

Either way, that was the last I saw of her until Busan, so I'll skip to that. I'll say that was very interesting since she wasn't after us, but instead her 'brother', as she called him (Even though they look nothing alike). I'm assuming I'll be helping with that write-up too, but I'll just focus on her.

I haven't really mentioned her impossible regeneration abilities, so I'll spend some time on that now. This alien can't seem to die. Even the Chronicler said he'd likely just delayed her, and not actually killed her. I'm going to list the injuries that should have killed her:

\- Getting shot in the head

\- Getting stabbed in the head

\- Having multiple limbs chopped off

\- Getting nanites thrown at her

For once, when an alien says they can't die, I'm actually starting to believe this one. I can't think of any reason how this could possibly work. _Maybe_ nanotech, but even that seems absurdly powerful, and when her limb was chopped off, she just reattached it in the field. I guess this means that they can't regrow limbs, at least not instantaneously.

This is still very bad for us. I'm not counting on her being nice like that all the time.

 _Addendum: Aegis – I will briefly address the possibility of the origin of this alien. If we believe that Senorium was once a Muton, it is not out of the realm of possibility to believe she could have repeated the process with another alien species. The Creator is capable of it, and a mad experiment such as this is what she specializes at._

 _Her extreme regeneration capabilities are strange, as not even Ethereals have such resilience. I am currently at a loss as to how such a being can function. As this is the conclusion I come to, I am beginning to suspect more and more that the Creator has been more liberal in her usage of Sovereign technology, as no other explanation makes sense._

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

Explain to me how, exactly, I am supposed to know this?

Do you want me to guess? Alright, I can do my best.

She answers to the Ethereals, and doesn't have a problem with killing us. There.

Probably not good enough, so I'll elaborate.

At the very minimum, she doesn't appear to be some kind of fanatic like Senorium is. She mentioned answering to some Ethereals, but that isn't really uncommon. I would say that out of the Creator's trio of immortal aliens, she is the 'professional' one. She is given a job, completes it, and waits for the next one.

She does to some extent appear to have some flexibility. She actually worked with us to bring down the Hunter, which is…surprisingly open-minded. At minimum I think we can say that she doesn't have a burning hatred of aliens, or if she does, she can put it aside for the sake of her assignment. She would have killed us if we'd tried to stop her, of course, but the fact that she just left when she had her brother implies that she at least holds to her word.

Speaking of that, I'm getting the impression that these Chosen do _not_ like each other. The Hunter mentioned that he'd wanted to shoot her in the head "For a very long time" and I assume the feeling was mutual. Can't really blame her for hating the Hunter, honestly, I'd have been tempted to cut his tongue out too.

So yeah, her motivations seem to be tied to the Ethereals. They point, she kills, so to speak.

 _Addendum: Aegis – This is highly in contrast to Senorium, and given the state of the Hunter, I am somewhat surprised these originated in all likelihood, from the Creator. Calm, rational, and following orders is not something she usually supports, which then implies that these aliens have more free will than I'd initially assumed._

 _From the descriptions, this is an alien that would be commissioned by the Battlemaster or Quisilia, not the Creator herself. I suspect there is some reason we simply cannot see._

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

I'll keep the list short:

\- She can teleport

\- She can use offensive psionics

\- She can easily kill anything that isn't a psion or enhanced

\- She can get shot in the head, and be fine

\- She really can't be killed

I don't know what else I can really add to this. Vahlen's probably looking over the body parts I brought back, but even knowing that, I'm not sure that is going to help. These seem to be aliens that you can't kill, so much as drive back. Maybe a nuke or nanoweapon would kill them, but regular weapons and even psionics don't seem reliable.

Given her designation as an "Assassin" indicates that she'll probably not appear in open combat much, if at all. She'll instead target officers, leaders, sabotage equipment, and so on. Anyone who uses her in any other capacity is an idiot, and since the Battlemaster is still in charge, I don't think that's going to happen.

In terms of power, I think we have quite a few that could beat her. In fact, the only reason I lived against the Hunter was because he made a bad decision that cost him his arm. Otherwise, he was easily outclassing her in combat. We could probably do the same thing. The problem isn't fighting her, but actually managing to kill her.

We can't beat something we can't kill.

With that said, from what I've seen, I'd put her at the bottom of Chosen we have to worry about. Senorium is more likely to be fought by us, and the thought of the Hunter showing up again is legitimately terrifying. Compared to him, the Assassin is vastly preferable and manageable.

* * *

A curious alien to encounter. Almost child-like in her manipulation of Psionics. She understands the basics, but not how best to use them. Her telepathic defenses were also very…minimal. She does not understand how to defend against such masters of telepathy, and as a result…what she is and where she came from has been…enlightening.

This Creator…she is toying with exceptionally dangerous forces if what I saw in her mind is accurate. The Blacksite of Paradise, the unnatural experimentations, the figures in cloaks…something that has not been encountered in millennia. He has learned to be more careful, if he is truly behind the Creator.

But if that is the case, these little aliens do seem to be possessed of some free will.

The fanatic is not worth considering, and the failure is simply more trouble than he is worth, although highlights that these aliens are not bound by some kind of conditioning. A foolish oversight by this Creator, and one which is sadly expected in her arrogance.

With this alien, there is a similar zeal to the fanatic, but a more controlled one. She does not wish to worship the Elders, but strive to _be_ them. In her own way, she is as devoted as the fanatic is. She has dedicated her life to them, and seeks to simply be viewed by them with pride. It is not even about the Creator, but ones such as the Battlemaster and even the Guardians.

Even she seems to realize the Creator is doing things she should not be, but is bound to her all the same. Yet that does not stop her from idolizing other Ethereals from afar. For that was the desire I saw in her mind – Acceptance, pride, _victory_. All these are her motivations and goals. She, ironically, wishes the same thing as the heretic, to not just be the champion of the Creator, but all Ethereals.

Unfortunate she will never attain such. She will spend her days striving and perhaps one day she will realize that no matter what she does, she will never come close to matching them, much less gaining their approval.

And when that time comes, it will break her spirit forever. Far kinder for her to be killed if I encounter her once more.

 _\- Notes of the Chronicler – Alien Encounter in Australia_


	87. Ethereals - Dossier: Venadiar

Ethereals: Dossier

Venadiar, Watcher of the Elders and Hunter of the Creator

* * *

" _I know I should probably be going on and on about how I'm going to defeat you for the glory of the Elders and the almighty bitch, but let's be real – I just like to kill things."_

\- The Hunter, right before killing two ADVENT squads during the First Battle of Korea

* * *

 _CODEX DOCUMENT 1223_

 _Distributed through Human publishing outlets after threats were received_

 _Edited by Quisilia_

 _Flagged by ADVENT Intelligence for review_

 _Below are several notable excerpts_

The Ultimate Guide to the Species of the Galaxy – And How to Kill Them!

By Dave, a Real Human™

 _Introduction_

Greetings, prospective readers of this little document I've put together for your reading pleasure. Now you may have questions, such as a how a very Real Human™ could possible put together such an authentic document, but if you have any doubts, just look at my name again (What alien would be called "Dave" – Exactly right, none, so stop thinking about it).

This will be briefer than you may expect, and it actually isn't too difficult to actually kill aliens (At least to me), so I'll be including some extra information such as interesting and idiotic cultural, military, and government differences, as well as why each species is either good or bad. Many aliens died to bring you this information, so have a moment of silence before you read further.

Or don't, and just go out and kill an alien. Would make me feel better.

 _Part 1 – Andromedons_

Overview: So, these are aliens that you've probably seen before, the ones in big suits that no one seems to like that much. As far as aliens go, they aren't idiots and can put up a semi-decent fight (Although they can be creepy when they want to be). At the same time, they're one of the more mechanical alien species; in fact, I'd say they were robots if I hadn't killed a few myself.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - I wouldn't kill all of them

How to kill them: You break their suits. For whatever fucking reason, they decided it would be a good idea to come to a galaxy where they literally couldn't breathe the atmosphere, and this apparently extends _everywhere_. They have to actually poison their planets to walk around without their suits. So yeah, break the suits and boom, dead Andromedons.

Good thing they have the suits though, because they are an absolute joke outside of them. If you do, just shoot them in the head. They die as easily as other species with heads. Or somewhere in their chest would be sufficient. For their suits, if you want to take the "No Helmet" challenge, be sure to target any sort of tanks they're wearing – these often contain chemicals, air, or something else important. Also target the joints to bring them down.

Alternatively, just throw them in the water. They can't swim and will eventually drown. If you don't want to be subtle, just shoot a rocket at them. That's always fun.

Killability Rating: 8/10 – Somewhat challenging and fun to kill. Would recommend.

Culture: They're divided up into the space equivalent of tribes, and it's just as stupid as it sounds. Basically all of them hate each other, but they also don't want to go to war with each other, and more importantly, they hate the Sectoids more, so they're in a constant loop of trying to outdo each other and subtly try and insult everyone not from their space-tribe.

If you ask me, they'd be much better off if they just dropped the pretense and got back to fighting each other. Would make things a hell of a lot more interesting. Otherwise they're really, really boring. Not like us Real Humans™ though, because even though we do stupid things, at least there's a good chance that someone is going to die instead of everyone just hoping it goes away.

Interesting Culture Rating: 4/10 – I'll make this a 10/10 when the civil war starts happening.

Military: Yeah, they're competent. Easy to kill, but they're fine. Good suits, good tech, kills things, pretty good.

Competence Rating: 9/10 – Would recommend.

Government: The government pretty much just exists to keep the space tribes from killing each other. Cool. Us Humans have had similar government bodies that pretty much did the same thing, and if I recall, it didn't do them much good when things got heated. Doubt it'll be different for these guys.

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: 3/10 – Like I said, all these space tribes hate each other. Bring it on as far as I'm concerned.

 _Part 2 – Ethereals_

Overview: Oh yeah, not even the immortal four-armed aliens are going to be ignored here. They can die just like anyone else, even if they are, a bit harder to kill, and I confess, I really haven't tried yet.

Doesn't mean I haven't thought about it a lot.

In fact, I have a running list of certain glorious Elders to kill when the time comes.

Overall Rating: 3/10 – This number is how many Ethereals are on my list. This'll go down with each one killed, after all, what good is a species that doesn't have enough members that I can't kill a few here or there when I feel like it?

How to kill them: See, I could tell you this, but the thing is, I kinda want it to be a surprise. Blame Quisilia, he'd probably share it with them as some kind of twisted joke. But make no mistake, this is the endgame for the galaxy. Kill one of these, and you have my endless respect.

Killability Rating: 10/10 – Good fucking luck killing them.

Culture: I don't fucking know, they don't tell me that sort of thing. Heard they had some kind of Empire once, then a bunch of them died, and now they go around assembling random species into a poorly run and managed Collective than has no goal other than to really exist.

There is like only _one_ goddamn Ethereal that ever does anything, well ok, maybe two. But yeah, the big impression I'm getting from Ethereals is that they're pretty lazy. You'd think having control of entire species would give them some motivation, but no.

I bet they don't even know this is being published, heh.

 _Editor's Note: Quisilia – I would say you're lucky the Imperator was mostly amused when I mentioned this to him._

Interesting Culture Rating: 6/10 – A bit of mystery, but they blow it by being lazy.

Military: The Battlemaster is solid. If there was once an army of him, I'd never want to meet whoever beat them. With that said, no one else seems to ever do anything, so he seems to be the only competent one. Although I've noticed a lot of Ethereals like having their own private armies, and those are run well.

Stuff to think about.

Competence Rating: 8/10 – If nothing else, they can put up a good fight.

Government: Did I mention they are lazy and never do anything? Well, I'll say it again.

If you're not going to run your Collective, just fuck off and give it to someone who actually wants it. I've always wanted to have a galactic army, and I'd at least be more hands on than you've ever been. Even if I am a Real Human™, I'd guarantee I'd do a better job than the Imperator.

Like, for example, I wouldn't be toying with my enemies, but having some fun killing off all the world leaders until they inevitably descend into chaos, and from the ashes, new leaders emerge to unite the people and then I kill them too, and by then I'd probably just send in my soldiers to put the species to work…

Yes, I've thought about this. Sue me. Your plans are boring, Imperator, do something for once in your life.

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: N/A – Much as I insult him, I doubt even I'd be able to kill the great Imperator, so this situation will probably never be relevant. Although that would imply that anyone besides the Battlemaster did anything, so make of that what you will, dear reader.

 _Part 3 – Humans_

Overview: While us Real Humans™ are indeed one of the most interesting and smartest species in the galaxy, we are, sadly, not without our flaws. But we have things the aliens don't have, like music, the Internet, personality, and most importantly, a _lot_ of ways to kill each other. I love that about being a Real Human™, just being able to order any weapon I want.

Granted, we're a bit behind the tech, but I think we'll get there.

Overall Rating: 10/10 – Would be Human again.

How to kill them: Let's be honest and say that Real Humans™ die pretty easily. Just shoot them in the head, heart, any vital organ, or bang their head hard enough, or make them fucking trip and fall down, and you can kill a Human. So there are many ways to kill Humans, however, we are pretty well aware of how much we suck in the survivability department, so I'll focus on the positives.

We have some good shots. We have armor, and we can also use purple space magic to kill the xeno scum. Psionics makes things a hell of a lot more interesting, and can make targets very difficult to kill if they actually know how to use it (50/50 on that, honestly). Sadly though, overall we aren't really that much fun to kill when it comes down to it. We are fun when Expert and Amazing shooters deliberately handicap themselves for a challenge.

Killability Rating: 5/10 – 9/10 For skilled psions. Fun to make heads explode.

Culture: I'm not even going to attempt to really cover this because us Humans have so many fucking cultures it's impossible to keep up. Yes, we are actually a species that has something interesting about ourselves besides big guns or psionics, but at the same time, we went a _little_ overboard. I would recommend getting rid of a few of the more useless traditions and cultures. Preferably anything to do with pacifism.

And please just shoot Nazis and Communists on sight. Hate those guys.

Interesting Culture Rating: 10/10 – Nice to be able to talk to ten different Humans and actually not have it sound like the same fucking person over and over again – you would not _believe_ how common this is.

Military: Pre-Actual Competent military, us Humans honestly weren't that great. We had maybe one or two decent militaries, but other than that, eh, not great. ADVENT is good though, true defenders of Humanity. Amazing what having a central species power will do for you. Also can't give enough props to XCOM for putting those Ethereals in their place.

Caelior's reaction when the good ol' Ravaged One was killed was amazing.

Competence Rating: 8/10 – Pretty good I think.

Government: Humans, we have some good governments. We also have some awful ones. Pre-ADVENT, we were pretty screwed. At this point in time, there actually seems to be some intelligence in it, and as a result the rest of the world has to be smarter too or they'll be introduced to what an annexation looks like.

ADVENT, can you do this more often? Stop beating around the bush and take over the world already. It's going to be very disappointing if you always try to go the diplomatic route. May I recommend taking out the heads of state? I do contract work, you know (Call me!).

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: 8/10 – Pretty good. I'd have to kill the whole government to actually make a difference I think. At least for ADVENT. 5/10 for everyone else.

 _Part 4 – Mutons_

Overview: I present to you the most useless and idiotic species in the galaxy. They literally cannot do anything with any sort of intelligence whatsoever. The glorious Elders (May they wither and die) actually have to grow them since they can't naturally be smart. What they were thinking in uplifting such a useless race is beyond me.

Overall Rating: 1/10 – Throw them all in a fire.

How to kill them: With literally any kind of weapon. Shoot them in their stupid, unarmored heads. They'll probably just stand there and let you do it. They're equipped with the cheapest stuff possible, which doesn't do much to protect them. Sure, they have "good" biology and can survive in almost any environment. Wow. Amazing. Doesn't do much good when I blow their heads off now does it?

Killability Rating: 1/10 – I would rather shoot a moving target than one of these things. At least then if I was bored, it would be my own fault.

Culture: hahahahahaha

Interesting Culture Rating: 0/10

Military: _More intense laughter_.

Ok, ok. Those Elites take two shots to kill usually, not one. Even the fucking Battlemaster can only do so much with them though. They're only good to use as suicide soldiers and create organic cover.

Competence Rating: 2/10 – I only gave them two points because the Sargons are admittedly somewhat intelligent. And that is why you'll never find someone who hates the species more than a Sargon. Trust me, if you were constantly surrounded by morons, you'd hate your own species too.

Government: hahahahahahaha

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: N/A – They don't _have_ a government.

 _Part 5 – Sectoids_

Overview: This species is the definition of 'creepy', and are what most rational beings, including us Humans, distrust based on appearance alone. Yes, it's stereotyping, but the Sectoids are one situation where the alien abductor and soulless experimenter are not only true, those are the _nicest_ things you can say about them.

Trust me, most Sectoids aren't very talkative, and the only ones that have any sort of personality have God complexes so severe you would think they considered themselves the only ones who actually mattered in the galaxy. Not too dissimilar from the glorious Elders themselves, now that I think about it, but I digress.

They're creepy bugs with the majority being mindless drones, but I can't say they're completely stupid.

Overall Rating: 7/10 – I'd kill them, but they aren't offensive.

How to kill them: Shoot their oversized heads. I bet a child could kill one of the drones. They aren't too smart and are so psionically weak the worst you'll get is a headache. Well, they can shoot, so that might complicate things. But at minimum, even a rookie could kill the little ones. Like I said, if you shoot pretty much any part they'll eventually die. Not a durable species, the Sectoids.

Things get a little more complicated if they actually use those large heads of theirs. The Hive Commanders can be actually challenging since they aren't drones, but highly trained and powerful psions. They have an annoying tendency to not stay dead for whatever reason, so be sure you burn the body if you ever fight one.

I'm serious. I've killed four of the things and every single one has shown up alive again.

Haven't quite figured out how that works. Cheating of the highest order, I'd say.

Killability Rating: 8/10 – Mostly because of whatever bullshit magic the Hive Commanders use to cheat death. Keeps things very interesting, and psionics is also fun to counter.

Culture: I find it mildly revolting that the goddamn race of mechanical and scientist drones are somehow both smarter and more interesting than a species literally from another galaxy. Part of it is the mystery, them Hive Commanders like staying in their eggs on their homeworld doing who knows what. But even better is that the Hive Commanders actually seem to work together and each one has their own focus and skills.

Breaking into those eggs is harder than you think. They do _not_ like random people poking around. But then again, take out the Hive Commanders and it becomes utterly drab. And there sadly isn't the possibility of them killing each other. Also a point against them.

Interesting Culture Rating: 7/10 – I only rate it this high because there's some mystery around them. Might change this when I figure it out.

Military: The Sectoids seem to believe that if you make something big enough, it's actually hard to kill.

No. It isn't. Short-sighted fools.

Forces a bit of creativity, but once you figure it out it's pretty easy to dismantle anything they throw at you. Fun for practice though, I'll give them that.

Competence Rating: 5/10 – At least it's functional and large. They'd lose against the Andromedons.

Government: Run by the creepy Hive Commanders. They pretty much do their own thing and get together and talk about shit every once in a while. Pretty simple, and the rest of the time they stay in their eggs and do…whatever they normally do in there. Probably what you'd expect from a bunch of master telepaths with god complexes.

Still, everything runs fine, and you have to admire a species that decides to kill off half of itself for not being up to their IQ standards. Killing off a whole gender is hardcore.

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: 10/10 – Largely because the damn Hive Commanders don't die, and even if I actually killed one, they'd just make another one and probably wouldn't care too much in the first place.

 _Part 6 – Vitakara_

Overview: Ah…this is like coming home. Boy is this an interesting one; a mishmash of various races that have nothing in common except DNA, with militarists and pacifists all living in harmony together with a fixation or fear of gene modding, depending on how you look at it. And on top of it, they boast some actual terrorists.

For as much as they are decried as weak, Vitakara are thankfully not too boring. Although the outlooks sadly seem to only vary by species. Not much divergence within them unfortunately.

Then again, I may be biased.

Overall Rating: 8/10 – Meh, they're tolerable.

How to kill them: The vast majority can pretty much be treated like Humans. Just think of them as Humans with grey skin and taller, Humans who have fur and are taller, or Humans who live in trees and have a pointless philosophy and existence. Great! Now there are only three other races to concern yourself with.

Cobrarians follow a lot of the same rules. Shoot the head, and if that fails, just shoot the body until it falls dead. Close range is not recommended, since the reptiles are rather feisty and like to play dead a lot. Don't really bother with the Sar'Manda, they only fight underwater and don't do much to begin with anyway. They're more boring than the Andromedons.

The Oyariah are a bit trickier. Most take a few shots to take down, and you're better off hitting chinks in their stony skin than trying to get headshots, since that'll just annoy them. Rockets and explosives also aren't as effective as you'd think. Oh well, at least it actually gives some challenge which the rest of the species is sorely lacking.

Killability Rating: 7/10 – Nulorian and Oyariah bump this up significantly.

Culture: I'll sum this up:

\- Vitakarians: The only ones who actually do stuff and hold some kind of intelligent position.

\- Dath'Haram: Pacifist cowards who constantly complain about 'military violence'.

\- Cobrarian: Misandrist reptiles who complain about everything in their desert.

\- Oyariah: Stony Ethereal-worshippers who are good soldiers.

\- Borelians: Boring military types who like to have snowball fights.

\- Sar'Manda: Isolationist fish that just want to stay in the ocean.

They were a lot more varied once, although since that almost killed off the entire species, them becoming a bit more restrained is a little understandable.

Interesting Culture Rating: 7/10 – Over half the races aren't bad, good enough for me.

Military: If you ignore the fact that they never actually fought in a war until us Humans, then they are pretty good? Otherwise they suck in every way possible. They can't shoot straight, crack under pressure, get sick at the sight of blood, and have no idea what the fuck war actually is.

Idiots. Hopefully most of them will get killed.

Competence Rating: 4/10 – Only because the Zararch and Battlemaster are actually competent.

Government: They are a bunch of Ethereal puppets that can't think for themselves and are stuck debating the most pointless stuff you can think of. Sitting in one of their meetings makes you want to blow your brains out, and I came very close to killing the whole fucking mass of blabbering representatives just to shut them up.

Unfortunately, I was advised that would be a bad idea, so I decided to save that for later.

Would have been funny though.

How Quickly Civil War Would Happen If Their Leader Was Assassinated Rating: 5/10 – Would be a 3/10, but since the Zararch would likely take control, I'm not too sad about that. Still probably wouldn't go over that well.

* * *

 _Message to Quisilia from Chosen [ERROR! SCRAMBLED] on the CODEX Encrypted Network_

 **Subject: A Favor**

Quisilia, we're friends, right? I'm in a bit of a situation.

See, I did a few things that, in hindsight, probably should have been avoided, and ended up with your friend the Battlemaster sending my dear sister after me. Now I want to say that I didn't lose to her, I'm not _that_ incompetent, but I did make a mistake and let's just say things were rather painful for me.

Still though, what was absolutely infuriating was that my idiot sister forgot to pick up my sniper rifle, and it's probably sitting in some ADVENT or XCOM lab.

So could you get it back for me? I'd do it myself, but I'm a bit indisposed right now.

Thanks!

\- D

 **Re: Subject: A Favor**

I suppose I could look into this. I'm a bit occupied at the moment, but I know how attached you are to that gun.

\- Quisilia

 _No recorded activity for sixteen hours_

 **Re: Re: Subject: A Favor**

Quisilia.

When I said I wanted your help, this is _not_ what I had in mind.

Please get rid of this.

\- D

 _Attached is a screenshot of the following tweets:_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Nov 25, 2016

Hey, ADVENT_PR XCOM can you help me out? Looking for a certain rifle that looks like this picture attached below. Asking for a friend. #lostandfound #guns #missinginaction #please

 _Attached is a picture of the rifle, as held by the Hunter._

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

 **XCOM** XCOM – Nov 25, 2016

No.

 _Replying to XCOM_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Nov 25, 2016

Please, my friend is really distraught about this. #thinkofthealiens #mean #stealing #art #warcrime

 _Attached is a surprisingly well drawn image of a cartoon hunter sitting on the ground in a fetal position, presumably crying. A thought bubble (In the shape of a heart) shows the Hunter getting married to his sniper rifle, presumably signifying true love._

 **Re: Re: Re: Subject: A Favor**

What? So dismissive of my methods?

You're entertaining, but consider what you're asking right now? We have a lot to deal with, and to be honest, finding your oversized gun is not a high priority. That, and you're not even supposed to be able to have communications capability right now.

You are also quite lucky the Battlemaster hasn't cut your head off. Please don't ask him for your rifle when he speaks to you. Unless you want to lose more body parts.

Have fun!

\- Quisilia

* * *

 **Log PD172 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category** : Other

 **Type** : Audio Log

 **Participants** : Venadiar; Human Captive 2771

 **Begin Playback** :

[Venadiar]: "Greetings, Human, mind if I sit here?"

 _Sounds of a chair being pulled up in front of the cell._

[Human 2771]: "Don't think I have a choice. Come to torture me some more?"

[Venadiar]: "No, not my style. Thought I would give you an easier way out."

 _Pained chuckled from the Human._

[Human 2771]: "I don't think they want me to die yet."

[Venadiar]: "Mmm, no, they really don't. But now it's only a matter of time. Feel up for talking?"

[Human 2771]: "You're the first one who's bothered, so sure, why not?"

[Venadiar]: "Great! So, what were you before coming to the glorious Paradise?"

[Human 2771]: "A programmer. Not the best, but it was good work. Fun."

[Venadiar]: "Can't say I know too much about that stuff. Military then?"

[Human 2771]: "Nah, although I guess you could say I ended up there. No, VR devices, entertainment, you know?"

[Venadiar]: "Virtual Reality? That's military; even before you put on that ADVENT uniform."

[Human 2771]: "No, no, this was just for fun. The tech was still pretty new, but it was extremely promising. It would have revolutionized how we, Humans, consumed media. Doubt anyone's working on it now."

[Venadiar]: "Ah, so it's another way to play your video games?"

[Human 2771]: "That's what everyone thinks of, but it can used for so much more. Engineering, simulations, and also military. It's-"

[Venadiar]: "Yeah, yeah, trust me, I know how it works. Thing is we don't have that sort of thing for fun. A shame. You Humans actually seem to prioritize that, which is both impractical, and admirable. I mean, having entertainment where you actually can shoot up people for fun would get you taken by the Zararch, joyless bastards."

[Human 2771]: "Uh…why are there bugs everywhere?"

[Venadiar]: "Ah, yes, there aren't any, you're just going insane. Don't worry, it won't get much worse."

[Human 2771]: "What did you do to me?"

[Venadiar]: "Still haven't figured that out, but everyone I talk to loses their mind after a while. And frankly, this is a better way to go out than what the glorious bitch has planned for you. So since I have nothing better to do, I just like talking to people. You Humans are an interesting species."

[Unidentified Caretaker]: "Step away from the captive, Hunter."

[Venadiar]: "Fuck off, I'm having a conversation."

 _Sound of discharged weapons. Unidentified Caretaker is presumed incapacitated._

[Venadiar]: "Sorry, but it looks like our talk is over. Shame it ended this soon."

 _One additional gunshot. Human Captive 2771 is presumed dead._

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 7291**

Authorization Level: XCOM Intelligence

Subject: Venadiar

Assessment Authors: Agent Abigail Gertrude; Aegis; Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

Approved by: The Commander

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair_ : None noted

 _Eye color_ : Glowing Blue

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 8'2" – 8'10 (Height unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Weight_ : 220 – 280 lbs. (Weight unable to be accurately determined from footage)

 _Age_ : 5 – 140 Years (As with the other similar aliens, they could be recent creations or very old. This particular alien was likely originally a Vitakara, probably a Vitakarian, and they already have long lifespans.)

 _Scars or markings_ : Unlikely to have any due to their regeneration.

 _Physical condition_ : Highly agile and strong, at least from what was seen. For once this one didn't seem to have any psionic powers, but is arguably just as good with his rifle.

SECTION 2: Assessment

This alien is…utterly bizarre. The closest comparison I can think of is if you took Quisilia, gave him a sniper rifle, and made him a psychopath. If nothing else, you can class Venadiar as one of the more interesting aliens, and one of the most unsettling to ever fight.

Reviewing what ADVENT has provided to us, it paints enough of a picture to actually put together something resembling a profile on him, largely because he never actually stopped talking through the entire battle up until his removal. This will be covered more in the following section, but I'll focus on his actions right now.

It appeared that the Hunter, as he identified himself during the beginning of the Battle of Korea, was with the aliens from the beginning. However, at some point he announced that he was essentially not going to follow his orders, and instead decided to start killing aliens and Humans alike. I want to say there was a pattern to his targets, but it honestly seemed like he just shot whatever he felt like.

Although, targets that are extremely large, insult him, or otherwise get a rise out of him seem to have a higher chance of getting targeted.

What _is_ interesting is that it seemed like the aliens did not expect this, nor really seemed to be aware of the traitorous tendencies of this alien, and were apparently aggravated enough to send _another_ of the Chosen to take him out. This led to…a surprising alliance between us and the Chosen, and even then we almost still lost.

If there is one thing that we can definitely take away from this, it is that the Hunter is perhaps the most dangerous of the Chosen. Not only was he capable of sustaining an entire missile barrage, but also managed to beat all of us and if he hadn't made the mistake of picking up my rifle, we would have all died.

 _Addendum: Aegis –_ _This is perhaps the first time I have ever seen anything resembling treason within the Collective. I am not sure how the Battlemaster overlooked putting such a being in his military, and it implies that this alien has either been putting on a facade or has a more volatile personality than any other alien in the Collective._

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

On the edge between insanity and anarchism. I can't really tell which. He likes to ramble while he shoots his targets about seemingly random topics, most of which aren't really connected at all to the current situation. He doesn't seem to have any kind of regard for life, Human or alien, which is clearly apparent from some of what he's said.

He started the battle with saying he wanted to kill whoever he wanted to, and multiple times in combat he mentioned how much he likes killing things. This is the clearest case for a psychopath label I've seen in a long time, and he not only seems to realize that, but revel in it. He deliberately seems to go out of his way to make the most difficult and impossible kills, only for his own amusement.

He does not seem to care about anything, and freely admitted that he doesn't have any loyalty to the Collective, and continuously insulted and derided them just as much as ADVENT, and in fact, almost seemed more complimentary to us than the alternative. He is definitely not anyone professional, even if he is by far the best shot I've ever seen in my life.

He seems to harbor some hatred for his 'siblings', even commenting that he'd wanted to shoot the Assassin in the head for some time, and seemed to greatly enjoy fighting her. Killing is perhaps the only thing he can enjoy, and as a result, seeks it out whenever possible even if it results in him betraying his own side. I don't know if this extends to Ethereals, but he doesn't seem too happy with the Creator either, judging from several comments made towards her.

He is an unpredictable loose cannon, and one we don't want to encourage. I don't know if he's legitimately insane or not, because he seems skilled and intelligent, but his actions show him as an impulsive thrill seeking psychopath. He can't just be ignored either, because even if he also shoots aliens, he's still shooting at us.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

The good news: I don't think he's a psion, or at least, not a skilled one. There were some telepathic defenses noted by the Priests, but he never displayed any psionic abilities at any point during our battle. It is possible he's just a weak psion, who is only really trained to protect his mind and nothing else.

The bad news: It really doesn't matter. His weapon skills make up for that significantly.

The Hunter is without a doubt the best sniper we've ever seen. His kill count by ADVENT estimates is in the hundreds, and pretty split between Human and aliens, with a wide variety of units killed. He likes to telegraph his attacks, usually by speaking to them first, or even announcing what he's going to do, and there is literally no defense. He marks a target, that target dies.

It doesn't matter if the target is hiding behind cover, is behind layers of armor, or is a psion; nothing seems to matter to him. And he's not only effective at long range, but also in closer encounters where he switches to his pistols and is an equally good shot with them. He's stated that he's trained to kill psions, and our efforts to kill him seemed to largely amuse him.

Combine his skills with his invincibility, and I genuinely think this is the most dangerous Chosen that we have encountered. Anyone that can so easily outclass the Assassin is one to be concerned about. I don't know what we can do to stop him when he returns.

If we're lucky, the Ethereals will just kill him as punishment, but I doubt we'll be that lucky.

 _Addendum: Moira Vahlen – I have finished some preliminary analysis of the biological components that were recovered by Abigail Gertrude, and the results are truly fascinating. We now have some biological framework for how these aliens function on a biological level, and it is extensive enough that I am not convinced we could replicate it with the technology we have._

 _The Chosen appear to be, as we suspected, originally other alien species. This Hunter in particular has remnants of Vitakarian DNA, and has preserved several aspects of that race, such as the eyes and height. I can easily believe that both the Assassin and Warlock were victims of similar experimentation._

 _However, the entirety of these Chosen are composed of trillion of small, nanite-like creatures that…don't entirely function like cells, but at the same time, seem to perform the same function. These are biological in nature, and there is nothing on Earth that compares to them. The easiest thing to imagine is that, if we were not composed of cells, but nanites._

 _The Chosen appear to be entirely constructed out of these base units, and while it appears that some of their original biology is retained, it is at least supplementary at best, and quite possibly just replicated by these organic nanites. I do not know how such a thing could be created, much less organized into a fully sentient being, but this does provide an explanation for their regenerative capabilities._

 _From the arm that was recovered, the first thing that we noticed was that the arm had sealed itself off from outside contamination. The stump had effectively cauterized itself in a thin organic layer of skin, and kept fluids like blood still inside. This implies that it is impossible for a Chosen to actually bleed out. Indeed, performing various kinds of cuts on the arm just resulted in the skin sealing back up in mere moments._

 _The working hypothesis is that, since these organic nanites operate on similar concepts to mechanical nanotechnology, it is possible that the entire body contains a 'snapshot' of what it should look like, and when parts are missing, it immediately replaces them. We have observed these components replicate incredibly fast through cell-like splitting and reproduction, and as a result, it would theoretically allow for the regeneration of limbs, organs, and other vital components of the body._

 _Now since the limb has not regenerated into a full body, and cutting off one of the fingers also didn't cause a new one to grow, there must be some kind of requirement for such complex components to be regrown. This is likely energy, and as of right now, there is no sustenance reaching the arm and thus no additional components to expand._

 _The implications for our own research are obvious, but I am unsure that we have the technology to replicate these small components, as right now it is beyond anyone in my team. We will continue more invasive research, and since the arm has not deteriorated at all since acquiring it, I believe that we can safely say that it will not rot or decay._

 _As curious as the armor Agent Gertrude brought back was, this is more likely to be one of the most important discoveries we will uncover._

* * *

 **Log NB121 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category** : Operation

 **Type** : Audio Log

 **Participants** : Venadiar; Zar'joreal'mattis

 **Begin Playback** :

[Venadiar]: " _You ever wonder why we're here?"_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "Because I'm ordered, and Nebulan asked you to help?"

[Venadiar]: " _Not that. Like what exactly we're doing in the galaxy. What our ultimate purpose is."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "First, what brought this on; second, no, I really haven't. I think I've got my purpose all figured out. Our lives are what we make of them."

[Venadiar]: _"Because I'm fucking bored, and I'm getting tired of staring at these wannabe Nulorian. Why are we even watching them?"_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "She wants to see if they are connected to any other cells, or if this drug operation is independent. If it is, we take everyone out and get an outpost."

[Venadiar]: _"Fine, I won't kill them right now. Anyway, as to what you said, I don't necessarily agree. You're working for an Ethereal, so for you this is answered. But what about her? What about her species? The Ethereals, they were designed, they know they were designed, and for some reason, they never really bothered to figure out why someone went to the trouble of designing an entire species."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "I think the better question is if that actually matters? So they were designed? Does this actually now dictate what they must do? If that were the case, wouldn't their creators have been more…visible?"

[Venadiar]: _"Perhaps they're dead."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "In which case my point still stands."

[Venadiar]: _"Mmm, might just be my own experience, but anyone who can design a species doesn't just disappear. This galaxy is very, very strange if you stop to look at it. No one stops to wonder at the planets of alien ruins, the obvious biological tampering with everything, and why everyone seems to be constantly preparing for something they don't know about."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "Not every species in the galaxy was designed."

[Venadiar]: _"No, but enough of them are to be suspicious. Ethereals, Vitakara, quite possibly Humans and Sectoids as well."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "First, Vitakara aren't designed. And I highly doubt either the Humans or Sectoids were as well-"

 _Interrupted by Venadiar laughing._

[Venadiar]: " _Please, you're telling me that six highly distinct races just so happened to be the same species by chance? I'm aware the Vitakara think the idea is unsettling, but I ran the numbers once. The chances of a species like that occurring naturally is impossible. And I'm also assuming you weren't aware of the ruins on Mars and Helion-2, yes? Sectoids don't bother mentioning that little detail. Someone was definitely watching them, and they probably weren't idle."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "Even if that's true, again, what does it matter?"

[Venadiar]: _"I'll let in on a little secret, Joreal, because you're actually sort of interesting to talk to: The ones who made the Ethereals, Vitakara, and probably dozens of others, they never went away. Don't know the details, but I think it's tied to what eventually killed off the Ethereals. From what I've seen, the species that came around by chance probably kill themselves off before they reach spaceflight – case in point, Mutons."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "So give me your opinion on this?"

[Venadiar]: _"Mine? There's something that is coming, and the aliens they shape are their soldiers. Considering what I've seen, it's going to be bloody. The bitch might be insane, but she isn't working day and night for no reason. The Ethereals know something, and whatever it is, it isn't good."_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "And what about you? What role do you think you have in all this?"

[Venadiar]: _"Me? Oh, I know why I was created. I'm just supposed to kill things."_

 _Long pause._

[Venadiar]: _"Probably why I get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I see a head explode into chunks. Wouldn't trade that for anything. Speaking of which, I'm a bit sick of the philosophizing. We've waited long enough."_

 _Sound of gunshots firing._

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "I knew you'd be a problem."

[Venadiar]: _"Yeah, yeah, you going to help or am I getting all the kills today?"_

[Zar'joreal'mattis]: "Might as well make this worth my time."

 _Sounds of battle intensify and combat finishes approximately four minutes and four seconds later._

 _End log._


	88. ADVENT - History: The Entrance of China

ADVENT: History

The Entrance of China

* * *

" _The time for neutrality has ended."_

\- President Qin Yijung, of the People's Republic of China

* * *

 _Official statement released by ADVENT regarding the military alliance between China and ADVENT_

Today ADVENT is pleased to announce the formation of a military alliance between ADVENT and the People's Republic of China in order to further combat the threat of the Ethereal Collective and their continued assault on our species. This marks a major step in the fight for Earth, as more and more nations realize that this war is much larger than one country or authority, it concerns the entirety of our species.

At this moment ADVENT is coordinating with Chinese military forces to conduct operations to liberate Japan from alien control, and in the spirit of our alliance, we have allowed them to take command of this operation, while ADVENT will provide support in the form of information, supplies, and special forces.

As a result of the agreements from both our representatives, and those from China, they will receive a fair share of the salvage fro the conflict, and further and more permanent agreements regarding the sharing of resources as the war continues will be released in the coming days. We can confirm that ADVENT will continue to retain full control over any highly exotic alien material or psionic equipment.

In the coming days ADVENT hopes to continue negotiations with China and further expand on previous diplomatic issues that have long been avoided by previous countries, especially those related to the South China Sea, the independent nation of Taiwan, the documented suppression of Tibet, and the increasing pressure on the autonomous state of Hong Kong. It is with hope that ADVENT wishes all parties to come to fair and conclusive agreements in the spirit of focusing on the alien threat.

ADVENT also hopes that this will serve as a revelation for others who have yet to participate in the war, that regardless of differences of nationality, ideology, or politics, that the threat of the aliens is one that threatens all, not simply a few. China has taken this step towards alliance, and that is to be commended, and we hope to see others soon follow suit.

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

\- Commander Laura Christiaens

\- Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan

\- Minister Kyong Suk-Chul

\- Chief Overseer Keith Watkins

\- Director Elizabeth Falka

* * *

The surprise announcement of the ADVENT-China alliance was something that shocked journalists and pundits all over the world. Prior to this, the relationship between ADVENT and one of the last powers of the old world could be described as frosty at best. ADVENT had originally threatened major sanctions on the country after China aggressively rejected any idea of union when ADVENT itself was originally unveiled.

However, both sides largely and more quietly backed down as ADVENT began focusing on the alien invasion and China withdrew to internal affairs and became heavily isolated from the outside world. ADVENT did, and is still planning, to begin the arduous process of becoming independent of Chinese products, but they are not as public about it as they initially were.

China itself has had a hand in the war from almost the very beginning, as reports came to light about their support for the XCOM project, and indeed, several soldiers were part of the paramilitary organization, and they withdrew their support for unknown reasons, which are rumored to be clashes between China and the Commander of XCOM.

However, they do appear to have retained a limited relationship with XCOM itself, with the Commander revealing that there are several current Chinese soldiers serving within XCOM. It is unknown how the recent alliance will impact Chinese-XCOM relations, but it is unlikely to hurt it.

Returning to the present day, there had been speculation over the past week that ADVENT was engaged in high-level diplomacy with a major non-ADVENT power. Such speculation included the European Union, or what remains of it, China, and even the newly formed Sovereign African States. While the latter was highly unlikely, based on history, it seemed like the EU was the most obvious choice, even though almost all representatives (With the exception of the SAS) refused to confirm or deny one way or another.

Thus, when it was revealed that China had not only come to an agreement with ADVENT, but was also launching a military operation to reclaim Japan, it shocked the world. Rarely has such decisive diplomacy been conducted, and in such a short period of time. There is rampant speculation that this has been continuing far longer than the past week.

There is, of course, no evidence to support this, but it is questionable how quickly this has come together. While China and ADVENT share many qualities, there are major ideological differences between them that both Chancellor Vyandar, and President Qin have acknowledged. Their stated core value is the preservation of humanity.

Now that this alliance is public, it is clear that the geopolitical situation has changed once more. China was not estimated to enter the war itself unless directly threatened, and thus their entrance is going to have severe ramifications for the world at large. While they have not joined ADVENT, supporting them is more than most non-ADVENT nations have done, much less participating in joint military operations.

President Qin in his initial speech issued a thinly veiled criticism of the critics of ADVENT, most notably the European nations who had refused to participate, and to a limited degree, other powers in Africa such as the SAS. While such criticism has been deflected by European media, it is quite curious to not hear European leaders confront the accusation themselves, and attempts to gather direct responses have resulted in failure.

It is clear that the EU is rattled by this latest development, and there has for some time been a growing divide between the governments and the people. Recent surveys and polls have indicated growing support for joining the war, and nearly a quarter of citizens actually support joining ADVENT, whereas the EU itself still wants to distance itself from ADVENT.

As a result, it does not seem a stretch to indicate that China's entrance will only facilitate the final collapse of the EU, as countries leave of their own free will due to public pressure. The loss of Germany and France was devastating, and if the UK or Italy soon depart as well, it will be cheaper and easier for the EU to disband than suffer a slow and humiliating death.

Militarily, China boasts the single largest army of any one nation. Previous numbers have estimated its numbers to be around two million, but more recent numbers have indicated that China's aggressive recruiting efforts have bolstered that number to between four and ten million. Much like ADVENT, it is likely that the higher end of this estimate is more likely due to the circumstances and high population count.

This _will_ give ADVENT a significant numbers advantage, or at least a reserve pool to pull from especially in the East. It remains to be seen how involved China will become in ADVENT military operations, but if they are involved in the liberation of Japan, ADVENT likely had little qualms about allowing them elsewhere, which could certainly include areas in the western hemisphere.

What also has yet to be determined is how ADVENT will, if at all, handle the various diplomatic issues and hurdles China itself presents. ADVENT has already formally recognized Taiwan as an independent nation, and given them full protections. While normally a diplomatic mountain, China has appeared to overlook this previously considered slight. It is unknown if they have written it off, or are simply waiting for an opportunity to broach the subject.

The internal issues of China are also something that ADVENT has not specifically addressed, particularly those concerning Tibet and Hong Kong. The previous history of ADVENT indicates that they would be supportive of these regions retaining their limited independence from China, but if that has been discussed by them, it has not been made public.

It is possible that in light of larger matters, such discussions have not been addressed yet, and if so, it might eventually lead to severe disagreements in this alliance between the two superpowers. However, it is clear that none of this will be known for sure until some time has passed. All that is known is that the dynamics of power have once more shifted, and both this era and war have entered new phases.

\- " _Ramifications on the Chinese Entrance into the Alien War" Editorial by Allison Wake of the New York Times_

* * *

Battlemaster,

Due to the surprise introduction of China into this war, I feel it prudent to spend some time discussing the Chinese military itself, especially as it is likely to continue improving and taking a larger role in the war. I have also authorized operations into China, since we mistakenly believed that they were an issue that could be handled at a later date. This is clearly not the case any longer.

There are several different components of the Chinese military I have been able to determine from the reports. They will be detailed as follows:

 **1\. Military Size** : One of the most notable components of the Chinese military is its sheer size. The original numbers prior to our invasion were just over two million, and over the past half year China has been steadily recruiting and growing their military to extremely high and overwhelming numbers.

While we don't know the full and current numbers, it is estimated that there may be as many as ten million Chinese citizens that have been drafted into the military. I want to emphasize that _not_ all of them are soldiers, but also are composed of support staff, engineers, logistics personnel, and roles of that nature.

Even with that generous estimate, we can say without any kind of doubt that China has far more than two million soldiers. This is a country with over one billion citizens. Leveraging just a fraction of the population is all that is needed to overwhelm most of our military forces on Earth. While even China's numbers don't match our own, since the majority of ours are in Mutons, that is not as large an advantage as we might have previously thought.

 **2\. Military Tactics** : As their numbers give them a large advantage over opponents, it is not surprising that they would consider overwhelming force as their primary method of attack. China does not appear to care as much for the individual soldier as ADVENT or XCOM does, and as a result they do not necessarily have issues with ordering suicide missions or sacrificing soldiers by the hundreds.

With that said, with the development of their battlefield intelligence, they have become much more effective in where and when they deploy their own soldiers. This will be elaborated on below.

 **3\. Armor** : It is at best, a very poor version of standard ADVENT armor. The major differences are that, based on what we could recover, Chinese soldiers have far greater network range and capability, allowing communication from hundreds of miles away, and their suits are EMP resistant.

This is clearly to never lose communication with their battlefield intelligence, and to that degree it can be considered superior to ADVENT. However, the armor itself is made out of cheap Earth metals and plastics, provides far less protection than ADVENT armor, and won't even hold up against one plasma bolt.

 **4\. Weaponry** : Knockoffs of ADVENT tech. They have developed some primitive and cheap gauss weapons, which are less effective than real ones, fall apart fairly easily and have a host of other issues that make replacing them mandatory. They can be manufactured quickly and cheaply, but this is a case where, as the Humans say, "You get what you pay for."

They have also developed limited laser technology, which is only capable of being fired when connected to massive power sources. There are no hand-held laser weapons, and all Chinese laser tech is installed on naval crafts or some aircrafts. It _is_ powerful, but highly limited in where it is used, and even then it cannot be fired with any amount of regularity.

 **5\. Technology** : China was apparently the one to recover the CODEX on the Dreadnought fragment. We had assumed previously that either XCOM had recovered it, or it was destroyed in the crash due to nothing of that nature appearing in XCOM itself. This is clearly not the case, and as China was the one to recover it, would explain why it has taken so long to reappear.

If it isn't clear, this is very bad.

That China has managed to adapt the CODEX for their own needs, and in such a fashion means that we are now suddenly in a position of tactical inferiority. What footage we could recover indicated that Chinese soldiers were somehow able to coordinate a full invasion of Japan with a level of precision that should not be possible, and is only feasible with a CODEX system.

I would imagine even ADVENT would not fare well against them, but that is beside the point. China knows they can't hold onto this now that the secret it out, and we should expect copycat (And likely improved) systems shortly, but that is another topic. The point is that China has a technological advantage over us, and should be neutralized as soon as possible.

 **6\. Implications of ADVENT/Chinese Alliance** : Aside from another army, and significant influence over the last superpower of the Old World, ADVENT is almost assuredly going to acquire CODEX technology, and knowledge on how to successfully put it together. This would ordinarily be a significant disaster since we are not prepared to counter a battlefield intelligence, but the debut of Aegis puts some things into perspective.

Politically, this is almost certainly going to force Europe to either enter the war formally, or join ADVENT. Public sentiment is against neutrality now, and expecting the EU to remain as such is not likely. ADVENT is going to emerge from this far stronger, and that is something we should all be concerned about.

 **7\. Implications for XCOM** : At minimum XCOM is likely going to incorporate the battlefield intelligence into their own programs, and with the information Aegis has likely given them, I think they will be able to do it far better than the Chinese. The good news is that this isn't a full AI, but knowing the Commander, it is only a matter of time before they consider that, if they aren't doing it already.

I can also predict that the number of Chinese soldiers in XCOM will rise, despite the rocky history between XCOM and China. They appear to be putting the past behind them, and China seems to intend to do the same. However, I suspect that the Commander won't be happy with China since he has to have figured out _how_ the Chinese developed this intelligence.

 **8\. Means of curtailing them** : Prior to recent events, I would recommend that China be dealt with immediately. That should be our priority when the situation within the Collective is dealt with regardless. China is technologically inferior, and dedicated intelligence ops can ensure that their battlefield intelligence is dealt with before any ground invasion.

I would also highly recommend that a large percentage of their population be culled. The Humans have proven they are capable of fighting us, and we cannot afford to hold back. The Sectoids have been working on such programs, and I believe China would be an excellent testing ground for such bioweapons.

I understand you are averse to this method of warfare, but China must be punished for their actions. Otherwise more countries will simply follow suit, and that cannot be allowed.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 _Internal memo distributed to the Internal Council shortly after the Liberation of Japan._

By now I suspect the vast majority have read Patricia's own report on what she managed to learn about the Chinese Tiāngōng Program. While it is commendable that China is now taking part in the defense of humanity, the fact that they have developed this without the knowledge of either ourselves or ADVENT is an issue.

The reasons are likely straightforward: China needs something to remain relevant, and with psionics forbidden and resources limited, AI research is something that neither we nor ADVENT have aggressively pursued. This is not necessarily worthy of condemnation. China does not wish to be assimilated, and it is understandable they would seek ways to mitigate this issue.

However, where that reason does not hold up is that the Tiāngōng Program is one that is based on, or a modification of a fully functional CODEX system which was recovered from the Dreadnought. Our initial teams missed this, and I suspect China found it after they had free reign with the tampered ruins.

With that said, there was a clear agreement between XCOM, and the Council at the time that XCOM was to be the spear of humanity and the first line of defense. It was understood that XCOM would gain immediate access to all resources that could assist us in pursuit of this goal. China, it seems, treated this more as a suggestion than a binding agreement.

That is not acceptable.

As a result, China must be appropriately reprimanded for keeping this level of technology out of our hands for so long. It is one thing to keep a copy for themselves, but another to withhold it entirely. This cannot and will not be overlooked by XCOM, and I am preparing to ensure that China is handled appropriately with the following directives:

 **EXPLANATION FOR THE WITHHOLDING OF TECHNOLOGY** : This will be conducted by myself, Central Officer Jackson, and Overseer Trask with President Qin and whoever he wishes to bring with him. While his reasons can likely be predicted, before we do anything it is imperative that we at least allow the Chinese to give their reasons for why they withheld such technology from us.

Should he be amenable to reconciliation, the following non-negotiable conditions will be given:

 **IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO TIANGONG PROGRAM AND SYSTEM** : China will allow us to send our own scientists and technicians to inspect and review the system and infrastructure to see how it is put together and given a full list of its capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. This will be accompanied by psionic overseers, XCOM Intelligence agents, and however many soldiers Vahlen and Shen deem appropriate. Numbers and personnel will be determined by Raymond Shen, as this is his purview.

 **FULL ACCESS TO SOURCE CODE AND ALL COMPONENTS OF CONSTRUCTION** : Once the above step is completed, we will take with us the entirety of the source code, and a complete list of components and instructions for being able to fully and completely replicate the Tiāngōng program, and there will be several Chinese technicians on standby in case there are any issues. I'm certain you can see the usefulness of such a program, especially for the development of JULIAN. In the meantime, having used this in the field, it could be useful as-is for our own soldiers, with several improvements of course.

 **IF MET WITH NONCOMPLIANCE** : There is the possibility China will refuse the demands. In that case, the response will be simple. XCOM Intelligence will perform a psionically assisted operation where all files and components related to the Tiāngōng Program will be acquired, all personnel responsible for maintaining and designing the intelligence will be psionically interrogated and have their minds wiped of the information needed to successfully run and maintain it.

We do not need to destroy it, as it will likely prove more useful working than destroyed, despite China's underhandedness in acquiring it. However, XCOM Intelligence will periodically send agents intermittently to check on them and ensure that they are not developing it in a way that is unexpected or dangerous. If that is discovered, the intelligence may be destroyed.

It is likely China will attempt to either denounce or discredit us as a result. If President Qin insists on doing that, we can easily respond by targeting members of his inner circle. Warning will suffice the first time. Should China continue to be a problem, they may be executed. We should make every effort to demonstrate to China that refusing to comply is a bad idea for them. They chose their selfishness over allowing us to handle this technology, and that is something that must be punished.

This response will begin within the week.

\- The Commander of XCOM


	89. ADVENT - History:The Revelation of Aegis

ADVENT: History

The Revelation of Aegis

* * *

" _Aegis has made his move. It is time for our own."_

\- The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

To the Imperator of the Ethereal Collective,

Since the formation of the Ethereal Collective, and our own introduction into it, we can state with confidence that it has thus far been a beneficial alliance. We have governed and restrained ourselves from making decisions that would not be in the best interests of the Collective, even if that has led some to question the path we have taken.

However, the Federation has endured because of your own assurances that the Ethereals would keep order and there would be continuous communication with the leadership to ensure smooth operations. While this has allowed the Federation and Unions to retain a respectable degree of autonomy, it does not quite erase the fact that Ethereal leadership has been sorely lacking.

In light of recent events, I would formally request an explanation for the current state of your own internal affairs. There is no excuse for hiding the defection of one of your kind, especially to Federation leadership, and it implies that the professional trust between us only extends so far, and only when your kind are not threatened.

It raises some questions as to the state of the Ethereal Collective as a whole. This is unlikely to be an isolated event, and despite the united front your species erects for itself, that is quickly crumbling under scrutiny. The Ethereals have been absent for too long, and as this was attributed before to laziness or apathy, we suspect the true reason might be more sinister.

The Federation has formally tolerated your refusal to address the issues that affect the Collective, such as the growing Sectoid problem and this highly questionable method of subjugating the Humans – which was initially promised to be a relatively quick and simple affair, and as is clearly seen, it is not.

From this point forward, the Andromedon Federation is withdrawing all military support for Collective Military operations until a satisfactory explanation is provided, and a permanent solution for the Human and Sectoid problems is presented and approved by the Unions.

This is non-negotiable. The majority of the Federation is in agreement on this. We are owed answers, and one way or another, we will acquire them.

By Decree of the Federation,

\- Chernior, Chief Overseer of the Andromedon Federation

\- A'Intellior, Chief Intelligence Overseer of Union Apear

\- H'Terra – Chief Terraformer of Union Haruma

\- S'Starina – Commander of Union Stuirah

\- J'Vailan – Lead Overseer of Union Jamoiar

\- R'Farradah – Weaponmaster of Union Reinarm

\- V'Zarrah – Chief Logistics Overseer of Union Viarior

* * *

 _Recording of the Commander of XCOM and Chancellor Saudia Vyandar shortly after the press conference unveiling the Chinese-ADVENT Alliance and Aegis._

[Saudia Vyandar]: "So. How long have you had a fucking _Ethereal_ hidden away, hmm?"

[The Commander]: "Close to half a year, I believe. Shortly after the initial Australian Invasion."

[SV]: "Really. How interesting. And you didn't think that _maybe_ , just _possibly_ , this _might_ have been good information to tell me!?"

[TC]: "Of course I considered it. I ultimately decided against it."

[SV]: "Please explain. I really want to hear this."

[TC]: "Many reasons, chief among the reasons was that he deliberately wanted to be known by as few people as possible. I saw no reason to deny him that. He initially feared escalation, and at the time it was a valid concern."

[SV]: "Even if he _didn't_ do anything, it couldn't hurt to at least tell _us_."

[TC]: "At the time, this was something I needed to have absolute secrecy on. ADVENT already has enough to deal with without worrying about an Ethereal."

[SV]: "Commander…if we had known an Ethereal was on our side, we could have been doing things differently. Not to mention that he must have a wealth of information."

[TC]: "I doubt much could have been done differently. And yes, he does. I'm sure everyone is going to want to speak to him."

[SV]: "Your gift of understatement strikes once more. Do the Ethereals even do that?"

[TC]: "Speaking? Yes, of course they do. He's not too bad once you get to know him. As much as you can, for an Ethereal."

[SV]: "And you apparently have more aliens working for you. Wonderful."

 _A pause_.

[SV]: "For an organization called the _Extraterrestrial Combat Unit_ , you have a suspicious number of aliens in your ranks."

[TC]: "The irony has not escaped me."

[SV]: _sighs_ "You've turned this into a mess. I hope you know that."

[TC]: "Only a mess if you consider it one. By the end of today Korea will be secure and very likely Japan as well. And you can thank him yourself. He's wanted to meet you."

[SV]: "An honor, I suppose."

[TC]: "He definitely doesn't say that about everyone."

[SV]: "Alright, I'll accept you had your reasons…not much I can do to change the past now. But I would request that, if something like this ever comes up again, you share it. For all our sakes."

[TC]: "No promises. I'll do what is necessary."

[SV]: "I figured you'd say that. Well, I suppose either way, we have an Ethereal on our side. Do you trust him?"

[TC]: "Mostly. I trust that he's on our side. Not for our reasons, but he won't betray us."

[SV]: "That's good to hear, I guess. If anyone can keep an Ethereal under control it would be you."

[TC]: "Under control? A bit of a stretch, but I try not to rely solely on him. But since he's in this now, hopefully we'll begin to turn this war around to be a little more favorable."

[SV]: "Hopefully. At least he's bought us some time, and right now, I'll take it."

* * *

 **ADVENT After-Action Report 4911**

 _Subject_ : Alien Defectors (Vitakara)

 _Author_ : Chief Marshal Gloria Al-Hashiahan

In a surprising turn of events, or more accurately, one of _many_ surprising things to occur over the past few days as a result of the reveal of an Ethereal working with XCOM, ADVENT's alliance with China, and the defeat of the Ethereal identified as Caelior, we now have to deal with an unprecedented stream of alien defectors.

This is, I can only presume, due to the fact that Ethereals are regarded as something akin to deities in the Ethereal Collective, and are more figures of legend than leaders of a collective of species. Preliminary communication with the defectors has confirmed this to an extent, though it appears there are more factors than that at work here.

One reason this document is being written is to allow the transfer of more specialized staff to fully handle this, as my own forces are ill-equipped to deal with this situation – namely, we are trained to kill aliens, not interact with them, and certainly not to _communicate_ with them _._ To sum up the situation, I have currently ordered my soldiers to hold them and keep them alive. Talking with them has been kept to a minimum, and to their credit, they have not been hostile.

Here is a further breakdown of the situation:

Initial Defection/Surrender: At approximately 3:50 P.M. PST, ADVENT soldiers stationed at Kelowna, British Columbia, reported that a large group of Vitakara had surrendered, presumably coming from one of their established bases close to Vancouver. They had weapons, but had stowed them away before making contact, presumably so our own soldiers wouldn't shoot them on sight. There was some initial verification, but they appeared to be genuine.

Over the next couple of hours, five similar incidents took place, two in Alaska, and three in California with sizes ranging from three to thirty. I am pleased to report that our soldiers did not pre-emptively open fire on them, although there were several close calls as they attempted to verify that it wasn't a trap of some kind.

It is not confirmed how each group escaped, but from debriefings it was either a quiet desertion before their superiors noted, or in the case of several of the larger groups, a violent event which very likely claimed some of the defector's own lives during the process. Communication is slightly strained in all cases because the vast majority of the defectors do not speak any Human language, and there are not always telepaths on hand.

All aliens have been placed under armed guard, and I have relocated other soldiers within my authority to support them in the event that the Collective attempts to retaliate against them. They have been cooperative thus far, but when dealing with aliens, there is no such thing as too safe, even if, and _especially_ if, we have one of their most powerful assisting us now.

Motivations for Defection/Surrender: I will note that this cannot be applied to all groups defecting, as we are still waiting on translators and the Diplomatic Service (Who are presumably the ones who handle this sort of thing – as stated, this is an unprecedented situation) for several of them who do not have any Human-language speaking members.

However, I suspect they will have similar reasons as there is already a general theme across the information we _have_ been able to acquire from the interviews conducted thus far: The Ethereal, Aegis as he is called. Curiously (I will elaborate on this later) it is more of a situation of that particular revelation being the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak.

The defectors that we were able to communicate with have expressed that they had been growing more and more disillusioned with Collective Military Command recently, and were frustrated with the lack of a clear direction or even a basic plan. Since it appears the Ethereals had lied about one of their own leaving, many saw that as an opportunity to leave and feel more…justified, for lack of a better word.

It's a curious situation, which largely depends on the race of Vitakara in question, so I'll break it down further.

 _Borelians_ : I am unsure if this is because they are a more militaristic race or not, but almost the entirety of these aliens followed a similar line of reasoning. It was explained from the mindset of a tactician, or at least less emotionally-based than the other races. The Borelians in general appear to disapprove of the direction this war has taken, and see their defection as a strategic decision to support the stronger side. It seems even aliens notice our own efficiency, and Aegis appearing has solidified that.

 _Vitakarians_ : Have a mix of reasons, largely coming down to feelings of betrayal and in some cases an apparent form of PTSD where some just wanted to stop fighting. Some of them didn't necessarily _want_ to defect either, but did so because their leaders, friends, or mates were. Some expressed a growing fear of death, and that it was 'better to be prisoner than die for someone who won't tell us why we're really here'.

 _Dath'Haram_ : It appears that these aliens have, at least from the information I've got, wanted to abandon this entire war for some time. These are pacifists, so that isn't surprising, and curiously, _all_ of them that we have are against the war, but were more or less staying because of their loyalty to their species and the Ethereals. Seems like Aegis pushed most of them over the edge when it came to this. They hate fighting, and almost all of them echoed the sentiment of the Vitakarian I quoted above.

 _Cobrarian_ : We don't have information on what motivated them to defect; we are still waiting on a translator. However, this is an interesting case because the _entire_ defecting group (Ten in size) was Cobrarians. All of them were females (At least from what we know about them), and considering their moderate rarity within standard Collective forces, I feel that this is a more complicated situation than the others. We'll see though.

 _Oyariah_ : There has been approximately one Oyariah defector, who is being kept under heavy personal guard. His (Or her, we haven't determined the gender) motivations are unknown until we have a translator or psion speak to him. From what information we have on them, it is likely to do with how the Oyariah revere the Ethereals, and maybe this one felt that Aegis is more worthy of his service? A curious case, regardless.

Status of Acquired Equipment and Weaponry: Safely secured and awaiting specialist retrieval. I have already ordered the majority to be scanned for sabotage before being sent to our facilities, but I am expecting them to be completely genuine. The alien defectors didn't bring us much technology, per-se, as in gadgets, but considering the circumstances, bringing anything at all is useful.

What they did bring were fully functioning plasma rifles, pistols, and heavy weaponry. Along with plasma grenades, a few Borelians were carrying some kind of flash-freeze knife on them. Several Dath'Haram also provided us with what they called nanoblades which led to several soldiers very nearly losing their fingers. All of this is under guard, and no weapons have yet been tested. Considering working plasma tech is extremely rare, this is an exceptionally valuable collection.

What is almost as valuable is their armor. The aliens certainly didn't skimp on providing protection to their soldiers, and it is definitely superior to our own (Although probably not compared to XCOM), and their own systems and databanks are also likely worthy of some investigation. None of it seems sabotaged (And the aliens were wearing it prior to showing up), but I have also put it under guard until specialists arrive.

I will also note that one of the Vitakarians brought several "Data-cubes" with her, claiming they have information on them, but she doesn't know what. They could potentially have useful information, although I suspect we don't have an immediate way to interface with them.

Statistics of Alien Prisoners: They are as follows (Combined):

\- 26 Vitakarians

\- 22 Borelians

\- 20 Dath'Haram

\- 10 Cobrarians

\- 1 Oyariah

\- 35 Females

\- 44 Males

Summary of Acquired Intelligence: Now this is potentially the most important part of this document, and while these aliens are certainly not unbiased in their views, they don't really have a reason to lie and if what they have said is true, the Collective is in much worse shape than we originally realized. Granted, even their 'worst' is likely more powerful than us, but with an Ethereal, I suppose that isn't as true anymore.

So to start with the more pertinent information, morale is very low among the Vitakara deployed to Earth. They feel the war has been exceptionally poorly managed and that the Ethereals don't really care about what happens. Some believe there isn't a plan at all, or at minimum there is some kind of infighting within the Ethereals regarding our species.

It doesn't help that there are a fairly large number of Vitakara soldiers coming down with some form of PTSD, our methods of warfare are apparently psychologically devastating against them. Borelians and Oyariah are mostly immune, but nearly every other species is extremely vulnerable to this.

As it turns out, it seems a lot of Vitakara don't actually join their military to fight. For all of them, this is their first 'real' war. You can likely see the problems with this, and the fact that the Collective Military is purposely putting untrained soldiers into combat is utterly baffling. Granted, the Borelians appear to have something of a militaristic culture, but the others quite clearly do not.

What is also interesting is that the vast majority of Vitakara know almost _nothing_ about what is actually going on here. The claim is that the Zararch are suppressing all information to prevent the Aui'Vitakar (Their government) from asking more direct questions about what the purpose and status of the war really is. The fear of the Zararch and Ethereals has kept them in line, it seems.

Also relevant: There is a deliberate effort to keep soldiers from asking some fairly basic questions, namely why they are fighting us in the first place. The Dath'Haram in particular hate participating in this war, but have never spoken out for fear of vanishing (Which is apparently something that happens). With Aegis in the picture, they seem to think that this kind of sentiment will grow enough that the Zararch can't suppress it anymore.

What is also useful to us is that the innate respect we estimated most Vitakara have for the Ethereals appears to be dropping significantly. Most Ethereals (That they've seen) are aloof and tend to be isolated from others, yet have immediate authority. The only Ethereal _all_ the Vitakara interviewed claim to support is the Battlemaster, and most think he is being held back or hindered by Ethereal politics.

None of them liked Caelior, and were ambivalent at best towards the Guardians. They don't know what to think about Quisilia, and some insist that it's a Zararch front. The point is that most aliens are not as necessarily loyal to the Ethereals as we originally believed.

Recommendations: If it isn't already clear, I would recommend treating these aliens well, as in, no unnecessary interrogations or experimentation unless they become problems. This is something I think we want to encourage and allow…as much as the aliens are our enemy, we should not necessarily become idiotically xenophobic for the sake of it. I would recommend following ADVENT guidelines for this kind of thing, but I could not find the appropriate ones for this situation. This is definitely something that needs to be addressed ASAP.

The most immediate usage of these aliens is to extract every piece of information we can from them regarding the Collective. I'd also suggest that all of them be moved into a secured location that is impossible to penetrate by Zararch agents or Ethereals, since it is not unreasonable to assume they will want to make an example out of these defectors.

They should not under any circumstances be allowed to interact with civilian populations for obvious reasons. Emotions are too high, and we can't risk them receiving mob or vigilante 'justice'. I would also be careful in selecting which soldiers are supposed to guard them. ADVENT is not immune to this kind of emotional judgement.

Eventually, I believe it would be a good propaganda campaign to have aliens openly speak against the Collective itself, and have those be broadcast to alien forces on Earth. It will be far more effective coming from one of their own, and with an Ethereal working with us, the message will only be reinforced. Giving them some media attention to maybe lessen public hostility to our cooperation with defectors may be recommended. Aliens clearly aren't going anywhere, and it's fairly clear now that even if we win, they're not going to go away since I doubt ADVENT will condemn entire species to death (With the likely exception of Mutons and Sectoids). Having exposure to more…friendly aliens is a way to get people used to that concept.

Future Ramifications: I would caution anyone reading this to not become either too excited or disappointed at this event. While 79 aliens is unprecedented, it is essentially not even a drop in the bucket for the vast majority of Collective forces. With that said, _no one_ ever suspected this was even something that could realistically happen, and the fact that it _did_ implies that it can happen again.

From the information already gathered, the Collective is nowhere near as cohesive as we've believed and if this can be leveraged to our advantage, we could quite potentially gain more defectors. At minimum, we will force the Zararch and Ethereals to take drastic – and noticeable – steps to curtail this, since they are unlikely to just let it continue.

However, there is zero chance they can cover up Aegis. They might do it for the defections, but definitely not for an Ethereal.

We should be very careful not to waste this opportunity. We know how aliens treat Humans. Ironically, we can end up making ADVENT more civilized in that regard. Worth considering, at least.

* * *

To the Ethereals of the Collective,

While normally such a document would be addressed to the Battlemaster or Quisilia, I feel that this is worth involving the entirety of Ethereal command as the recent events have and had drastic ramifications on the Collective as a whole and require immediate responses from the appropriate bodies and figures.

To sum up the situation, if something is not done soon, the Collective itself may grind to a halt. The Aui'Vitakar have voted to request complete information on the current conflict on Earth, the Hive Commanders have put their fleets on standby in _all_ systems, and the Federation has suspended all military support for the Collective.

This situation, to put it bluntly, is _not good_.

Compounding this is the recent capture of Caelior, and seeing an Ethereal defeated to such an extent has not increased their confidence in your ability to handle this development. This will be more easily broken down by species and section.

 **Andromedon Federation** : The Ethereals have already been on fairly thin ice since the deployment of the Spectres, and our promise to address the issue upon the conclusion of this situation was allowed even if they were not particularly happy. However, that the defection of Aegis was kept a secret has essentially destroyed what little patience they had remaining.

As mentioned above, the Federation has almost unanimously agreed to suspend military operations supporting the Collective. The good news is that any Andromedons already employed in the _Collective_ Military are unaffected, since they are not part of the Federation military proper, and as such are under the command of the Battlemaster.

With that said, this means that the Federation will not allow recruitment to continue or give any kind of support through the Special Operators until they receive what they consider to be 'satisfactory answers'. They are not holding back with their demands, such as demanding the obvious answers like Aegis's defection, but also concrete plans in dealing with the Human and Sectoid "problems".

Considering the situation with the Hive Commanders, this is now suddenly a very precarious situation. Half of the Federation wants war with the Sectoids, and while normally the other half has largely been kept in line, there are enough Unions angry at us to put their reservations aside. The Ethereals have been absent too long in the Collective, which is without a doubt a contributing factor in this deterioration, which is rather clear in retrospect.

Handling the Andromedons is up to the Ethereals. They will not listen to anyone else and I would recommend they are handled before we have to deal with a secession or worse, a civil war.

 **The Aui'Vitakar** : The Vitakara are not necessarily a military problem, but it was perhaps a mistake to keep the Aui'Vitakar in the dark to the extent they have been. The Aui'Vitakar are important to keeping the population pacified, and with a great many representatives openly calling for answers, the population is already aware and unfortunately, the Zararch can't deal with them without it being obvious.

To make matters worse there, the ones leading this charge are, for once, the _entirety_ of the Sar'Manda delegation. I suppose it at least confirms they're paying attention, and speaks to the gravity of the situation and I suspect the Sar'Manda feel unforgivably insulted that it took the defection of an Ethereal to actually get some information on the war with the Humans. I don't necessarily know if that is the full reason, but the Sar'Manda becoming so involved is a stark warning to the general population that _something_ is happening.

However, they can be eventually handled if we give them some token information and a general overview of the situation, as that is what they've wanted so far. We have attempted to downplay this situation, but it has escalated to the point where that is no longer something that can work effectively. This is a war, and the Vitakara will have to learn to transition to that. They can be pacified, and are the least important crisis to deal with at this point.

 **The Greater Hive Commanders** : This is something I cannot personally attest to, as the Hive Commanders, at least the ones who communicate publicly, are less focused on Aegis and more on the claim by the Commander that their minds were dominated and warped in the initial meeting. If that's true, I don't think they'll be particularly happy.

They are considering the possibility valid enough that they have put their entire fleet on standby, though this might be in response to the Federation's insistence on wanting the Ethereals to deal with the GHC, and not necessarily the situation referenced. Knowing the Sectoids, I would imagine it is a combination of both.

The Hive Commanders are fully assembling based on the latest reports, approximately one thousand and twelve, every single Hive Commander in existence. They need to be treated exceptionally carefully as there will not be major division between them. Any decision will be as an entire species, and that will ultimately benefit us – or be a catastrophe.

I would strongly encourage an intervention as soon as possible. If it _is_ true, I do not know how they can be assuaged. That is a consequence you will have to deal with.

 **Ethereal Collective Military** : Morale is exceptionally low at the moment, and even though we have attained some victories against ADVENT, the failure at South Korea, the attack on Australia, the loss of Hawaii, Japan, and a major hit to our territory in America, have contributed to the feeling of disillusionment and weariness. Aegis has turned that into frustration and anger.

The reigning sentiment is that the only reason the Collective is at war with the Humans is as some kind of operation against Aegis. While I know the situation is not that clear cut, there is a point being raised that has not been answered for far too long: What _was_ the original plan for Earth? What is the ultimate endgame? Conquest is not it, otherwise we wouldn't have allowed them a chance of victory.

Nebulous plans are all well and good (Which is arguably questionable) but there comes a point where secrecy hurts the entire operation. The goals and plans need to be stated plainly and clearly. Ethereal or not, Aegis has largely stayed out of this war and the Humans have put up a fight on their own. We have to avoid falling into a trap of retroactively assigning all the successes and failures of Humans to Aegis. They are as much of a threat now as he is.

But other ramifications are that aliens who are frustrated, dissatisfied, or angry with the Collective now have an alternative. Ethereals are looked upon in an elevated state by our species (Encouraged by your own kind) and now that will backfire. Aliens who would not have defected now will because there is an Ethereal on the other side. Already I have reports of far too many Vitakara who have either left, snuck away, or openly and violently rebelled before surrendering to ADVENT. They have our tech, weapons, and information.

And now ADVENT is going to know how poor a shape the military is in right now.

No, Mutons won't defect, but they also won't fire on Ethereals. They've literally been conditioned to follow the orders of any Elder. How long do you think it's going to take ADVENT to figure that out? Aegis could probably ask them to defect, and they would without proper conditioning. The problem is that this applies to our _entire_ Muton army. This isn't going away.

The Andromedons are unlikely to defect either, thankfully, since they don't see Ethereals as deities or a higher power, but they are likely not going to be pleased being deployed on Earth. They might even desert back to the Unions if they are displeased with the direction this war goes. We really cannot afford to lose them.

Combine this with our outdated and inadequate tactics, equipment, and protection from psionics. The Collective Military has stayed stagnant for far too long, while the Humans have continuously and rapidly advanced forward. The Battlemaster and I agree on this – we must do the same thing.

The Collective Military is fatally flawed. That must be addressed before the war resumes.

 **Ramifications of Caelior's Capture** : Battlemaster, I do not know exactly _what_ you were thinking when you allowed Caelior to depart to Earth, but I suspect him becoming _captured_ was not what you expected. Nor I for that matter. But this is worse than if they'd just killed him. Capturing an Ethereal alive implies a far greater skill than simply killing your enemies.

I am not privy to what, exactly, Caelior did or did not know, but whatever it was, I suspect XCOM will know it soon enough, and more than likely subject him to a gauntlet of tests and experiments. I do not know their plans, but considering what I have learned on their Manchurian Restraints, the likelihood of them attempting to mentally condition Caelior to fight us is one that is frighteningly high.

Sending him to die might have gifted XCOM a weapon in the future. They wouldn't take him alive unless they were positive they could hold him safely. With Aegis with them, this is almost assured. I also do not like how Aegis was talking to him in the fight; Caelior is young for an Ethereal, and could be swayed with convincing arguments. That would be worse than conditioning.

And I would also like to address that Patricia Trask, regardless of help, managed to mentally subdue an _Ethereal_. And more importantly, was openly wanting to kill him slowly and painfully. She's become far more dangerous recently, and we've allowed a psion of her caliber to exist for far too long.

She needs to be dealt with immediately.

 **Conclusion** : There is little good news here and I won't repeat it. Much of this is outside what I can fix on my own, or even with the Zararch. But there is a bigger issue here.

This mess is a direct result of the Ethereals and the apathetic leadership of the Imperator.

Now they have to deal with the consequences of that. The Zararch will assist where we can, but we will not do your job for you anymore.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	90. China-Technology: Tiāngōng Intelligence

China: Technology

The Tiāngōng Intelligence

" _This is one of the pitfalls of fighting a less advanced, but intelligent species. It does not take long before they take our strengths, and make them their own."_

\- Ethereal Fectorian

* * *

MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY CONFIDENTIAL

To Agency Chief Chen Yongyue

Agent: [REDACTED]

Our engineers have finished our own assessment of the remains of the fallen alien Dreadnought, as per the request of the Ministry and President Qin's own instructions. While it was heavily delayed thanks to the deployment of United Nations Peacekeepers to hold the remains while the bureaucracy was sorted out, they have left and there was much ground to make up for the lost days and weeks.

While there was clearly some attempted sabotage (Likely by XCOM) on some of the more valuable components we tried to recover, the vast majority of the ship is salvageable, including the alloys from which the ship was created. We should work to integrate those either into our armor or aircraft programs as this could give us an incalculable advantage as the current political situation intensifies.

The vast majority of computers were also destroyed, and the ones that we managed to restore some power to are unresponsive and in some incomprehensible language. There is no direct means of interfacing with them that we could identify, though this is still ongoing. The alien corpses recovered are surprisingly few, but they will likely provide some use to our science teams.

But there is a surprisingly good piece of news.

XCOM overlooked something major; something I am personally shocked they did not encounter either on the ship, or in the immediate aftermath. I can only presume that this oversight was due to them being rushed and getting as many obvious useful components and sabotaging the rest before being forced to leave.

To explain, there was a kind of central computer deep within the ship. We did not know it _was_ a computer at first, since it was a supposedly sealed black box with notable connections to nearby power systems. I presume XCOM took that to be another power system, or not even something worth looking into at all.

But this system, it turns out, had some kind of artificial intelligence within. Upon our engineers breaching the central computer box, it activated of its own volition. It appeared as a golden glowing humanoid figure; faceless and genderless initially. It took a few moments for us to realize that it was waiting for something, so the engineers began interacting with it.

It appears to have all major Human languages stored within it, and the working theory at the moment is that the crash somehow managed to 'reset' it to a factory state. There is sadly no data that could be salvaged by the intelligence, since the computers it was connected to were destroyed. We are still as in the dark about the aliens as the rest of the Council.

However, it seems willing to assist us wherever we need it. I'm sure you can see the potential of this. If we could transport it to a more secure location, or replicate it, not even the United States would likely be able to interfere in our work. However, care must be taken as if we _do_ decide to withhold this from XCOM, I highly doubt they would take it well.

I might suggest considering sharing some details. Not the full scope, but enough for them to trust us. Despite their allies delaying our rightful claim over the wreckage, I see no point in keeping them entirely in the dark. They do not seem a wise enemy to make.

However, the decision is up to you.

* * *

 **ADVENT Report 2211**

 _Subject_ : Chinese Tiāngōng Intelligence

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, XCOM Central Officer Ariel Jackson

We had, of course, suspected that the Chinese were intentionally holding something back given their insistence on taking charge of the operation to liberate Japan. I suspect the initial goal for their secrecy was to create a sense of awe and surprise in us, perhaps making us question just what else they had waiting for them.

That has appeared to not take into account that we are far more advanced than them in almost every way, but we will ignore that for now, suffice to say this is not likely how the Chinese predicted it turning out.

With that said, if ADVENT did not exist, this would be the most consequential development in the realm of artificial intelligence in decades, perhaps of all time. The Tiāngōng Intelligence, as the Chinese have designated it, is at the moment the most advanced machine intelligence in the world. The Chinese have fortunately been courteous enough to share some details as to how the intelligence operates.

The first thing that you should be aware of is, contrary to some claims, the Tiāngōng Intelligence is _not_ a true Artificial Intelligence. It is a highly advanced machine intelligence, but it does not have a set personality or motivations beyond its programming. True artificial intelligence development will no doubt be improved by the Tiāngōng Intelligence, but it is important that we do not confuse the different types of computer intelligences.

The second is how the Tiāngōng Intelligence actually works. The purpose is to serve as a battlefield micromanager for each individual soldier, and give specific and effective orders in conjunction with _other_ soldiers at the same time, which turns even a smaller and weaker military into a vastly superior force.

This is a level of coordination that is flat out impossible for any organic commander, but it is something that the Intelligence seems surprisingly good at. The Chinese have devoted, in addition to the internal CODEX infrastructure, every supercomputer they have developed (Over 200) to assist in processing speed to handle the sheer amount of information.

They have informed us that they are working to improve the processing speed, so that it doesn't require every piece of computing power they have when the intelligence utilizes its full potential (Such as with Japan). In fact, the liberation of Japan served as a massive stress test on the Intelligence – one which it passed, although during that time anything even remotely connected to the Intelligence slowed to a halt.

There are still clear kinks to be worked out in the system, but the fact remains that this is a major step forward for this kind of battlefield intelligence, it is without a doubt something that we need to look into emulating. Having our entire military under one of these battlefield intelligences is not advised, but one for individual legions is perhaps something to look into.

I would also caution that we do not become reliant on something like this. While the Japan liberation was a success, it is, in the end, a machine that can only adapt as far as its programming allows. An ADVENT battlefield intelligence is something that should be another tool in our arsenal, not a crutch. Much like psionics, if you wish to make that comparison.

Another thing we need to take into account is that if China is able to utilize something like this, the aliens can certainly do so as well – and can likely do it better. I would not be surprised if they attempted to emulate this, in the event that something similar does not exist. We should prepare for how to defeat a similar system, even with what limited information we have.

Joint mock war exercises with the Chinese under the Tiāngōng Intelligence might be a good way for us to prepare, and the Chinese to refine. This is, of course, in conjunction to what China has given us to make our own Tiāngōng programs. We will have more on that as the project develops further.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Battlefield CODEX

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Engineer Fectorian

It has become somewhat irritating seeing another species use fairly obvious ideas and applications of our own technology before we have done so ourselves. The fact that this was not done by a major Human power like ADVENT or XCOM, but _China_ is somehow more insulting since by all sentiments they were not really supposed to have that capability.

I have personally suspected that ADVENT would be exploring the possibility of artificial intelligence, and this recent incident has only served to confirm that it will come eventually. The Tiāngōng Intelligence, as the Chinese call it, is a solid amateur step forward. I suspect that with the backing of ADVENT, they will make an intelligence that is somewhat more complicated.

Taking data and giving pre-determined commands works as a simple enough concept, but it is all algorithms created by fallible beings. I suspect that there were many instances where this intelligence got scores of soldiers killed, but in the scope of the entire battle, they were either not noticed or not worth mentioning. The Tiāngōng program is not well-optimized, that is clear both from its actions and observing energy readings from China itself.

It will improve, but the flaws will become very apparent if this is used more frequently. The Chinese appear to have been blinded by their shiny pieces of technology, at least from their laughable action to put their _entire military_ under the direction of it. Questionable, and a major risk if they keep developing it. Perhaps expected with a species with no experience in AI research, but still remarkably short-sighted.

Nonetheless, it is something that can be answered with ease.

The CODEX system is already primed for such usage. The Chinese have adapted it crudely. I believe it is time for this potential to be fully unleashed. The Battlefield CODEX concept has sat and languished among the sadly long list of improvements to be made, and now with the Battlemaster finally taking steps to address the deficiencies in the Collective, the time has come to unveil it.

I suspect Cogitian will not be pleased at the further weaponization of his system, but he got over his archival system being used more broadly for data analysis; he will get over using it to improve our military. It would likely be a decent idea to bring on further experts on this, given the new emphasis of inter-species relations. Union Apear supposedly specializes in this, and I am sure they would deeply appreciate the opportunity to observe and improve a CODEX.

One more project to begin, but this is another that has the potential to change how war is waged. And that I look forward to. Whatever can be said about the Humans, they have forced us out of stagnation, and for that they should be thanked.

* * *

 _Internal Report Sent to the Commander_

Commander,

I have been reviewing the material regarding the Tiāngōng Intelligence that the Chinese provided us, and while we do not have a replica up and running right now, from the interviews, reports, and looking over the material myself, I can already see how we could begin applying this to several of our own projects.

I do not necessarily believe that we need such an intelligence for our own soldiers. This works well in larger armies, but would become unnecessarily redundant in the squads we so typically deploy. There is also the fact that we would need to rework our existing armor and introduce potential vulnerabilities to ensure it is safe to use. There are also arguments to be made on the wisdom of relying on a machine intelligence, no matter how advanced.

However, there are two major areas where we can apply the information that we have now:

 **Defense:** We know everything about the Tiāngōng Intelligence, inside and out. With this we will be able to plot logical deficiencies, predictive algorithms, and how the intelligence gives specific orders. We already know how power-intensive the Intelligence is, as well as how computationally draining, and while those are obvious vulnerabilities to exploit, they are not the only ones.

In the end, this is not an actual AI. It is driven by Human-made algorithms and code. Humans make mistakes, and even if they did not, all we need is to figure out how the Intelligence "thinks" and then manipulate it to achieve a desired result. From looking over the major parts, it does not seem to be able to "learn" as you or I define it. Everything has to be tweaked by software engineers or verbally. It does recognize if a mission has failed or not, but it does speak to how much the Chinese are relying on this where it is barely more complex than that.

They do not expect this to fail, or at least they expect casualties and results to fall into acceptable ranges.

The point to make here is that the Collective will almost certainly try and emulate this at some point, and we can only assume it will be better. We need to come up with ways of neutralizing or negating an advantage like this, and making smaller versions of the Tiāngōng Intelligence to test on would be a valuable usage of it.

 **JULIAN** : Obviously, we are working on our own AI project, and this provides us with a significant step forward. Much of the "personality" parts of the Tiāngōng Intelligence are…muted, for lack of a better word, or disabled entirely. The Chinese did not seem to want to create a true AI, but they have ironically made it much easier for others to do so since they have thoroughly gone through enough of the code to note that if they _did_ want to embark on such a project, you would modify _these_ specific parts.

A true AI must be able to modify its own code, to a certain degree. This has been something of a problem to figure out at least in determining boundaries. We have been able to see prior CODEX units _can_ do this to an extent, it is how they "develop" according to Aegis to be more effective, but we were still working on reverse-engineering the code itself. Fortunately, the Chinese have done all that for us.

With a more comprehensive understanding of how CODEX systems work, we can continue to adapt the JULIAN program into an actual AI at a far faster rate than we have been so far. A true AI will be able to provide all the advantages of the Tiāngōng Intelligence, and will more than likely be much better at doing so.

While Aegis does not approve, I believe it's something that is still worth pursuing. We just need to ensure that all proper precautions are taken. Thanks to several of the Andromedons, such safeguards will be the best that can be conceptualized. I would also suggest we send our thanks to the Chinese as well, regardless of how…forcefully we took it. But it never hurts to smooth things over when appropriate.

\- Raymond Shen, Head of XCOM Engineering


	91. ADVENT - History: Operation Sherman

ADVENT: History

Operation Sherman

* * *

" _We should have probably seen this coming."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

One element of the now-famous Operation Sherman was the usage of the "Battle Trains", and indeed was perhaps the one addition that allowed ADVENT to acquire such a major initial advantage in the early days of Operation Sherman. The trains allowed ADVENT to exploit a previously ignored weakness the aliens had not bothered to correct: the train tracks.

The rail system in America is far larger and interconnected than most people realize, and we can only speculate on why such a major means of transportation was ignored by the aliens, but perhaps the simplest is that they simply consider such a means of transportation archaic, and something ADVENT would never bother to use.

They have unequivocally paid for that mistake.

There had been reports of ADVENT renovating a good number of trains on the East Coast of America and Mexico, but at the time no one really knew what ADVENT was planning, and since it wasn't near alien territory, drawing the connection between the trains and an impending operation were tenuous at best.

When the trains made their debut, there were two major types. The first were what I can guess were closest to suicide trains. They were outfitted with high-yield bombs (MOABs, to be specific), but those were sent to small towns that did not have much, if any, strategic value to ADVENT.

The aliens stationed there had no warning before the trains arrived and promptly exploded, leveling the city completely and leaving scorched wastelands that ADVENT now controls. By the time the aliens knew what was happening, the trains had already arrived and blown much of their supporting bases to pieces. The coordination is a feat worthy of recognition, as the attack was nearly in perfect synchrony, with all attacks taking place simultaneously.

The main attacks had the true Battle Trains, which were primarily used for carrying legions of soldiers, vehicles, and equipment. These were trains that had been armored and prepared for war, all of them had additional turret defenses, and were long and large enough to not only carry the soldiers, but also sustain them for a reasonable period of conflict.

What may surprise some people is that this is, in fact, not the first time the Battle Train has been used. In World War I such trains were used for much the same purpose; armored and covered in guns and artillery, as well as used for transporting soldiers and equipment. It was a crude usage of such a technique though, and very few were actually utilized, and they were not generally used in subsequent wars.

The takeaway from this is that ADVENT is quite clearly taking inspiration from our vast history of conflict, and updated ancient tactics for modern times. The aliens do not appear to have made this connection, and given how vast our history of warfare is, there is much Humanity could draw from to use against the aliens that they would be hard-pressed to predict.

 _\- David Harvard, in an article titled "Aftermath of Sherman and Lessons Learned"_

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 1776**

 _Operation_ : Sherman

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, XCOM Central Officer Ariel Jackson

Overall we can likely place this operation in the success category, as we did succeed in the majority of our objectives and were only forced to fall back at the attacks of Ethereals and orbital bombardment. I can safely say that had we delayed this operation even weeks, it would likely have not been as successful, even with the limited time we had to put this together.

While there were certainly loses, such as that of the late President Treduant, she was an instrumental figure in this operation and one we owe the survival of DC to. Her death has also served as a rallying point for America, and a punctuation in the knowledge that there is nowhere truly safe on Earth.

 **ADVENT HAS RECLAIMED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TERRITORY** : Despite not being able to achieve the primary goal of Sherman, which was to reclaim the entirety of America from alien control, we have pushed the aliens back to the western half of California, and have almost fully reclaimed Oregon and Washington, with Nevada completely secure.

ADVENT is already beginning to fortify towns and cities that we have captured, and immediately erecting defenses in the event of an unpredicted attack. With proper psionic support, I believe that this can be done. Portland continues to hold, and the ever-improving defenses will likely ensure that the city will not be taken in the near-future.

 **ALASKA AND WESTERN CANADA ARE UNDER ATTACK** : For territory we have gained, in other areas we have certainly lost. Alaska is rapidly falling under the attack of the Second Guardian, and it is looking like the Collective is continuing to advance and take over our lesser defenses. They appear to have a more coordinated plan, and the terrain is not suitable for mass moving of soldiers in a timely manner.

As a result, I am implementing Operation: Long Dark, effective immediately, under the command of Marshal Neil Harrison. His goal will be to wage a smaller-scale guerilla war on Collective positions, similar to the operations that are taking place in Seattle at this moment.

 **INCREASED DEPLOYMENT OF BATTLE TRAINS** : The Battle Trains have proven to be useful in rapid unpredictable strikes, and I have approved their use for ADVENT operations across the world. Korea has an extensive rail network, and the more Europe is brought into the fold, Battle Trains will be an excellent fit for their extensive rail networks.

There are ways we can improve the trains, of course, and I have been assured ADVENT Engineering is already determining ways to build on this innovative concept. Results should be available within weeks.

 **MORE ETHEREALS ARE ACTIVE** : If nothing else, we can assume that we are having an impact due to the increased number of Ethereals that are being used against us. Discounting the Overmind providing telepathic support to the Collective, the usage of the First and Second Guardians are new and dangerous threats we now must face.

The Guardians appear to be just as, if not more powerful than the Battlemaster himself, with high skill in telepathy and weapons that can cut through soldiers with unnatural ease. One Battlemaster-level threat is bad, and with two more, the situation might threaten to get out of hand. However, the good news is that if there are enough psions, they might be able to be held off. One concern is that the Guardians even then were holding back, and could quite possibly be more dangerous than they have shown so far.

However, I want to draw attention to an Ethereal that made a brief appearance, but a literally terrifying one nonetheless: Isomnum.

If not for the Battlemaster's own interesting code, the situation in DC could have been significantly worse. This Ethereal held nothing back, and has put thousands in mental wards, and appears to be unsettling enough that even the Warlock was reduced to a stuttering wreck. From the dossier XCOM has provided, this is a threat far more serious than the Battlemaster is now, because he appears to be one not to hold back.

Now that Aegis is in play, I fear what he will do in retaliation.

 **PRIORITIZE DEFENSE AGAINST ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT** : In the end, we were not forced to retreat by Ethereals, but by orbital bombardment. While this has always been a harsh reality when fighting the spacefaring Collective, it has not become a relevant one until now. We have reached the stage of the war where this is likely to be a frequently used tactic moving forward.

There needs to be an immediate prioritization of defenses against orbital bombardment. Psionics might be possible, but we need a technological and practical solution to this; alternatively, we need to build a space fleet of our own or otherwise find a way to remove any kind of orbital craft, be it through turret emplacements or missile launches.

We cannot rely on nuclear weapons to solve every problem.

 **HAWAII IS UNDER OUR CONTROL** : One piece of news, and in a related operation, was our ability to fully reclaim Hawaii for ourselves. It appears that at the moment, the Collective does not have any desire to reclaim the islands. There are certainly some advantages to holding these territories, and it gives us a direct line to the West Coast should we wish to launch additional attacks in the future.

In the meantime, fully reinforcing and renovating the bases there and fortifying the islands against future attacks will give us some much-needed territory in the ocean. It is possible the Collective will attempt to take this land again in the future, but this time we should be more prepared than we were the first time.

* * *

To the Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna

The attack which has been publicly called Operation: Sherman, has laid forth many of the flaws of the current Collective military and exposed our inadequate strategy. Our response, while partially successful, was not nearly as such in causing equivalent damage. ADVENT surprised us – and in this scenario – beat us. We must accept that fact and move forward. If we, at every turn, only emerge victorious through an Ethereal or orbital bombardment, then it does not speak highly of our ability to work without them.

 **1\. Lack of Intelligence Capabilities** : I will be perfectly honest – We have very little idea of what ADVENT or XCOM is actually doing.

This, if you cannot guess, is a problem.

Lack of intel led to not anticipating the initial strike in Operation Sherman. Lack of intel led to the surprise alliance between ADVENT and China. Lack of intel has led to us not knowing what ADVENT is planning after this. We can monitor the Internet all we wish, but we do not have the technical skills or knowledge to effectively breach ADVENT or XCOM systems.

While we have certainly been hindered by the policies of ADVENT and XCOM which curb infiltration, it should not have forced our stagnation to this degree. We have also been highly negligent in not focusing on the rest of the world and only focusing on ADVENT. Europe, Africa, and China are still relatively untapped sources of intelligence in comparison to ADVENT, and I have already authorized operations in those countries.

In the same vein, the Zararch has been intentionally held back in more aggressive utilizations of our skills. Our assassins and spies have been passive for too long, and we have foregone many opportunities to cause severe damage to ADVENT. With psions now operating, such actions are going to be much more difficult to perform.

If necessary, I will reform the Zararch to fix these issues, but we cannot be bound in our actions like we have been.

 **2\. Inability to Defend Against Psionics** : This is a persistent problem that was highlighted some time ago, and has only grown thanks to the PRIEST Division of ADVENT. Ignoring this further is no longer questionable – it is outright dangerous. Our answers to psionics are inadequate at best and nonexistent at worst.

Yes, we have Ethereals. Your kind are powerful. However, ADVENT has more than you. They can be in more places than you. And most importantly – _our soldiers are not psions._

The Overmind, for all his power, was undermined by at least two psions – hardly something to be highly praised. The fact is also that the Sectoid Vanguards are useless against even a moderately powerful/skilled psion, and to pretend otherwise is laughable. They are not even close to an answer for Priests.

If we must chip and condition all our soldiers to prevent someone like Trask from killing all of them with her mind, then that is something that should be seriously considered. It is hard enough fighting ADVENT and XCOM on their own, but psionics turns a potential fight into a slaughter, and that is not acceptable.

Spectres and Replicas are good steps forward, but more needs to be done.

 **3\. Inability to Successfully Adapt** : ADVENT, and Humanity as a whole, has continuously grown, developed, and advanced. They have grown more skilled and adapted to our tactics, soldiers, and abilities.

Ask yourself what _we_ have done?

Not enough, that is abundantly clear.

The Collective is stagnant, and against a more numerous enemy I suspect we would be in a far worse place than we are right now. Fortunately, there is a chance to change this situation over time. The problem is that we are being continuously surprised by Humans because we have not made a good enough effort to understand how they think; what they would do; and also importantly, how _we_ can improve.

We have fallen into the trap of assuming since we have arrived with such a major advantage, that we cannot be bothered to improve ourselves. The idea that a group of aliens stuck on their own homeworld could effectively fight us is an understandable blow to our pride.

But that is just too bad. ADVENT is outpacing us, and it is no longer excusable that we do not respond in kind. Our soldiers are not intelligent or too untrained to be effective; our vehicles are ineffective at best, and our tactics are completely reactive to ADVENT's own, or are so basic even a Muton soldier could design them.

We have the capability to utterly outmatch the Humans. I suggest we begin to exercise it _now_.

 **4\. Failure to Leverage Collective Resources Effectively** : This ties into the above point – We have billions of resources, hundreds of planets, both colonies and mining planets, and a diverse collection of species. Ethereal ally or no, the Humans should not be able to match us in any capacity.

We are treating the Humans with a baffling delicacy, which has proven to be the _wrong_ approach if that is not abundantly clear. And yet, it isn't quite a question of numbers, but the fact that, quite honestly, our own soldiers are inferior to Humans in terms of skill, experience, and intellect.

This is something that must be rectified. Numbers are not a reliable means of ensuring victory. It is the quality that is important. We have an army of Mutons that numbers in the billions, and at this point I would consider it to be the largest waste of resources I have ever seen. The entire program should be revisited and revamped if you actually wish to use them.

To be clear: Cheap, disposable soldiers _do not work_.

And considering we are in a war, there is zero reason that Fectorian's more experimental projects be denied. For that matter, the Ethereals need to stop running dozens of small projects and actually assist in Collective work. I imagine the quality would improve significantly.

 **5\. Failure of Mexico Operation** : I include this to punctuate how utterly ineffective the Collective is right now. As it turns out, having an infantry-focused army is not useful against an entrenched enemy that has a fondness for artillery, mines, and vehicles. It results in the needless deaths of soldiers because they cannot figure out a better idea than to either charge forward or try and establish cover in an open area – where they get shot at constantly.

I will admit that this was an unplanned operation, but ADVENT was and has been preparing for attacks. They know our weaknesses, and they know we are ill-equipped for any kind of trench warfare (This I cover more in the Korea report), and it is probably why they felt confident enough to risk launching Sherman In the first place.

Needless to say that the operation largely failed to accomplish anything major. It just served as a field test for ADVENT defenses.

While I am pleased that the Ethereals are finally taking steps to correct this, there is much work to be done.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	92. ADVENT - History: Aegis and the Media

ADVENT: History

Aegis and the Media

* * *

" _I have been asked to be on a 'talk show'. I am told it is a great honor, and will boost morale for the war."_

\- Aegis, to the Commander of XCOM

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Alien Propagandist/Conspiracy Theorist_

 _Video Title: THIS IS THE END!_

 _From the beginning he is visibly agitated._ "I can seriously not believe what is happening right now! It is terrifying just how calmly everyone is reacting to this. Folks, this isn't just about the fact that the government is directly controlled by an _alien_ , but that it is XCOM that was behind it this whole time! It's validated everything that I've said! It's the aliens that are behind the tyranny of ADVENT and seek to destroy everything we hold dear!" **[Observer note: Hahaha, this is not even close to what he was saying earlier. He'd never once actually wondered if it was an alien controlling everything]**

 _He angrily bangs his fist on the table, knocking some papers off the table._ "This is the clearest call to fight back if there ever was one! We cannot simply sit by while our supposed 'leaders' are collaborating with mind-controlling alien tyrants. Folks, this war is nothing but a smokescreen! It's false flag after false flag in a proxy war so complex that no one but only the few that pay attention can pick up!"

"It all comes back down to XCOM. We've stated before that our inside sources have said that they have been behind the push for the new world order – ADVENT – and with this revelation, it makes complete sense! XCOM sold out our species for power, for money, I don't know what! But they are traitors to Humanity and should be killed like the vermin they are!" **[Observer note: This is hilarious]**

 _He becomes calmer, and begins picking up some papers and looks down at them._ "Now, let's look at the evidence. The goal here – under this Aegis alien – is to establish an alien state against the Ethereal Collective. Now, I can't say what the reasons are, but the motivations are plain as day. ADVENT was him laying the groundwork for an expansive power, an incubation period for his plans no doubt. Let's look at the facts here."

 _Holds up one finger._ "First, he picked a time to be 'revealed' when he would be needed. He completely controlled the reaction and as a result he is already portrayed as a hero, and has the brainwashed and controlled media eating out of his hand – likely with his mind control! He's planning to establish himself as a deity to us, someone who is so far above us mere mortals that we'll instinctively obey him!"

 _Another raised finger._ "Next, there were so-called 'defections' by aliens. Clearly double agents that had been spying for him this entire time, all waiting for the signal to defect and shore up Aegis's power base – making him a legitimate political power to the Collective. This is boosted by his control of ADVENT and partnership with XCOM." **[Observer note: Interesting that he's apparently controlling ADVENT, but working with XCOM. Rather considerate of the power-hungry alien to be content with just a partnership]**

 _Shakes his head._ "Now, here's the real kicker that ties this back together – ADVENT is _already_ looking to find ways to integrate aliens into ADVENT! They aren't even trying to hide it, they're 'working' with the 'defectors', which is obviously code for figuring out how to carefully put them in power. Don't be surprised once 'cooperating' aliens start appearing in important ADVENT positions – this is Aegis phasing Humans out to replace them with his puppets!"

"This is as serious as it has ever been, folks! We can't sit back any longer! This is the beginning of the end, and if we ignore this, we are witnessing the final death of our species. Spread the truth of what I've said and do not fear ADVENT and this alien retaliating – we are Humans and we will not be beaten by the machinations of Aegis and his XCOM traitors!"

 _End video_

 _Analysis: I mean…this situation gives him some new talking points; honestly his spiel was getting a bit stale. He could only pretend to follow the whole 'illuminati' path for so long before people started tuning him out (With our help getting him off the air). Honestly I don't know how he's still going, and this did seem to be his last push for relevance. If he can get a few nutjobs to attack ADVENT soldiers in the name of 'freedom' he might consider that mission accomplished._

 _He also seems to not be consistent, both in his views of the aliens and Aegis himself. It does not make sense for Aegis to show himself if he was secretly controlling everyone, and even if he did, I don't see why he would assume XCOM is working with him instead of being controlled. If Culbert is being supported by aliens, having anti-XCOM talking points makes sense._

 _The problem is that no one is interested in Culbert anymore. His relevancy has faded and thanks to our efforts, his online presence has been reduced to a sliver of what it once was. He is entertainment for us, but thankfully I think his days of misinforming the public are over. All that remains is to capture and charge him._

 _Maybe we'll let him do a special episode from the inside of a jail cell._

* * *

 **To** : Central Officer Ariel Jackson [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Kyong Suk-Chul [VERIFIED]

 **Subject** : Potential Opportunity for Aegis

 _Message scanned for malicious attachments || Cleared_

 _Attachments scanned: || Cleared_

 _Incoming Location || Proxy not detected || Cleared_

 _Allow contents to be freely viewed || True_

Central Officer Jackson, a pleasure to communicate with you once more. Much has happened since our last communication, especially with the revelation that there is an Ethereal working with you…as well as a host of other aliens, as it turns out. However, that is not the purpose of reaching out to you today.

The media reaction to this has, unsurprisingly, been highly animated, and there is a great deal of speculation abounding about Aegis himself, the Collective, and the aliens in general. While there is some merit to allowing the speculation, it is only a matter of time before people come to objectively false conclusions due to a lack of concrete information.

Every single major media outlet and talk show has reached out to us, asking for the opportunity to interview Aegis, and are hoping he could shed some light on the enigma that is the Ethereals. While I do not know Aegis personally, I would hope he would be open to sharing some more information on himself and the aliens themselves, if for no other reason than to put people at ease…at least as much as he can.

He would, of course, be given the choice of where to appear and as all these kinds of shows are scripted to an extent, he would be able to point out where there would be things he couldn't answer or are classified. XCOM and ADVENT would also have some control over this. The overall goal is to put the public more at ease with an Ethereal that is on our side. He could also serve as an excellent foil to Quisilia, since he is firmly on our side.

I would like to at least ask that this is proposed to him. It also wouldn't kill XCOM to be a little more open to the public as well. People are curious, and sating such curiosity is an important part of keeping them under control. But ultimately, this is up to you.

\- Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations

 **To** : The Commander [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Ariel Jackson [VERIFIED]

 **Fwd: Subject** : Potential Opportunity for Aegis

 **CC** : Aegis, Shaojie Zhang

So this looks like it could be interesting. Got to admit that the thought of Aegis on a late-night show is highly amusing.

 **To** : The Commander [VERIFIED]

 **From** : Aegis [VERIFIED]

 **Fwd: Subject** : Potential Opportunity for Aegis

 **CC** : Ariel Jackson, Shaojie Zhang

This appears to be an interesting proposal. I have looked over the proposals sent by Minister Kyong, and I am not opposed to doing this, provided there are certain things that are understood. I am not sure how well Humans would respond to me, as I am not a public speaker nor specialize in such, but if it will open more to the possibility of alien alliances, then that is something that I can overlook.

If the Commander echoes this sentiment, I am willing to do this. I cannot promise that I can put the hosts at…ease, but I can do my best to impart what I can and answer their questions.

* * *

SCRIPT 22AA – THE LATE SHOW WITH JAKE MATTHEWS – AEGIS QUESTIONS

Episode #: 162

Air Date: 12/7/2016

Subject/Content: ADVENT Victory/Aegis

Host: Jake Matthews

Guest: Aegis (First alien guest – Ethereal species)

 _Preliminary notes_ : There has to be a minimum of distractions this episode – if we can't find an appropriate audience it might be best to forgo one for one night. It's something of a risk hosting any alien here, let alone an Ethereal. The comedy should probably be toned down a bit to account for the more serious nature of this – ADVENT wants this to inform as much as entertain.

Under no circumstances are unauthorized persons to interact with Aegis, or any XCOM or ADVENT representatives. Give the alien space, and be sure to give a warm reception if he speaks to you. By all accounts he's courteous, but still be careful what you say to him. Cues will be given at the appropriate times as usual. We will re-record if needed.

PART I: Opening and 8-10 minute recap of subject material. See respective document for script regarding that section.

PART II: GUEST – AEGIS

Questions to be asked in no particular order (Pending approval by Aegis himself, ADVENT, and XCOM):

1\. What brought you to work with XCOM?

2\. What is your view on the war?

3\. What is your age?

4\. Favorite thing about Earth/Humans?

5\. Demonstration of psionics (Edited by Aegis – Defensive usage only, telepathy would be disconcerting).

6\. Why are Ethereals so tall?

7\. Do you have a spouse/significant other? (Applicable if aliens even understand that concept)

8\. Thoughts on ADVENT?

9\. Opinions on other aliens (Vitakara, Sectoids, etc.) Opinions on the Battlemaster.

10\. Opinion on alien acts of terror.

11\. Friends in the Collective?

12\. Message for any aliens having second thoughts?

Note: This is probably a sufficient amount of questions for what time we have. I'm assuming that Aegis will know better than to talk about stuff that ADVENT will censor.

* * *

 _ADVENT Archive 0992 – The Late Show With Jake Matthews!_

[Jake Matthews]: "Welcome back everyone, and tonight we have a very special guest! This is the man – or alien I should say – of the hour! Aegis!"

 _Applause as Aegis sits in a very oversized chair, dwarfing Matthews even when seated. The host has to look up whenever he speaks._

[Aegis]: "It is a pleasure to be here, although I must warn you that I have little experience with these types of events."

[JM]: "No need for worry, we're all interested in everything you have to say. You're very tall, I was worried you wouldn't fit in the studio. Why are all of you so _big_?"

 _Cue laughter._

[A]: "The short answer was that I was designed this way. The Creators, that is, the Ethereals in charge of growing more of our species, were continuously improving on our genome to make us stronger, faster, and…taller, as you have noted. Our species was already naturally gifted, and we have since expanded on it."

[JM]: "Fascinating. So if you don't mind my asking, your species is made up of clones?"

[A]: "No. We are not clones. We are, however, the product of combinations of multiple Ethereal genomes. Each Ethereal is unique, and their genetic traits were preserved and used in future Ethereals. A small number of Ethereals were born naturally, but as we are not naturally prone to breed fast, we had to supplement our numbers."

[JM]: "Really? Quite interesting, for better or worse, your species seems quite talented. While I'm sure none of us are complaining-" _cue laughter_. "-why help out the underdog in this situation?"

 _Brief pause_.

[A]: "Because such actions were atypical. Yours was not the first primitive species we encountered. Previous contact had been mostly peaceful, and they were welcomed into our Collective. However, for reasons I am still having trouble understanding, the Imperator decided to destabilize and invade yours. I attempted to mitigate the operations, but was overruled multiple times. In the end, I knew that the only action that would make him take notice is if I left to oppose him. That is how I am here today."

[JM]: "That is, if I may say so, a very noble action." _Cue applause._ "I suspect it was not easy to go against this Imperator, and you must have had some partners."

[A]: "No. It wasn't. But it had to be done."

[JM]: "Well, I hope that Earth has treated you fine so far. What is your favorite thing about us?"

[A]: "Your music is…unique. Your is the first species to really have such a wide variety. Sometimes I wish to burn the device I am listening to, and others I consider to be completely beautiful."

[JM]: "I think you'll find many who share your sentiment." _Cue laughter._

[A]: "But aside from that, I find the drive Humans have fascinating. We, that is, Ethereals, are so used to looking at things in a period of decades or centuries. The brisk actions of Humans continues to surprise and fascinate me, it is something that I cannot help but admire."

[JM]: "Hold on, decades and centuries? How old are you?"

[A]: "1,978 years."

 _Audible gasps._

[JM]: "Wow, you're older than a large part of Human history. Is that kind of lifespan normal?"

[A]: "We will not die of old age, so yes. I am far from the oldest Ethereal alive as well."

[JM]: "Ha, I don't know if I'd want to be alive _that_ long. Would make marriage a little more daunting prospect."

 _Cue laughter._

[A]: "Ethereals generally did not treat mating as frivolously as certain Humans do."

[JM]: "Well, we can't all be the same. Different opinions for different species. Now, you've been here for some time, yes? How well do you think ADVENT is doing?"

[A]: "Exceptionally well, for a species that had originally had much aligned against it. It is fortunate that the Battlemaster has held back so far. I suspect that this will change, but such an escalation was inevitable. ADVENT is who your species should rally behind; there will be no better opportunity."

[JM]: "So many people seem to say. On that note, before we leave, is there anything you wish to say to the aliens in the Collective, or the Imperator himself?"

[A]: "Yes. Our species has been negligent in our leadership, and this is the consequence of those decisions. The Collective for the Imperator is a means to an end; a tool for him to use to fulfill his delusions of grandeur. Those who stay within the Collective and dare to speak out will be silenced; the only way to avoid this fate is to take steps to fight back. An opportunity has presented itself, I would ask that it not be wasted."

 _Applause_

[JM]: "Well, we can hope the aliens take that to heart. Thank you for your time, Aegis, and good luck!"

 _More applause._

 _End segment._

* * *

Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna,

While we have largely been focused on the situation within the Collective, I am still having agents and personnel keep an eye on the developing situation on Earth itself; specifically the reactions to Aegis and various alien defectors. I will be providing more updates on the former as the latter is a completely different subject.

There are a few main areas we have watched closely in determining the impact of Aegis revealing himself: Civilian, government, through official statements and social media. The response has gone through several phases: Initial shock, a degree of pandemonium, a demand for information, and now something akin to acceptance.

First I will focus on the government response to Aegis. ADVENT itself has, since the reveal, released several statements both welcoming and supporting Aegis, assuring that they will "work with him to fight against the Collective threat", which is markedly different from the 'alien threat' they had previously been using.

Chancellor Vyandar herself has met Aegis, and he appears to be heavily involved in how they are going to handle alien captives and defectors. While she initially seemed taken aback by the revelation, like usual she has adapted quickly and is turning Aegis into another resource to call upon. It will be interesting to see how this affects the relationship between ADVENT and XCOM, if it will at all.

For the most part, foreign governments have been very…quiet about anything relating to Aegis. What internal documents we have been able to acquire do paint an interesting picture – namely more suspicion against XCOM, who Aegis has been harbored by for this entire time. To some extent it is not unexpected, especially for countries still holding out against ADVENT, but there is some fear that Aegis is going to force a unification.

Since you are likely interested, the Argentinian government has resolved to not let it affect their anti-ADVENT stance, and the SAS is also holding fast to refusing any kind of ADVENT intervention. Now, what is interesting is that many European countries are looking at the situation with some skeptical interest. There are rumors that the UK will be joining ADVENT soon, and the initial reaction among prominent EU officials was a fear that Aegis could unintentionally bring about its death.

We shall see how true that is in the coming days.

The civilian reaction was, predictably, chaotic. Social media was lit up when Aegis first appeared on the battlefield and 'leaked' footage has been turned into gifs, videos, and memes, much of which was likely spread by ADVENT and XCOM intelligence to make the reaction a net positive one. Since the reveal, Aegis has also begun making public appearances (With ADVENT and XCOM support), and he has already grown something of a following.

While he is not quite as media savvy as Quisilia, it is clear that ADVENT is trying to turn him into someone who fulfills the same role but is undoubtedly on their side. Aegis has his own social media pages (Which he uses with some degree of frequency), and has more recently been making rounds on every major media station and talk show with some interesting results.

Aegis has been unofficially labeled as 'introspective', or at least that is the word that frequently comes up. He has been described as a very calm and reasonable alien that gives full answers and for the most part seems honest. Thanks to him, he has managed to educate some of the population of life in the Collective – both what he considers to be positives and negatives, and aliens in general. To even my eye it is relatively neutral, and seems to highlight what Aegis really wants: Reformation in the Collective.

He has not held back in his criticism of the Imperator, and has derided the lack of Ethereal leadership (Which is ironically, something that is being corrected now). For the most part Aegis's media tour is being received with acclaim, though I cannot gauge how much of that is simply due to the novelty of it all.

I do wonder if Aegis, ADVENT, and XCOM are using this as a smokescreen to distract the population from the fact that they have Caelior in captivity, and are almost certainly looking to incorporate China's battlefield intelligence into their own militaries. We shall soon find out, I think.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	93. ADVENT - History: First Battle of Korea

ADVENT: History

The First Battle of Korea

* * *

" _And that was the day the aliens learned that charging a trench line was a very, very bad idea."_

\- Anonymous ADVENT soldier

* * *

"[Fighting in the trenches felt surprisingly…safe. It helped that the aliens for the most part didn't know what they were doing. Snipers were picking them off and the Flak Towers shot down everything that came in sight and while I know that Busan had an alien sniper, we weren't facing anything like that. Every alien that got close was sniped, stepped on a mine, and in general never got far enough to be a threat.]"

"[Was it scary? Well, yeah, at the time it was. It was tense; we didn't know if something was going to happen that would kill all of us. Maybe orbital bombardment, maybe an Ethereal, maybe some kind of new weapon. We felt protected, but vulnerable at the same time if that makes any sense.]"

"[Yes, until the Ethereal arrived, what is his name? Aegis, yes, him. Some of us started firing when we saw him, and were quickly stopped when we saw he was decimating the other aliens. I've never seen anything like it. Awe-inspiring is a mild way of putting it; we had just gotten Priests deployed to help us, and not many of us knew about psionics. Seeing what they can do makes me feel a little better about our chances.]"

"[But that wasn't what was most memorable to me, not really. An Ethereal arriving to help is something that you don't forget, but it came at the end. It hit me near the end of the battle; you're aware of the history between the North and South, most foreigners are. There's been a lot of animosity between our governments and people.]"

"[I can tell you that when the North sent down soldiers to help, we weren't really looking forward to them; yes we would work with them, but we were not going to trust them or stop watching them. I suspect there were some that felt the same way about us; you can't just forget decades of history immediately even if you become allies.]"

"[Yes, that did change. When the shells started flying and weapons began firing, everyone figured it was better to work together and try to live than die as rivals. So we fought side by side, for the first time in decades, men and women of the North and South. Not even just as Koreans, but Humans. We had a fair number of foreign soldiers who have also historically had not had high opinions of the North.]"

"[It was somewhat surreal, realizing that in the middle of battle, that this was what unification could mean. Not necessarily in terms of signing papers and ending wars, but in working together to fight a common foe. Not forgetting the past, but willing to move past it. Some citizens have said that the reunification of Korea is impossible, but I don't believe that is the case. It won't be easy...for either side…but I do think it's something we should strive to even in ADVENT.]"

"[Either way, I will be proud and happy to fight beside my countrymen, no matter which side they hail from. ADVENT has the right idea here. The world needs to unify, and if two nations with an ugly and violent history can do it, so can the rest of the world.]"

 _\- ADVENT Soldier Ka Sung-Ki, to Approved Wartime Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

To the Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna

While the overall issues raised in the aftermath of ADVENT's Operation Sherman have already been stated, the failed attack on Korea also highlights some specific weaknesses in our tactics and units, as well as showing what we have no actual response to. ADVENT knows our basic unit composition, and know they are limited to one planet. As a result, it makes sense that they would decide that ensuring their major cities couldn't be taken was a priority, and we are seeing the results of that in our attacks.

Without further delay, I will continue this breakdown:

 **1\. Initial Attack** : It is quite clear that our initial means of attack is flawed. Our strategy has been, to put it bluntly, land forces just outside the area of attack, and then move forward, taking as much cover as possible along the way. While basic, this does have some merit in certain situations, especially when the enemy is poorly prepared and defenses are limited.

Shockingly, this seems to apply literally nowhere else.

This particular strategy, if we want to be generous with the word, is something that ADVENT has gone to great lengths to render obsolete. Their major hubs of military and civilian activity have had large parts of the surrounding land completely flattened to allow for no cover whatsoever.

On top of this, they have seeded the No Man's Land (As they refer to it) with mines, and have every single soldier and piece of artillery pointed towards the open land. As you can imagine, it is suicide to even attempt to get closer because even if ADVENT misses you, the chances of accidentally stepping on a mine are abnormally high.

Now, this could be mitigated by using mine-detecting equipment, but that also requires relative peace and quiet – both of which ADVENT does not provide. They do not allow us to have a moment of rest on the battlefield. Most charges were halted as the officers saw that it was a suicidal attack, and even the ones that went forward were under extreme duress (Such as from the Hunter).

Even still, this rendered the vast majority of our forces unable to effectively attack ADVENT or even provide air support, as the Flak Towers shot down everything that got close to them. We are poorly equipped for the current range of tactics, and even less prepared to succeed against what ADVENT has done to prepare against us.

 **2\. ADVENT Trenches** : There are two main components to ADVENT defenses, both of which draw from previous Human wars (One more obvious than the other). The first of these are the ADVENT trenches. They are exactly what they sound like; trenches dug into the ground around the city perimeter.

From inside them soldiers fire at anything they are facing, from a relatively more protected area than they would otherwise. Historically, trenches were some of the worst places where you could fight. Disease, poor conditions, and overall misery were rampant, despite their tactical effectiveness. Victory was not necessarily the goal, but simply holding out against an opponent. Crossing the No Man's Land was nigh-impossible, and only attempted as a last ditch effort, or at night. Most of the time it failed.

Given the poor reputation of the trenches, especially on the cost it took on the soldiers, I was surprised that this was something that the Humans had actually done. However, it appears that ADVENT has taken steps to mitigate the terrible conditions that previously had been present in the two World Wars.

Trenches appear to be linked into the city itself, which is far safer than even the trenches, which are themselves reinforced with slanted armor. We have also observed some trenches being completely covered my metal 'domes'. Along the trench lines are observed "Gunner Stations" which are also protected and slightly elevated positions which hold a heavy automatic weapon manned by an ADVENT soldier. The rest of the soldiers fire through a slit just above ground level that gives them a fair amount of freedom to aim, but is extremely difficult to hit by even a skilled sniper.

The only way to reliably damage the trenches is through artillery or killing the soldiers inside. This would not be a problem if the Flak Towers and extensive amounts of open land did not exist. Anything that tries to cross the open space _will_ die or be destroyed before it can make much of an impact. And without that happening, the Flak Towers will still stand, making an air attack near-impossible.

The only legitimate solution I can see is orbital bombardment or a heavy investment into improved artillery of our own. Current Sectopods simply do not have the range.

I would also recommend we look into incorporating this in our own defenses. The Humans have developed a working strategy; there is no reason not to use it ourselves. And given how much territory has been lost already, we really cannot afford to lose more.

 **3\. ADVENT Flak Towers** : We come to the second major component of ADVENT defenses – the aptly named Flak Tower. This is, surprisingly, another refined invention from Human history which largely fulfilled the same purpose it does today. These were also used in the World Wars, and some older ones still exist today.

From what we have been able to find, the purpose of this is simple – to deny any and all air assets from an opponent. These towers are absurdly armed, most would argue they are overcompensating, but ADVENT seems to take such a description as a challenge and as a result has developed a stationary defense that would likely take out a low-orbit Cleanser Ship if given the chance.

The current Flak Towers are highly armored and multi-layered horizontal buildings that rise as large as seven stories – each one of these levels is packed with gauss turrets which fire on infantry, and additionally serve as ammo stockpiles for the rest of the soldiers. While most people seem to ascribe them as purely anti-air defenses, they contribute to ground combat significantly. They are fortresses in their own right, and assaulting just one would be a challenge unto itself.

ADVENT, however, constructed these intermittently along the trenches. While some would consider it excessive having Flak Towers spaced every mile or so (Or closer), ADVENT really does not seem to care about convention. As a result, this makes any kind of air attack impossible, and makes any kind of ground assault much more difficult.

Beyond that, there is the top level which is composed exclusively of anti-air gauss and laser weaponry. Once the Humans figure out plasma weapons, I can guarantee those will be added as well. They also have vast arrays of missile launchers, as well as some missile defense systems (Notably the THAAD).

These weapons are powerful enough to tear through Sectoid Scouts and Fighters with astonishing ease, and as mentioned earlier, could likely damage much larger craft, _especially_ if multiple Flak Towers concentrate their fire.

It is also worth noting that ADVENT has also installed a small amount of automated guns along the sides of the Flak Towers, which have been observed to target both ground and air targets. They are gauss weapons, and not necessarily that powerful, but they are yet another weapon added onto this fortress.

These are the defenses we _will_ face in every major ADVENT city. This is what we need to counter; I would suggest this be kept in mind when formulating any kind of military action. Given how both of these are inspired by previously used tactics from Human history, I would also advise we look back there to perhaps predict what ADVENT will utilize next.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **AEGIS DOCUMENT 1192**

 **Document Type** : Interview Transcript

 **Interview Type** : Perception Questioning

 **Interviewer** : AEGIS Intelligence Collection Officer Sol Ye-Hyeon

 **Interviewee** : Runi'nerilla'dakka ("Nerilla")

 **Species** : Vitakara

 **Race** : Vitakarian

 _Video begins, shows two figures in a bare white room. There is a small metal table in the middle; Officer Ye-Hyeon sits on one side, Nerilla sits on the other. Both appear relaxed._

[Sol Ye-Hyeon]: "Thank you for agreeing to speak to me, Nerilla."

[Nerilla]: "You did encourage us to cooperate. It did not seem smart to refuse."

[SY]: "Indeed. I promise this should not be too taxing for you."

[N]: "What do you want to know?"

[SY]: "We're trying to get a better sense of how aliens, and Vitakara in particular, interpret our methods of warfare. Previous interviews with your species indicate that it is…different from what many of you expect."

 _Short pause._

[SY]: "Can you elaborate on this? Is there some truth to what we've been inferring?"

 _Another pause._

[N]: "Sorry, it's just…I was not expecting that question. I do not know if you will be satisfied with my answer."

[SY]: "There are no wrong answers here. Remember, we are just gathering information. You can help us with this."

[N]: "We were trained in the Runianarch that combat is quick and efficient. We locate targets and fight them from a distance. Precision was key, as was ensuring an enemy died quickly. We were trained to stick to cover; how to communicate effectively in combat."

 _Pause._

[N]: "Fighting Humans is…was…nothing like anything we trained for. The way your species fights is…disturbing. Unsettling."

[SY]: "How?"

[N]: "It is…loud. It hurts our ears initially. Your guns, explosives, vehicles; it's like you intentionally design everything to be as noisy as possible. I could barely hear myself think when we attacked Korea. I thought I was going deaf when the first artillery strikes hit near me. It's impossible to concentrate when there are dozens of shrill noises in your head."

[SY]: "Are your weapons quiet then?"

[N]: "Yes, but it's not just that. We generally don't use explosives or anything that makes things…messy. It doesn't help that Humans like yelling in battle; I've heard of soldiers who do that to us. We don't know what they say most of the time, but we don't like it. Loud noises are…irregular to us. We never really shout or raise our voices; it's rude and in the Runianarch, indicates a lack of control."

[SY]: "I see. Is that your only comment?"

[N]: "No…the way your species fights is…messy. Cruel even. I don't think it's necessarily your fault…but it seems like your weapons try and cause as much suffering as possible before you die. I saw grenades and artillery shells literally blow apart some of my friends. I've seen what happens when you use those…acid grenade things. The ones with-"

[SY]: "White Phosphorous."

[N]: "Yes. That. It's…worrying. Humans… you have to know what effect this has? And your Purifiers? Death by fire…"

[SY]: "Of course we know what effect it has. Usually that is why it is used. That is unfortunately a reality of warfare."

[N]: "I suppose. The point, I guess, is that…we're not trained for this. Some of the Borelians are, but everyone else is afraid, at least on some level. While command discourages rumors…we still talk to each other. We hear the stories of your bombs; see survivors of White phoses…phosi-"

[SY]: "Phosphorous."

[N]: "And your war animals ripping out our throats. Your species is violent, much more so than we are, and that makes us afraid. Your kind seem to enjoy causing pain to each other, and against us even more. For some of us it's too much to take, especially when we're fighting. We don't have a siege mentality."

[SY]: "When you say they can't take it, what does that mean?"

 _Pause_.

[N]: "Most of the time they just…don't really respond. They just sit or stand until someone rushes them away. Other times they'll deliberately just walk into the middle of a crossfire, or somewhere where they know they will die just to make the noise stop."

[SY]: "I see."

[N]: "I don't really want to talk about this anymore."

[SY]: "I understand. Don't worry, I have everything I need. You were very helpful, thank you."

 _End recording._


	94. Mutons - Units: The Praetorian Guard

Mutons: Unit

The Praetorian Guard

* * *

" _I'm not joking when I say that Muton is probably smarter than you. And no, that isn't an insult."_

\- Quisilia

* * *

 **CODEX Log 1100**

 _Subject_ : Praetorian Guard Latest Iteration

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

The Muton genome, the more I research it, is one of the most confusing and infuriating I have had the displeasure of witnessing. I suppose that this is the price we pay for encountering such a primitive species and deciding to subjugate it. The Muton genome has some of the most highly varied intelligence and perception sequences I have ever seen in a species.

The problem is that all are severely regressive and their evolution has prioritized the idiot Mutons that are common today. It is mildly upsetting to see a species that could be one of the most intelligent have the mental capacity of…well, a Muton.

The Praetorian Project was to unlock the hidden potential of the Muton species, and I am rather pleased to say that, for the most part, it has been largely successful. We can produce Mutons that are stronger, smarter, and better than anything the females can produce on their own. These are not able to be created naturally, although I suppose future iterations could fix this issue. All current batches are male, so as the template is largely completed, it is wise to move onto the remaining gender.

In addition to their heightened intelligence, I have also streamlined their physical stature to not be as cumbersome. Mutons are strong, but they are naturally clumsy. By trimming their bulk, they have a greater range of motion and any strength lost is made up with in MELD enhancements built into the body itself. As a result, even the weakest Praetorian can defeat a Berserker in melee combat, although I would personally attribute this to their heightened intelligence complimenting their strength.

To look upon a Muton Praetorian is to look upon one of the deadliest creatures in the galaxy. Their eyesight takes genetic material from the Dath'Haram, and the finest of the Zararch snipers, leading to Praetorians rarely missing their shots. Their skin has taken our own Ethereal genetics to harden it against the elements and weapons, with their own natural healing greatly improved. And their minds are at their fullest potential, certainly ones to rival the best of the leaders of the Runianarch. I am personally amused that the larger the Praetorian is, the smarter it would be, which is contrary to what many people assume.

Not without reason, but I have made a point to make them pay dearly for that perception.

Sadly, I have been unable to lower the gestation period for even the smallest Praetorian. While the results are certainly worth it, I do not advise we use these frivolously. It takes nearly five standard galactic years to fully grow, and losing large amounts of Praetorians would be utterly crippling and impossible to replace in a timely manner.

However, we will not lose them easily. In addition to their other abilities, I have ensured that their minds are immune to psionic interference – aside from the backdoor of sorts I have developed for only the Ethereals. They are genetically incapable of betraying us, and no hostile psion or Sovereign One will be able to gain control of their minds without destroying it in the process.

With this breakthrough, we should begin looking to apply it towards the more general Muton masses. An army's use is questionable when it can be dominated by one persistent psion.

* * *

I have been "encouraged" to document my experiences here to "reflect and learn" from them after my various trials. The Imperator quite likes using words like that; very smooth and flowing. He likes to try and make whatever he is saying sound like the Most Important thing you've ever heard.

Probably just in my head. No one's the same around him.

Regardless, whatever he said wasn't applicable to me. There was nothing they could throw at me that I can't kill. Failed Zararch agents, Mutons, Berserkers, compromised Runianarch or Fectorian's augmented soldiers, very little of it poses a challenge. You just pick them up and crush them. Most of the time they're either dead or too panicked to really think about doing anything smart.

And so they die. Usually quickly, unless I want to practice. Mutons are best for that. Easier than killing actually thinking aliens. Vitakara sound too much like Humans when they die. I don't like it.

As of the time of writing this, I have only actually been defeated twice. Both times by a Muton of all fucking things. But I'm very, very certain that this isn't a normal Muton. From how Cogitian described it, the "Praetorians", as they are called, are the absolute pinnacle of Muton evolution; likely a project of Revelean's.

I really want to know the justification for taking the Muton – already rather dangerous to a non-psion, and wanting to make it _smarter_. I suppose the Ethereals haven't figured out that you want either a large disposable army, or a smaller but loyal army. You cannot have _both_. It will inevitably lead to a disgruntled soldier deciding he's had enough and convincing a large number of followers to participate in a rebellion.

Foresight appears to belong to none, other than the Imperator it seems. They just keep creating and sculpting without much regard for the consequences. One of these days they're going to make something they can't control, and it's going to get one of them killed. It'll probably come from the Creator. Even the few stories I've heard make her sound like the type to do something that idiotic.

"Creator." Ethereals are certainly impressive with their naming capabilities.

Still not as bad as Zararch's intel reports though.

Returning to the actual subject, which is me losing to this Praetorian, the first time it caught me by surprise. I was facing the standard Muton team in the arena; six soldiers and a Berserker. So I naturally blew the soldiers back with enough force to crush them into the force fields, and decided to toy with the Berserker a little bit.

The problem was, as I watched the replay, one of the Mutons got back up while I focused on the Berserker. The Praetorian had put on the armor of a regular soldier, and I guess they're more durable because it didn't seem harmed. Once my back was turned it just threw a plasma grenade which blew off half of my body – honestly shocked it didn't just kill me, and then promptly shot my free hand, which I barely felt since half my body was blown up.

That hurt. At least I blacked out rather quickly. I do remember wondering what the fuck had happened.

That taught me a very valuable lesson: _"Always confirm your kills."_ No more telekinetic pushes for me, snapped necks if I can. I've been very sure to kill any soldiers I fight; damn Praetorians made me paranoid.

The second time was…technically not directly because of a Praetorian, but more indirectly. As far as I know, whenever they send out the grunts to fight, they don't give them any plan. They just try and kill me. Fair enough, same thing for me. Sometimes they like to coordinate, or at least try before I pulverize them, but it almost never goes anywhere.

So, same Muton setup for this one. This was after the first incident. I knew what was coming, and I was prepared. Or I thought so until plasma grenades started flying towards me from the doors as the Berserker charged out. I caught and redirected the grenades, but by that time the Berserker was already on me and I had to focus everything on it.

Then I look up to see _more_ grenades flying towards me – while I was trying to kill this Berserker – and I had to push it back and get out of the blast radius. That is where the first plasma bolt hits me. In the stomach, thankfully, and then I noticed that the regular Mutons had worked themselves into a semi-circle around me, the one in the back has a _plasma grenade launcher_ , and is happily chucking them at me.

I killed several of the soldiers, though the Berserker sliced my arm up so it was essentially unusable, but I finally killed her with rather rage-filled crush. Which promptly resulted in me getting shot in the back by the surviving Mutons, and I don't remember how it ended, except I think I was too close to another grenade.

Come to find out that group of Mutons had been managed by a Praetorian who wanted to see if he could beat me.

Rather pleasant for a Muton. He quite helpfully told me how he did it and pointed out how easily I was able to be overwhelmed if I ever become unbalanced. The Imperator keeps saying to make trustworthy allies when you can, and much to my surprise, I now have a Praetorian advisor who actually isn't that bad to talk to.

I think he's actually smarter than me. A Muton. Lovely.

Muton or not, he's useful and that's what matters. I don't like the idea of fighting another one of these things, because going off my track record, there's a very good chance I'll lose again. I know these Praetorians share information, and they are probably already thinking of ways to beat me.

They're a good challenge though. I'll say that for sure.

 _\- Personal Journal of Yang Shuren_

* * *

I am different.

It is not obvious on the Temple Ship of the Imperator. It is merely what is expected here. There are only the Elders and those they find favor with. There are only the other Praetorians left. We do what we must in service to the Elders, but rarely are we allowed to glimpse what is beyond it. I do not know why.

We are not ignorant. I don't even know if the Elders realize what they have made us. We read, we are curious, and it is not natural. I know that now. I, nor the rest of us, are not supposed to be like this. We are the product of an inferior species the Elders have decided to uplift, either because they care or because they see us as useful.

We know about the Collective, the conflicts, the factions, and we keep ourselves separate from it, as it is not our purpose. But we hold opinions that our species should not be capable of possessing. I think of myself as independent, but after seeing how…slow and stupid our supposed brethren are, I do not know how this was even achieved.

Mutons are not supposed to be like we are. It is unnatural, and as a result, we are unnatural.

Perhaps they keep us here because they are afraid we would be offended at the operation which churns out their soldiers? If so, it is a misplaced fear. Those are so far removed from our kind as to be unrecognizable. I suspect the Sargons feel the same, even if they are technically inferior to us. But they too realize that our species alone is a failure. The Mutons deserve no better than what they have received.

If we are the result of the Elders attempts to improve them, than that is something to be thankful for and not to be condemned. When working with such a…limited species, anything is acceptable to improve upon it.

I don't know if I should feel this way towards a species that I came from. Yet whenever I see one of the simple Mutons I become exasperated and frustrated. Instinctively I know they are inferior. I feel apathy towards the thousands of dead Muton children because I know they would not have amounted to much even if they lived.

They are not my kind; I cannot consider them such.

Perhaps one day the Mutons will only be like us, and the inferiority of the past will be purged forever. I can only hope towards that day.

 _\- Record of Praetorian 072, of the Temple Ship of the Imperator_


	95. Ethereals - Dossier: Cogitian

Ethereals: Dossier

Cogitian

* * *

" _Knowledge is not just power; it is all that matters."_

\- Imperial Archivist Cogitian, of the Ethereal Empire

* * *

 **ADVENT Intelligence Report 0992**

 _Subject_ : Internet Ethereal (Not Quisilia)

 _Agent_ : M. Ramiraz

This is one of the more interesting things we've been keeping an eye on lately, and more recently it's only become more prominent. To give a brief history on this entire subject, XCOM originally brought to our attention the profiles of suspected aliens, primarily Ethereals. Contrary to popular belief, Quisilia is not the only one who can use the Internet and there are quite a few others who appear to do as well.

There are, of course, many impersonators and fakes, but it's generally fairly easy to pick out which ones are, and are not real. _Actual_ Ethereal accounts will generally not explicitly state they are alien (Unlike Quisilia, who I cannot discount is like this because it gives people the wrong perception). They will act like normal users, and only through examining their questions, knowledge, and opinions will you generally be able to piece together something that could potentially be an alien.

One such user is a bit of an odd one. Our best guess is that this particular alien is the Ethereal identified by XCOM as Cogitian. He has a large number of associated accounts relating to historical, political, mathematical, and biological subjects. He appears to go out of his way to find more obscure journal sites and enthusiast groups, in addition to the more public groups on reddit and YouTube.

It's hit or miss on if he actually reveals he is an alien. Now that we have an idea of which accounts are his, we have determined that he lurks for at least several weeks before actually participating. It is speculated that he is using that time to become acquainted with the subject itself, since subsequent posts indicate a deep knowledge of the subject in question.

Once he establishes himself with the respective community, he will likely begin asking some more pointed questions about certain things. Sometimes people will be suspicious, and he will usually drop his identity as an alien, and offer some kind of knowledge in return for answers to his question. Through this method, he has acquired a significant amount of information about our species, but in return information relating to the ancient Ethereal Empire has also been received.

The information that is shared is ultimately not _that_ important. Much of it is already public record, and honestly, what he shares in return is also useless to us militarily. It is only important to historians and archaeologists (However, the archeological remains that he has revealed on other planets may be worth investigating in the future).

He is also taking some things into his own hands. He managed to download the entirety of Wikipedia, which was sent to a known alien-controlled server in Australia, and then presumably stored on their internal network. He is also not above paying for information, and indeed is subscribed to nearly every major scientific and historical journal out there.

How he gets this money?

It is unknown at this point, but we suspect he is getting it from the Chinese. There are multiple conversions to various other currencies that are connected to various accounts, but the concerning thing is that he is maintaining _twelve_ different accounts and regularly uses them with the same amount of frequency. If I didn't know better, I'd say he has a background in white-collar crime. Assuming that all of these accounts are tied together, we can at least deduce that he is a management expert, and really has to be if he's maintaining so many façades at once.

I half suspect he may only be running part of this major intel-gathering op, and using an AI or machine intelligence for another half. If this is indeed Cogitian, he _did_ create the CODEX system, and it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to set that up.

So based on what we have learned and seen from him, he is not going to give up important Collective secrets. However, I do think that we can leverage him in other ways. He wants to spread and acquire knowledge. I suspect that we might be able to map parts of the galaxy if we use several of our accounts to give him something he wants in return. Collective star maps would be exceptionally valuable when we transition to space.

I have attached such a plan with this report.

* * *

 **CODEX Log 1911**

 _Subject_ : On the Application of Knowledge

 _Location_ : The Temple Ship of the Imperator

 _Author:_ Archivist Cogitian

There is a saying among the Humans, "Knowledge is power." They are not the first to come to such a realization, of course, and the same sentiment has been echoed across the ages. Yet there is a directness to it which I remember more easily than the flowing words and sentences of the Empire and species of old.

Yet there it is not quite correct. To equate knowledge with simple power vastly understates both the importance and versatility knowledge provides. At the root of all things: technology, improvement, war, and power; all of these rest on the existence, usage, and destruction of knowledge. A power that one does not know how to control will kill the user; technology cannot be created or improved if one does not understand the fundamentals which they learned from teachers and books.

Every aspect of society, every decision made that affects lives, at the root is a manipulation of knowledge. Some speak as though the words 'information' and 'knowledge' are different, but they are simply two interpretations of the same thing. Our Empire allowed the rumors of our power to spread to the outsider species, but refrained from offering significant details. We built upon each previous generation of Ethereals to adapt, evolve, and advance forward.

One might ask if any of this would exist if we as a species did not prize knowledge.

It simply would not.

Advancement cannot exist without the acclamation of knowledge. Society reaches stages where they become more and more reliant on things they do not understand. This is natural and expected, but as a result it becomes more and more fragile. Should the knowledge of how to operate the complex technology of the Empire have been lost, we as a species would have crumbled or descended into wars.

 _Regressed_.

Our species was one of the few who have had little internal conflict. Other species are not so lucky. One of two things happen – They wipe themselves out or they ebb and flow through time; advancing to the point where they reach the first stage of a technological revolution, then they go to war, the knowledge is lost and they die off until only the smartest survive.

They are set back hundreds of years, and each time they pull themselves to the same point before they inevitably kill each other again. I have only witnessed this happen as long as three cycles, before the species destroyed their world in a bioplague. A sad and cruel fate; so close to the stars yet unable to reach them.

The Empire thankfully did take such precautions at my insistence, for what little good it sadly did the Empire. Yet should another stumble onto the caches of knowledge stashed throughout the galaxy, perhaps they will be able to make use of them. Knowledge is as vital to the galaxy as fleets, armies, and ships. Without knowledge, all of those are of limited use.

I understand why the libraries, data vaults, and network towers are often targeted by militaries. Deny the enemy information, and all you need to do is prevent them fixing it and they will proceed to destroy themselves. Killing the farmers and wrecking their equipment is all that is needed to drive a planet to surrender. Will they be so willing to fight if they are starving?

I cannot and never will condone such deprivation, but the reasons for such actions are abundantly clear. Yet I feel that if you must deprive the enemy of knowledge, it should be preserved first for historical purposes if nothing else. The Empire made many strides in our history, but it was also consumed with itself; believing that it had nothing more to learn.

That is why it stagnated.

That is why we lost.

We cannot afford to let this happen again, and I fear that we have learned precious little from the last war, which leads me to another quote of the Humans.

"Those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it."

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 172**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Cogitian

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 9'2"

 _Weight_ : 210 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : He is one of the few Ethereals to not wear a helmet or any other kind of facial protection, similar to the Overmind. Otherwise there is nothing that would distinguish him physically from other Ethereals.

 _Physical Condition_ : For an Ethereal, he is…weaker than most. A MEC could easily overpower him and I suspect an enhanced Human (Such as Carmelita) could do the same. He has sufficient stamina, but cannot last long in sustained combat.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Cogitian is who I would describe as the second least-dangerous Ethereal. It is good not to underestimate him, but he is not anywhere near the level of even the Guardians, let alone ones such as Isomnum or the Overmind.

Cogitian is one of the few Ethereals that is relatively unique. The first reason is because he comes from a very small batch of Ethereals who were designed differently than most, created to prioritize intellectual capability over psionics. This led to a batch of the smartest Ethereals to exist in the Empire, but with exceptionally poor physical and psionic strength.

This was not necessarily the result wanted by the Empire, and it was further refined later onwards. The batch that was grown then worked as archivists and advisors throughout the Empire, and sadly rarely used to their fullest capability. I should clarify that Cogitian was not grown in this batch, but is, rather, the child of an Ethereal from it and an Imperial scientist.

He is indeed one of the treasured natural births, and as a result is unlike most other Ethereals. He retains the standard physical capabilities of many of the Imperial scientists, but a mind of the intellectual batch. Cogitian has a perfect memory and the mental capacity to have his mind concentrate fully on multiple different projects or tasks at once, while still retaining full effectiveness.

His raw intellectual capability is far greater than even Revelean and the Creator, and likely close to that of the Imperator and Fectorian. If he truly wished to do so, I believe he could just as effectively do their jobs. Every single development in the Empire gets sent directly to him and stored in his mind and twenty other different digital locations.

He is not asking simply for the sake of the preservation of knowledge, he is _learning_ everything that is happening in the Empire. He doesn't restrict himself scientifically either; he reads Zararch and Special Operator reports with a fascinated zeal, also storing them away once completed.

Cogitian never _forgets_ anything. He has a tendency to appear to be a slightly overzealous archivist, but he has thousands of centuries worth of knowledge stored in his mind. He may not say it, but he _knows_ everything about every species in existence, and what he does not know, he will chase down.

I actually know Cogitian quite well, as he was one of the few Ethereals of Imperial Civil Command to visit the front lines of the Synthesized War. He even fought several times (from a distance), but mostly recorded what had happened, gathering quotes and accounts, and then returned to Imperial space to share what was happening.

Few wanted to hear it, and when the defeats began mounting the Empire took…steps to change the narrative. They began directly sending him to dangerous warzones, or areas where the Empire was sure to win. What they failed to account for was that Cogitian knew every single detail of the planets he was being sent to, and was too smart to fall for the propaganda victories. His own knowledge of the planets helped turn what would be losses or routs into victories or successful evacuations.

By the end, Cogitian told me that he suspected the Empire was trying to kill him, and that he found it humorous. I suppose that after seeing the costs of the war and facing down Director Flagships, the Ethereals of Civil Command were an almost laughable threat. He then said that he saw no way for the Empire to win and was simply chronicling their fall and storing it on hundreds of worlds to perhaps serve as a warning in the future.

Cogitian had his own contingency plans set in motion long before the Imperators arrived, and when the Imperator made an offer to Cogitian, he immediately took it on the condition that his work could be finished as close as envisioned. This was granted, and Cogitian followed the Empire to its final days before the Imperator recalled all that he had chosen to be placed in stasis.

To this day those caches, within which Cogitian stored our history, technology, and warnings, still likely remain. He took precautions to ensure that they would not be easily found. He has continued doing the same thing in the Collective. He maintains small caches stored on dozens of worlds and continuously updates them to ensure that whatever happens is not lost forever.

If nothing else, his drive is to be commended.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

It would not be an exaggeration to state that Cogitian is obsessed with the acquisition and preservation of knowledge.

He believes that it is the most important resource in the galaxy, and places it above all else, even life itself. To him, the targeting of libraries and museums are a much greater insult than attacking military bases or civilian houses. Living beings, he believes, can and will be replaced. It is not always the case with knowledge.

To this end, he is not interested in hording it for himself, hence why he has established caches on dozens of worlds. If it were up to him, the Collective would be far more interconnected than it is now, and he only tolerates the secrecy and division between species because he has access to _everything_.

However, just because he _has_ this capability does not mean he often uses it. Anything the Imperator knows, Cogitian knows. Anything the Special Operators know, so does he. Anything the Collective knows about Earth, he does as well. He likely knows more about your species than most of your own kind do. And he will go to great lengths to acquire knowledge he does not have; ethics are malleable to him depending on what is at stake. If he has to steal from a being who would rather horde a valuable relic or document than part with it, he will do so, if not simply kill them.

It should also be noted that Cogitian does not have an innate prejudice against aliens. If it were up to him, he would have had the Empire form alliances and agreements with the various species, and he despises isolationism, believing it to be a form of stagnation. He has little patience for intolerance, greed, selfishness, and incompetence.

He dislikes violence as a general rule; considering it rather savage and primitive. This leads him to support more ethically questionable acts like telepathically dominating a species to end a war, instead of fighting in traditional combat. Even if he accepts combat, he prefers it to be swift, elegant, and effective. Thus he prefers fast-acting bio and genetic plagues, nano-infection, or telepathic domination. Guns, explosions, anything involving actual _combat_ he dislikes on principle, believing it a waste of time for the sake of tradition and a primitive bloodlust.

With that said, he has admitted that certain parts of history would not be as enjoyable if it ended when the enemy was telepathically dominated a few moments after preparing for a fight.

Cogitian has never had a true mate, and shown a disinterest in ever acquiring a traditional one. I would chalk that up to more there being a lack of options at this point. Although I would personally state that it is likely do to the fact that he, during the war, was quite friendly with one of the Battlemasters. As far as I know, she died, though what is odd is I cannot recall him ever going through any stage of grief or even acknowledgement.

I suppose this might not be too strange. He is not a normal Ethereal, and it would be expected that he does not think like one either.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

I suspect you only included this for posterity, as this section does not apply to Cogitian at all.

Psionically, he is, theoretically, on the level of Patricia. Realistically, he could likely be overcome by a telepath of sufficient skill. He has not developed his telepathic abilities even if he does maintain strong mental barriers. Yet he is a very small threat on the battlefield, and wouldn't show there in the first place.

Physically, he is not suited for combat whatsoever. He is not fast, strong, or agile. Even a small team of XCOM soldiers would be able to overpower him, especially if they were enhanced. If you ever face Cogitian in combat, it is almost a certain victory. You will have far more trouble catching him in the first place.

The actual "threat" if you wish to call it that, is his mind. He will likely know the area better than your soldiers, he'll know their tactics, and he will plan accordingly. He will also not put himself above blackmail or forced coercion if pressed.

His actual danger is, in all honestly, negligible. He is not an Ethereal that deserves to die and is simply on the wrong side in this conflict. If possible, I highly recommend that he be kept alive. If nothing else, what he knows about…well, everything, could be useful to us.


	96. Ethereals - Dossier: The Imperator

Ethereals: Dossier

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

" _There are few who can challenge a being beyond the comprehension of most mortals. The Imperator is one of them. There are few more dangerous or intelligent."_

\- Aegis

* * *

The Empire was losing. Our worlds were being overrun and our legions were falling evermore to the growing horde. The captives were taken away to never be seen again, and for the first time our kind were forced to consider the possibility of defeat. There were those who could ascertain where we had gone wrong, but they were too few.

The Empire needed to quickly step forward and provide a solution, and the Grandmaster finally proposed that the only thing that could save our Empire was to fully embrace the Imperator Project. This has previously been regarded as the next stage of Ethereal development, as there were several fundamental changes to the templates proposed.

They may have looked like us, but they were _not_ the standard Ethereal. They would not think or act as the Empire did.

As a result, the project was shelved until more debate could be had. This was before the war.

Now, the Empire realized that they needed those who did not follow tradition. Those who were not bound by the archaic thought processes of the Ethereals of the Empire. There was no other choice seen, and the development of the Imperators was ordered. With the Reapers having been created and deployed recently, it bought the Empire some time to grow them.

No expense was spared, and no resource was too precious to not devote to the final hope of the Empire. Breakthroughs that would have previously taken years were made in months. Ethereals were grown in twenty years instead of fifty. During that stage of the war, we remembered what it was like to innovate and grow; and at the same time realized how much we had failed.

And as more worlds fell, the first of the Imperators emerged.

The First Five Hundred took over all important facets of the Empire within days of awakening, and within a week had devised what had to be done. Of the Five Hundred, they chose ten of their own to coordinate the war. Their names to this day would cause even the most dangerous of the Synthesized to hesitate.

They are as follows:

 **\- Imperator Tenabri, Keeper of the Shadows**

 **\- Imperator Gladian, Sword of the Empire**

 **\- Imperator Eroian, Shield of the Empire**

 **\- Imperator Mendomita, Master Overmind**

 **\- Imperator Prolialien, Overseer of Conquest**

 **\- Imperator Finisar, Destroyer of Worlds**

 **\- Imperator Auxilius, Mastermind of the Empire**

 **\- Imperator Excesilla, Bane of the Synthesized**

 **\- Imperator Viatorian, Destroyer of the Prime**

 **\- Imperator Umbrasis, the Farseer**

Read well, for the end of the Empire begins here.

 _\- The End of the Empire, Part I – by Ethereal Cogitian_

* * *

Operation: Collective Leader

Division: Ethereal Investigation

Report Author: Zar'poliala'dakka

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Whoever thought this operation was a good idea is an absolute idiot.

I'm aware it was you, Zar'Chon, and my point still stands.

I know we have a tendency to learn everything we can about our allies and enemies alike, but as I have learned, there are some things we _should not be looking at_. The Hive Commanders are one thing; dangerous, but they do need to be watched. I doubt they care anyway, and they aren't aggressive. So yeah, we watch them.

Same with the Andromedons. It's good to know what the Unions are up to. We should keep an eye on the brewing Second Union War that'll probably happen. Even if the rumors about their Special Operators are true, it's fine we look into it. They no doubt do the same to us.

Now, I want to be very clear that this _does not_ apply to Ethereals. We should not be sending _any_ kind of agents to dig up what they're doing unless we want our minds warped or in a best-case scenario, killed. I'm not sure my mind is my own right now, so I wouldn't be shocked for you to mark me as a compromised agent and send another agent to clean up.

If you think that's outlandish, guess what.

 _You've done it before_.

Before I get into how much of a _bad idea_ this was, I'll at least give what I can about the Imperator, the esteemed leader of the Ethereals, and by extension, the Ethereal Collective. To the surprise of absolutely no one, there is very little information on his history or even physical appearance. To date he has only made two public appearances – the first to the Hive Commanders (along with the Overmind), and once to the Federation.

Both of whom aligned themselves with them after meeting. Take that for what you will.

To date, the Imperator has not openly communicated with any government official or organization on Vitakar. There is some speculation he has spoken with the Stalker of the Hegemony, but this is unconfirmed and the Oyariah were not forthcoming, as the Black Library is the one place where even we can't get in.

Ever since those first two appearances, he has not been seen or communicated with the rest of the Collective, apparently relying on intermediaries for information and to spread his influence. What little I could gather indicates that the Imperator is extremely interested on inner-galactic expeditions, and has been sending various Ethereals to scout for…something. I never found out, nor do I want to.

I have heard, especially among the Andromedons, criticism that the Imperator never _does_ anything. This is something that I can plainly dispute. The Imperator is _not_ sitting idle, but he is focusing on matters other than the Collective. It all seems to point to the Imperator seeing the Collective itself as a tool, or means to an end.

It is odd that he doesn't take more of an interest, but I won't claim to know his mind.

What should stick out to everyone who reads this is that the Imperator, despite his apparent apathy, is the undisputed leader of the Collective. There is no discussion. He is the final authority on anything related to the Ethereals. His Guardians function as his voice and can literally order anything and it will be done.

 _No one_ is above the Imperator. The Battlemaster, Sana'Ligna, Fectorian, and every other known Ethereal answers _directly_ to him. You do not _oppose_ the Imperator unless you want to end up dead or your life ruined. There is also the prevailing belief that because the Imperator isn't actively participating in the Empire, he isn't watching it.

This is not true. Here is a list of suspicious incidents I managed to catalogue:

1\. There was a minor Andromedon Union, Arrian, who previously specialized in deep-space travel. From our intelligence, they were not in favor of joining the Collective and were quietly planning to desert the Collective and head for the inner galaxy, having intercepted information from what I believe to be one of the Imperator's earliest expeditions into the inner galaxy.

Every single member of the Union vanished within a week after this was finalized. I presume they are dead. That isn't the disturbing part. As far as I can tell, Union Arrian never existed. The Andromedons don't have any records, nor do any seem to actually remember that was a Union at all.

We have records though, if you want to look, but if you do…I think you're repeating a pattern that I'll explain later.

2\. You remember how the Hierarchy was acting up several years ago? How they were questioning how useful being in the Collective was and were openly planning to secede (For all the good it would have done them). And then, how they had a sudden change of heart?

This was clearly not the case after actually looking into it some more.

It turns out that half of the Cobrarian males disappeared. More importantly, they were apparently slain by several females for undisclosed reasons. There is no record of this anywhere, and the Cobrarians never reported it, presumably out of fear. As far as I can tell, the entire Hierarchy carried on as if nothing had happened, though if you'll look at census numbers, you'll see a _massive_ drop around the time of that incident.

So how exactly did no one notice this?

3\. There is something exceptionally wrong with Desolan. We're hardened Zararch agents, so we're fine with that kind of necessary brutality. But the thing is, not everyone who gets sent there is. So the question becomes how exactly none of them leave and tell their friends or family what is going on?

Don't delude yourself that it's because of fear. Even a Dath'Haram would have cracked by now if what was going on was normal.

I've had interviews with over two hundred soldiers of various races. These are aliens that recently came from Desolan. So they should know what is going on there. The thing is, they don't. They remember what it is, they have a vague feeling that they didn't like it that much, but almost never have many details.

Upon showing them some footage of the conditions, a good number of them react as if it's the first time they've seen it, and insist that they never saw any of that. I generally neglected to tell them that the footage was often with them in it.

A good question is why you and I aren't affected by this apparent amnesia, and I would likely chalk it up to us knowing about the operations beforehand…and probably never actually going to Desolan that often.

Or more likely, this is deliberate.

I am going somewhere with this. While it hasn't been explicitly said, it is commonly believed that the Imperator is one of, if not the most powerful psion ever. One aspect of psionics is telepathy. Yes, I'm aware that there is apparently some telepath Ethereal, but this is on a level that is…honestly beyond anything I can think of.

This seems to follow something of a pattern:

1\. Event threatens stability of the Collective.

2\. Threatening factors suddenly vanish

3\. No one remembers the problem in the first place.

This is on a scale of hundreds of thousands of people. And it's more than these three incidents I've noted, it's on nearly a hundred smaller ones. The point is that if you're fool enough to think the Imperator isn't watching (especially the Zararch), then I won't mourn your death. And it stands to reason that if you feel like you're getting away with it…you aren't, the Imperator is just letting you keep going.

Quit while you're ahead.

So one thing that was bugging me was how I was apparently the only one to figure out how this was working. That was suspicious, and I didn't get an answer until I accidentally stumbled across some older documents we have; ones which reference another agent working on the subject I was looking to investigate.

Zar'Chon, I'm not the first person you've sent to find out more about the Imperator. I don't think I'm even the second. I don't think you remember, otherwise you would have given me their reports, but it became very clear. I looked back in the records, and found that unnamed agents had visited the same places, talked to the same authorities, and came to the same conclusions.

It's more than just following the past. Sometimes I just made guesses, and those somehow led to plausible answers. And the more I researched, the larger the web of influence the Imperator maintains became clearer, and it is terrifying. The Imperator knows who I am, and what I'm trying to do.

From what I was able to gather, the previous agents you assigned to this attempted to take it to the Aui'Vitakar after informing you. You sent assassins after them and erased their files. I can't find anything on them anymore. Maybe this has happened ten times, but I'm not going to throw my life away after seeing what he is capable of.

Ravarian…please stop looking into the Imperator.

Otherwise he is going to make you kill me, like he did with all the others.

* * *

One of the most daring plans ever conceived of by the Imperators was, quite possibly, what finally forced the Synthesized to take action to ensure that they weren't ultimately beaten. The borders of the Empire were being re-secured, as the Imperators regained full control over the separated Imperial planets, destroyed the offending Director Flagships, and razed the planets to ensure their soldiers were wiped out.

The plan, which would later be known as the Battle of the Falling Stars, was designed to directly target the known heart of all Synthesized operations, which had set up refuge near the center of the galaxy; surrounded by black holes and exploding suns. No Ethereal would have ever dared to think of even traveling there, let alone waging a battle.

But the Imperators were not ordinary Ethereals.

Even then, the Imperators were preparing for the possibility of failure. I suspect that the Imperator of the Collective was not the only one to have such plans and contingencies. Many Imperators worked on fortifying already captured planets, Imperators Tenabri and Umbrasis vanished shortly before the end of the war, never to be heard from again, and Auxilius traveled to former conquered alien territory in pursuit of potential allies, and she was presumably killed as no one heard from her again.

But those behind the plan itself were Imperators Gladien, Finisar, Excesilla, and Viatorian; the four most powerful Ethereals that the Empire ever had or would produce. After several months of planning, the Empire finally launched several thousand diversionary attacks to draw Synthesized forces away from the center, and the four flew towards their destination.

What we have left is only the eyewitness accounts of the Imperators themselves, as nothing else survived to give an alternate account. None but the Imperators went, and none but the Imperators returned. The moment they arrived, Finisar destroyed a half-dozen Director Flagships as Gladien shot towards one of the six stations the Synthesized had constructed and began laying waste to what was inside.

This was the first encounter of the Prime Flagships; something that we still do not have a good understanding of except that they appear to be the commanders of the Synthesized. They are twice as large, but are identical to their smaller brethren in design. It was clear that the Synthesized had not expected this, and with the dying stars around them, Excesilla and Viatorian began fighting the Prime.

That was the first time we realized that the Synthesized were more powerful than we anticipated.

The space became charged with psionic energy, as the psionosphere tore apart. Reality itself seemed to split apart and failed to follow the established laws of the universe as the Prime phased through psionic rifts and space stations compressed in seconds as the Prime attempted to kill the Imperator inside them.

But the Synthesized were also fighting the Destroyer of Worlds, and destroying a star followed the same principle. Even with the Prime to help, the Synthesized were still falling against the Imperators. Director Flagships were tossed into the event horizon of nearby black holes by Excesilla, her powers unable to be blocked with the raw strength of Viatorian supporting her and holding off the Prime as she destroyed the lesser flagships.

By luck or chance, Viatorian managed to teleport inside the Prime taking advantage of its apparent phasing abilities, and once inside he began wreaking havoc on the components of the machine. Within the heart of the Prime Flagship, he encountered what he could only consider the physical embodiment of the Prime. What this was originally he could not describe, aside from that it very nearly killed him.

And once the embodiment was defeated, he split the Prime apart with his infamous blast of energy strong enough to tear a moon in two, rending the Prime torn apart. He sent the remains towards another nearby black hole, not leaving until they had passed the event horizon. At his command, Finisar detonated one of the stars and the Battle of the Fallen Stars had ended.

To this day, Viatorian is the only Ethereal to have slain a Prime Flagship.

For a time, it seemed victory was in reach, but it ultimately turns out that all this had proven was the need for the Synthesized to escalate the conflict. The loss of the Prime apparently had some effect on the lesser Flagships; they became erratic; unfocused, lost. They were incapable of formulating an invasion.

It is no wonder that more fleets, with more Primes arrived.

And this time, they did not underestimate the Imperators.

 _\- The End of the Empire, Part V – by Ethereal Cogitian_

* * *

TARGET ANALYSIS: 100000001000

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 01 (THE IMPERATOR)

KNOWN ALIASES: "THE IMPERATOR OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED WITHIN THE TEMPLE SHIP

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PSION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LEADER OF THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HAS NOTABLE INTEREST IN THE INNER GALAXY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY ISOLATED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED MASTER TELEPATH

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: SUSPECTED ALL KNOWN PSIONIC DISCIPLINES

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): SOVEREIGN

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: I would first recommend that all operations into the investigation or spying of the Imperator be immediately suspended and cancelled. To continue moving forward risks the destruction of an unknown number of operatives and action taken against the Andromedon Federation as a whole.

I will say in no uncertain terms that the Imperator knows that we are watching him, and the only reason he is allowing it is because we either don't pose a threat to him or he has a plan.

I will summarize what information we have on him for posterity before continuing:

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective is the most dangerous Ethereal in existence, and quite possibly one of the most dangerous beings in this galaxy. Our operatives deployed to watch the Temple Ship have come across some highly useful information relating to the Imperator, and I cannot discount the possibility that this was allowed to be found.

Within it, we learned that the Imperator was _not_ the only one of the previous Ethereal Empire, but one of those who somehow survived whatever cataclysm befell their species. The Imperators were described as the most advanced Ethereals that had ever been developed, with far greater psionic power and manipulation than ever before.

This indicates that the Imperator is already more powerful than any Ethereal we know of.

Furthermore, the feats that were described which were attributed to Imperators were the following:

\- The destruction of planets.

\- Telepathic domination at inter-galactic distances.

\- Telekinetically throwing enemies described as "Synthesized" into black holes.

\- Facing fleets on their own.

\- Seeming invulnerability to all conventional weaponry.

We can speculate on the accuracy of these documents, but if even a fraction of them are true that means that the Imperator is a potential threat we cannot ignore. We can also only speculate as to why he has not taken a direct interest in the Collective, aside from the first meeting with the Federation, but that raises more questions.

I can however put forth a possibility as to what the Imperator is doing. We have come across references to "Sovereign Ones" within the Temple Ship, as well as in other places in the Empire (Particularly at the Blacksites of Fectorian, Revelean, and the Creator). There is somehow less information on what or who they are than the Imperator, but based on his interest, it appears they are another galactic faction that may be just as, if not more powerful than the Ethereals.

There is very little to support they are indeed more powerful, but the fact that the Imperator appears to be treating them as legitimate equals (Assuming they _are_ another faction), means they could potentially be at his level. Hence why I have created a designation above Omega. The Imperator is most certainly above Omega, and the only thing that is more powerful than an Ethereal deserves its own classification.

What is more disturbing is that there is noted evidence (Attached here) that the Imperator can manipulate Special Operators. This should not be possible, but there were no fewer than six times where we were following the Temple Ship for an indeterminate amount of time, and then only realized that we were following digital hallucinations.

Our ships were tuned to the signature of the Temple Ship, and we discovered that our own systems had been tampered with to follow that specific signal and yet we were still receiving what seemed to be legitimate data, and as a result we continued forward. Purging protocols did not reveal psionic tampering, and we are at a loss to explain this phenomenon.

This also implies that the Temple Ship can either teleport, cloak, or hide its signature. None are good.

While I am certain the Federation is curious about the enigmatic leader of the Ethereals, the fact is that we should not try and antagonize him. I highly doubt that the Imperator will tolerate any threat to the Collective, and if anyone is foolish enough to try, they will be swiftly removed. We must not, under any circumstances, make an enemy of the Imperator.

From what has been gathered, he is more powerful than the Kett'Tasira. Act accordingly.

RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE WITHDRWAL OF ALL FEDERATION FROM TO THE INVESTIGATION OR ESPIONAGE OF THE IMPERATOR; IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST ANTI-ETHEREAL FACTIONS; BEGIN DEDICATED INVESTIGATION INTO THE ENTITIES KNOWN AS THE SOVEREIGN ONES; BEGIN DEDICATED INVESTIGATION INTO THE INNER GALAXY

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 002; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

 **CODEX File 0002**

 _Subject_ : The Plan

 _Location_ : The Temple Ship of [REDACTED]

 _Author_ : Imperator [REDACTED]

 _Note: To be purged and transmitted to physical copy after initial write-up. All used equipment is to be destroyed._

It has become clear to me that the Empire will lose. We have greatly underestimated our foe, and not even the Imperators can salvage this war. Perhaps if we had been created earlier, if the Empire was not fearful of what the next iterations of Ethereals could be, then perhaps we would have a chance. But it was not to be. The Empire will pay for its mistakes.

Many have expressed the will to fight to the end; they will make their names known forever to the Synthesized and wreak untold losses on them. That is their right. But I see little need or point for such self-sacrifice. It will do nothing but kill more Ethereals. More death will solve nothing, we must turn to preservation.

This war has taught us much, and if given a second chance it could be applied to bring a victory. But such efforts require sacrifice and trust. The only way to survive the war is to leave it; it is to purposefully allow the Empire to fall once and for all. There are places in the galaxy where we have never explored, and I have doubts that the Synthesized have as well.

Regardless, it does not change what must be done.

Imperators Umbrasis and Auxilius have vanished, the former likely having come to the same conclusion I have, and the latter likely dead to her final plan. While I was always doubtful, she did have the right idea, even if it was in pursuit of a value the Empire failed to embrace. Our isolationism contributed greatly to our downfall, and if we had allied and shared our knowledge with the other species of the galaxy, perhaps our chances would have been better.

Of course, she should have known better than to leave on the chance that there were still those untouched by the Synthesized. We know they were the first to be attacked, and we did nothing. There is no more on those worlds but corpses and blood. It is a loss, but we are at a stage where desperate plans are all that we have left.

But she was right, and I will not make the same mistakes the Empire did.

We will not become an Empire, but we will control a collective of species which we will leverage against our enemies. The survivors of the Empire will lead the fight once more, alongside a united galaxy. That is the plan, but I suspect executing it will be more complex than assumed. Those who I have chosen have said as much.

Each accompanying me understands this needs to be done; all those have seen the destruction wrought by the Synthesized and will fight to prevent it from happening again. They all have a place and role for the war to come, and they will be loyal to the end. So long as we are united in our goal, there is little that could stop our mission.

It is fortunate I had the foresight to plan for the worst, as the cloning facilities, vaults, and stasis chambers were completed some months ago, on unnamed worlds unknown to the Empire or the greater galaxy. I suspect many will be destroyed, or even the one I will soon inhabit. But that is the risk, and we have little choice.

However, when we awaken we will hopefully have the tools needed to begin rebuilding, and if there are…unforeseen circumstances, we will be able to overcome them, and have clear goals to work towards. But one goal must always be kept in mind – We must not repeat the mistakes of the Empire, otherwise we will die.

This time forever.

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 227**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Imperator

Threat Level: Imperator – _He is no ordinary Ethereal, Commander, and the current rankings are insufficient. He is a classification all to himself. Only Sovereign Ones could be considered higher._

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 15'6"

 _Weight_ : 420-450 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : He is perhaps the only Ethereal to incorporate gold into his color scheme, and his armor is far more ornate than most Ethereals. His appearance is specifically designed to evoke awe and respect. His helmet resembles something closer to an upside-down triangle, and his overall aesthetic more closely resembles that of a Battlemaster.

 _Physical Condition_ : The Imperator is the peak form of an Ethereal. He has been observed to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the armored Synthesized, all of whom were nearly three hundred pounds (Estimated), and he was able to throw them around with ease. He has no equal in strength; even the Battlemaster is inferior to him.

He is as nimble as he can be for his size, and is without a doubt one of the fastest Ethereals to ever exist. His stamina is nearly inexhaustible, and Imperators have been shown to be able to fight for nearly three weeks at full strength. It is safe to say he cannot be worn down by attrition.

If your intelligence is questionable enough to consider fighting the Imperator in close-range combat, or believe that your best attempt is to beat him physically, then you will die. There is no debate on this subject.

SECTION 2: Assessment

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective is the most powerful alien you will likely ever have the misfortune of facing. An argument could be made for Sovereign Ones, but we simply do not know enough hard facts about how they fight. But I know, and have seen Imperators fight, and to put things exceptionally bluntly, no one can stand against him and live.

If there is one thing to remember, it is that the Imperator is _not_ like any Ethereal you have faced before. Imperators were designed to possess a fundamentally different mindset than any who came before them. They did not grow up in the traditions of the Empire, and their extremely enhanced intelligence rejected all the failed notions of the Empire, from xenophobia, to stagnated research, to isolation, and so on.

The Imperators were designed to operate on a galactic scale, and that is exactly what they achieved.

While you are planning the defense of one planet, the Imperator is planning the conquest of the galaxy. One planet barely takes him more than a few hours, and he has the mental capacity to maintain his concentration on multiple different complex projects at once. I can guarantee the Imperator has already determined the strengths, weaknesses, and various factors that make up not just ADVENT or XCOM, but the _entirety_ of Earth.

The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective, as he is known now, was not always called such. All Ethereals had names at some point, but some rejected them for titles. To the best of my knowledge the Imperator has kept his true name obscured, but I suspect he was one of the Ten Commanders of the Imperators; the ones who led the falling Empire against the Synthesized.

He has personally fought and destroyed hundreds of Director Flagships, and countless more of their thralls. I participated in several battles with him, and the sight of an Imperator in full battle armor gesturing and throwing the black ships into a star is one no one can ever forget. He was not unique among even Imperators, but he is far beyond any Ethereal alive today.

I am not sure how I managed to attract his attention, but the Imperator was the one who contacted me as he had come to the same conclusion many of us accepted – the war was lost. He offered a solution and after some thought I took it. For the greater good, and the preservation of the Empire, it was what needed to happen.

We entered stasis without incident, on a planet that has no name, and exited without such either. Upon awakening, the Imperator began relocating everyone onto a hidden Temple Ship that he had memorized the coordinates of, and teleported us across the galaxy. We took everything of value from the stasis chamber, and once on board the Temple Ship, we began executing the first stages of the plan.

The Imperator was looking to find and contact pre-spaceflight or early spaceflight civilizations, with the intent of forming the Ethereal Collective. This, as you would expect, relied on large amounts of guesswork and luck. However, the Imperator seemed to know certain things, and though in the early days we were not able to find any living civilizations, we found curious locations, ruins, and other areas of exploration.

It was also on one of these planets we encountered one of the Sovereign Orbs. I was not present for that conversation, but the Imperator soon told us that they had acquired an ally in the Sovereign Ones, and they began directing us to certain planets and caches. The Imperator soon after appointed Ethereal Regisora as the Voice of the Sovereign.

We encountered the Sectoids first, and the Imperator quickly determined that they would react…violently to an attempt to assimilate them, and directed the Overmind to make them more pliable. This succeeded and the Sectoids became the first species in the Ethereal Collective. The Andromedons soon followed, although the Imperator apparently did not resort to mental manipulation to encourage them to join.

Instead he promised protection from whatever had been chasing them. Whatever he told them was apparently good enough to convince them to join. The Vitakara were among the easiest, as he simply directed Revelean and Sana to fix their trivial genetic disease, earning their eternal loyalty. The Mutons he simply ordered the Battlemaster to handle, and did not appear to have an interest in fully assimilating them in the same matter as the previous three.

However, the majority of his time has largely been spent investigating the inner galaxy, and seemingly plotting against the Sovereign Ones. I do not know what has prompted this sudden change, but I do see the results of it. The Imperator has abandoned his original goal, and as a result the Collective has slowly grown more and more disjointed.

I suspect Earth will be what brings him back.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

The Imperator is one of the worst enemies you can face because he is unpredictable. You cannot treat him like me or the Battlemaster. He is adaptable, he actively manipulates those he takes an interest in, and he frustratingly will usually know everything about his target beforehand, making countering him nigh-impossible.

However, the Imperator has somehow developed what I can only call a personal code or strategy where he deliberately ignores directly mind controlling whoever he is interested in at the time. He actively participates in debate and discussion, especially with enemies or those who disagree with him; he feels a compulsion to justify and defend his actions, and very rarely is the recipient immune to his words – because they are specifically tailored to make them come to the conclusion he wants them to.

This is why the situation Patricia is in right now is so precarious. The Imperator _knows_ what to do to make her listen, and every step of the way she is coming to the conclusions he wants her to – but on her own. The illusion of independence is what the Imperator excels at, and which _no one_ is immune to. Not you, not me, and certainly not her.

The Imperator is also not concerned with species, which is a notable non-Ethereal attitude to have. That does not mean he doesn't have preferences and dislikes; he considers the Sectoids of limited use due to their worldviews, and the Andromedons he respects, but finds their obsession with feuds and rivalries childish. He can appreciate the Vitakara, but treats them with more apathy than most.

With Ethereals he has similarly varied opinions. He brought each one for a purpose, that I believe, but this has certainly changed now. But this does not mean he likes them. Ethereals like Isomnum or the Creator he considers useful tools or necessary evils. Sana is too naïve, but a more skilled healer and biologist you cannot find. He has even clashed with the Battlemaster, but both still hold a mutual respect for each other.

The Imperator is surprisingly tolerant of diverse opinions, but will always attempt to convince those against him that his views are superior. It is extremely dangerous for a non-psion or unprotected one to even hold such a conversation with him, because being in the presence of the Imperator will change you. It was a passive effect of all Imperators, but he has mastered it to where even psions have to be careful.

The more time that is spent listening to the Imperator, the more you will be subtly affected by him until you begin to think like him. Sana once ran several experiments on this, and quickly stopped them when she realized how radically he was modifying their brain patterns.

I suppose the last thing to consider here is that the Imperator will _never_ tolerate a legitimate threat. He does not consider Earth a threat, otherwise you would have already been destroyed. He does not consider you or I threats, else we would be dead. His plans are greater than one planet; or one person. He operates at a level we do not, Commander, and whether this is a strength or weakness has yet to be determined.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

If he wished, the Imperator could conquer Earth on his own.

Here is a short list of what he could do:

\- He could telepathically dominate your planet.

\- He could turn entire continents to scorched earth.

\- You could launch every nuclear weapon you had at him and he would live.

\- You can hide or run, but the Imperator will find you by tracking your mind.

\- All aliens could suddenly be protected by his mind, and made invincible via psionic shields.

To put it extremely bluntly, you cannot fight the Imperator and live. It is impossible and to suggest otherwise is to be blatantly ignoring what I present before you. I understand that this is not easy to hear, as Humans have a tendency to always have their heroes overcome the odds and win, but this is the truth.

When you fight the Imperator, you are not fighting a mortal being.

You are fighting someone who is within the minds of everyone around you; who is learning what you are planning _as_ you are planning it. You are fighting someone who can turn a being to splintered bone and meat with a look. You are fighting a master telepath who could turn the planet against you with a single word.

You _cannot_ treat him like an ordinary Ethereal.

Tactics _do not work._

Planning _does not work_.

Weapons _do not work._

Yet Imperators can die. I certainly saw it in the war. And they died against entire fleets, the reality-tearing Primes, and those on their own power level. In a galactic war, it is possible for an Imperator to be surprised. But not one planet. Humanity is too confined. The Imperator can know all that goes on in your world.

You have two choices in this war: Take the war to space and hope that he is too distracted or arrogant to respond, or reach a point where Humanity can parley.

I cannot see a scenario where anyone can kill the Imperator. Be careful when making your decisions in this war, Commander. The Imperator is unlike anything you have or will face.

You are not his equal. Do not delude yourself into thinking that you are or will ever be.


	97. Andromedons-Organizations:The Federation

Andromedons: Organizations

The Andromedon Federation

* * *

" _The Federation was a desperate gamble, it was never meant to last forever."_

\- V'Zarrah, of Union Viarior

* * *

The Andromedon Federation appears from the outside to be the culmination of the unification of a species for the modern era. While certain details are different from other kinds of government, as should be expected from all alien species, there is a clear logic behind the structure and motivations. The Federation itself can be easily compared to a Republic, where all the major powers, the Unions, have representation in their system, which is overseen by an approved member.

However, the Federation was only formed as a desperate measure to save their species from extinction. The resentment, fury, and hatred from the Union Wars has not faded as much as some believe, and there are many who would wish to reignite the war to settle the old scores and dominate the species for themselves.

The question then, is what could force such a drastic step to be taken; what could make even the most bitter of rivals band together and flee their galaxy itself?

For that, there is an answer. The Andromedons have revealed almost no explanation for why they inhabit this galaxy publicly, but they did reveal some details to the Imperator himself. The story itself is brief, and lacking many details, but what little we do know is cause for concern for any who aspire to explore beyond the confines of our own, and serves as a warning to the arrogant that there are aspects of the galaxy which still remain mysteries, and powers which cannot be easily controlled or understood.

This is how the Andromedons explained it:

The Union Wars were continuing as usual, which amounted to the formation, dissolution, creation, and destruction of Unions and Alliances. At the time Unions Reinarm and Zacarrim were the primary powers within the Andromedons, with Union Viarior profiting off both Unions, and every other Union backing one side or another, and some of the lesser Unions merging together in a bid to survive, and waging smaller wars on the unknown or unimportant Unions.

You would imagine such a conflict to signify a final end to the Union Wars. Such an assumption would be incorrect, as it merely signaled that one major Union was going to be significantly weakened or destroyed by the end, and those who supported the winner would betray them and the cycle would continue over and over again. This was as common an outcome as one could expect.

However, the war had grown to reach so many systems and regions that it was inevitable that they would stumble upon alien life. In fact, the Andromedons had indeed stumbled upon a small pre-flight species. Of course, saying "Andromedons" means little as it was only the Unions that mattered, and there were always no fewer than fifty.

Union Irriaran were the ones who discovered this species, and immediately saw a use for what essentially amounted to a slave race, which were described as 'tall bipeds with blue and pink skin types'. These aliens were referred to as Havarilians due to the name of their homeworld, and Irriaran began genetically improving, modifying, and conditioning them to fight.

This led to them gaining a significant advantage in the Wars, and many new allies. For reasons they didn't explain, they made an enemy of Union Viarior who promptly severed all trade and sale with them, and began heavily restricting sales for any Union who supported them. Most Unions saw this opportunity to wipe out the Union, and banded together in yet another alliance to kill them.

They did not succeed in wiping out Irriaran, clearly, but they ended up wiping out the Havarilians, and the planet was given to Union Haruma to sterilize and wipe out any who were left. This first encounter with aliens made all Andromedons arrogant as to their capabilities, so when several Unions first encountered the Kett'Tasira Empire, they did not treat them seriously.

From what little was told, it appeared that the Kett'Tasira seemed to realize that the Andromedons were dangerous, although they didn't know the specifics of their history, and seemed to only want them to stay out of their territory. Emissaries from the Kett'Tasira sent to Union Zacarrim were famously captured, modified, and sent back with bombs in them with a note saying the equivalent of "We will maneuver where we please, alien. Do not stand in our way unless you wish to suffer the same fate as the Havarilians." While helpfully including data on the now-sterilized planet.

The Kett'Tasira responded by launching their own fleet against Union Zacarrim, which turned out to be much, much larger than what any of the Andromedons were expecting. This caught all Andromedons by surprise, as most had expected a small spaceflight species, but initially they paid no mind and in true Andromedon tradition, Union Reinarm and their allies attacked Zacarrim.

Fighting on two fronts, the alliance Zacarrim had dissolved and Reinarm prepared for the inevitable betrayal. They foolishly believed that the Kett'Tasira would just leave, and were completely shocked when they continued their war on _all_ Andromedons. This was when the Kett'Tasira revealed they not only had fleets and armies, but also an ability which defied Andromedon understanding which they referred to as "Biomanipulation."

From how they describe it, it sounds very similar in many ways to Psionic Biopathy…which is impressive if true, since Andromedons describe the Kett'Tasira as being able to wave and the skin of Andromedons would drip off, or they would simply contract strange and incurable diseases. But I am not sure, since they also describe being able to extract information by a simple touch, and perform similar actions against non-living materials.

It is not like the Andromedons to falsify information, nor exaggerate. This also appeared to be abilities of a significant portion of their population, and a species with this many potential Biopaths is…concerning.

Regardless, that is a different discussion. The Andromedons eventually determined that the Kett'Tasira were going to either kill or assimilate them, as they were able to somehow turn Andromedons into a strange hybrid of their own species, and used them against the remaining Unions. Unions Viarior, Reinarm, and Jamoiar banded together, and formed the first official Andromedon Federation, and demanded all Unions join them if they wished to live.

Most did. Some did not.

The newly created Federation leadership had determined that based on what they had seen, they could not win against the Kett'Tasira, and surrender would only lead to assimilation. Thus they made an executive decision to leave the galaxy and hope that would deter the Kett'Tasira from following them.

It does strike me as somewhat ironic that the first official action of the Federation was to flee.

Regardless, they quickly developed the technology needed for such a journey on the run, and by the edge had managed to put together something that was theorized to work. Cloning pods, food synthesizers, stasis pods, and travel dreadnoughts packed with power cells comprised their journey into the great unknown.

During this period of travel, they decided to hash out the details of how the Federation would function, and from that we have the Andromedon Federation we know of today. It was not without its challenges, but due to the foresight of the original architects, it has prevented the Union Wars from continuing to arise.

If it will last much longer is up for debate.

 _\- The Andromedon Federation – Historical Overview by Cogitian_

* * *

Operation: Suited Questions

Division: Andromedon Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'laroa'vitiary

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

The Andromedon Federation is one of the most influential members of the Ethereal Collective, only rivaled by the Greater Hive Commanders. However, the Federation has a much different structure than most governments in the Collective, including those on Vitakar. On paper this is a republic. In practice it's very similar to the Collective in that its primary purpose is to prevent the various factions from killing each other.

In this case, that is the Unions. Andromedon alliances and relationships were fluid and wracked with betrayal for the vast majority of their history. Now all of them have to at least pretend to get along, and as a result, the Federation itself is mostly a shell devoid of any _real_ power, and for any insight on what the Andromedons are really doing or thinking, you need to look to the Unions.

Specifically, the ones _leading_ the Unions.

The following is a compiled overview of the important figures within the Federation, allies, threats, and so on. Most Andromedons are thankfully not necessarily threats to _us_ , but the growing antagonism towards the Sectoids is becoming concerning, and given their apparent history with a previous species that almost killed them, they _might_ postpone dissolving the Federation until the Sectoids are dead.

Along with anyone else they deem a threat.

 **Chernior, Chief Overseer of the Andromedon Federation** : The Chief Overseer has the thankless job of managing the Andromedon Federation and keeping all of the Unions together. He also has command over the Andromedon Military, small as it is, and is responsible for ensuring the Unions have their basic necessities taken care of and the military is well-supplied.

Like all Chief Overseers, he renounced his Union in a symbolic gesture to show he was committed to the protection and advancement of all Andromedons. We do know that he originally came from Union Viarior, although he seems committed to not letting that influence any of his decisions. However, it certainly explains how he is absurdly talented with logistics and diplomacy. Not all Chief Overseers have such skills.

Chernior himself is definitely a supporter of the Collective, and sees no good outcome in leaving it or returning to the Union Wars of old, which is mildly surprising even for one in his position. To that end he has been trying to smooth over damaged relations between various Unions and relaxed even the few rules on the Unions which had been imposed so they could work towards whatever their goals were.

However, he absolutely does _not_ support the Sectoids and has gone on record multiple times saying that their continued expansion and influence over the Collective military is dangerous and are becoming a more present threat to the Federation. He may be using this as a way to unify the Federation further, but I suspect not.

Chernior has only recently begun reviewing the current war on Earth with a strange interest. So far he has not made any comment, but we suspect he is not pleased with how events are progressing. He reportedly felt disrespected when the Collective began invading Earth without consulting the Federation first, and ever since he has only provided Federation assets begrudgingly in the assumption that all of this would be ended soon.

As it has not, it will be interesting to see what he does next.

 **A'Intellior, Chief Intelligence Overseer of Union Apear** : To Apear, 'Chief Intelligence Overseer" has absolutely nothing to do with our tradecraft. It refers specifically to artificial intelligence, of which A'Intellior oversees every single major project dealing with this. This Andromedon is by all accounts a master in AI in his own right, and is personally responsible for developing _all_ modern machine intelligences used in the Collective military today.

When Chief Overseer Chernior began relaxing restrictions, included those on AI research, and Apear publicly revealed no less than fifteen 'planned' projects, which meant that Apear had been doing these regardless and could reveal them now. A'Intellior is a major proponent of AI, and the integration into all parts of Andromedon society and the military.

Naturally designed by his Union, of course.

A'Intellior does not particularly like the Ethereals, and when one of the Ethereals (We were unable to determine which) requested that Apear 'refocus' onto a less dangerous path, he reportedly was greatly amused and sent back a denial challenging the Collective to make him. While also unsubtly suggesting that they were too late to do anything about it.

There are already clues that Union Apear has an AI. A'Intellior is not doing anything to dispel those rumors. He is not going to stop continuing AI research and development, and I am not sure the Collective will intervene to stop him. To my knowledge, if AI's make Ethereals uncomfortable, that is only an incentive to some Unions.

We shall see how he is handled in the future.

 **S'Starina, Commander of Union Stuirah** : The first side of the coin of Andromedon military power, S'Starina is the leader of one of the largest Unions in the Federation and the most senior Commander of their fleets. This is an Andromedon who earned his position through constant advancement and has participated in military operations with all races, including the Sectoids.

He has specifically said that he participated in military exercises with Sectoids to learn how to better kill them. He has called their tactics "Primitive, and indicative of a species which has never participated in a legitimate conflict."

The Greater Hive Commanders never responded, and as far as we know, never even knew the comments were made in the first place.

S'Starina however is a firm supporter of the Collective, or it would be more accurate to say, the Battlemaster, who he admires greatly. He is paradoxically critical of most every other Ethereal, and has suggested that they are unreliable leaders, and were not for the Battlemaster there would be no reason to continue the alliance.

Recently he has been keeping a close eye on intelligence reports on the Sectoids, and coordinating heavily with Federation and Military Command, as well as a lot of other militaristic Unions, who all happen to also hate the Sectoids. If there is a proponent for war, S'Starina will be at the center of it.

 **J'Vailan, Lead Overseer of Union Jamoiar** : Of all the leaders of Unions, he is the most atypical. Jamoiar goes out of their way to make alliances with other smaller Unions, and as well as being one of the lead programmers of the Union, J'Vailan is also what amounts to their salesman who personally goes to sell their programs.

However, he does not restrict himself to Andromedons. Both the Vitakara, Collective Military, and even the Hive Commanders have accepted Jamoiar programs largely due to the fact that J'Vailan is the most polite Andromedon you will ever meet. He is agreeable, intelligent, and charismatic for an Andromedon.

This has led to the Jamoiar maintaining good relations with nearly every Collective race. I suspect much of this is an act, but J'Vailan has positioned the Union to where if there was ever a collapse of the Federation, he would have many allies to call upon. His private opinions on the Collective and Sectoids are unknown, but he likely views them as useful tools in his plans.

He is definitely preparing for another war, and also preparing to win it.

 **V'Zarrah, Chief Logistics Overseer of Union Viarior** : V'Zarrah wants a return to the Union Wars. Not necessarily out of vengeance or what you might expect. In fact, if there is one Union that would survive, it would be them. But he wants a return because it would restore the influence Union Viarior enjoyed during the Union Wars.

They were indispensable to all, and decided outcomes based on their whims. They no longer enjoy that kind of power under the Federation. They continue to supply Unions faster than even Federation Command, but they are no longer relied upon. V'Zarrah deposed his predecessor who wanted to refocus the Union into something more…tangible than trade. Needless to say he had been plotting to take control of Viarior for some time.

V'Zarrah does not truly care about the Federation, Hive Commanders, Vitakara, or Humans. He cares about the lost power of his Union and all are tools and paths to reclaim it. He has been positioning his Union for such a situation for some time now, and he is admittedly one of the smartest the Union has ever produced.

It is likely he feels he has no choice. Because every passing year Viarior grows weaker and soon they will no longer be relevant at all.

In his mind then, steps must be taken. If S'Starina is a proponent for war, V'Zarrah would actually start one.

* * *

 **XCOM File 4994**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Andromedon Federation

Threat Level: Medium to High

Assessment Author: Andromedon V'Thrask of Union Viarior

 _Note: Like previously, V'Thrask has restructured several aspects of the template for himself. However, it is nothing complicated. – Central Officer Jackson_

OVERVIEW: Commander, I believe now is the time to give more of a clearer picture on the Andromedon Federation itself. I have previously mentioned that it is lesser in comparison to the Unions themselves, but there is worth in knowing about the metaphorical glue that holds our species together. The Andromedon Federation has, I feel, served its purpose. It was intended to provide a means of survival for our species and it has succeeded.

We are not a peaceful species, and it is not a matter of _if_ the Federation will collapse, but _when_. It is only a matter of when one Union believes they have an advantage, and acts on it. Suppressing the hatreds, justified or not, between the Unions will only make the coming conflict worse. If there are Unions who believe the Federation is the correct structure, then they need to secure it through conflict, and not simply accept it because it has merely existed for decades since our arrival to this galaxy.

Nevertheless, I am of the firm belief that your species will accomplish the final dissolution of the Federation eventually, and so I will provide what you wish on the organization itself.

FEDERATION STRUCTURE: It is simple. Each Union sends a representative to the Federation to vote on matters brought up by the Chief Overseer. The means by which they are elected are unimportant, save that they are decided by each Union and there is no interference by the Federation. Extremely similar to the Aui'Vitakar, actually.

The Chief Overseer has the most authority in the Federation, and officially controls the Military, what limited law enforcement there is, manages Union disputes, and ensures that all Unions are supposedly prospering. He is also the primary diplomat of the Federation, and of all the Andromedons speaks to alien leadership the most.

The structure of the Federation is not complicated, Commander. It essentially exists to give the minor Unions some sense of power, even though nearly all of them are proxies of the more powerful Unions. Voting is largely on pointless matters, resource usage, and planet colonization. Nothing of real import is usually decided.

FEDERATION POLITICS: An interesting question. There are, admittedly, some areas of thought within the Federation which differ from each other. There are not many, and usually use the Federation as a kickstarter for alliances and inter-Union decisions.

There are Expansionists, who want the Federation to prioritize the colonization of planets in order to expand their hard territory and industrial capabilities. They want the Federation to turn the moons in our control into industrial buildings, military training camps, or resource mines. More than they already are, anyway.

Then there are the Independents, which are the _very_ few who advocate a complete withdrawal from the Ethereal Collective or at minimum a renegotiation of the agreements made. This is only populated by a few minor Unions, but if you want to know why they aren't just purged entirely, it's because they have _much_ larger supporters who protect them. These are definite allies moving forward.

There are Militarists, who advocate a massive increase in military power to rival the Sectoids, and the mandate of all Andromedon Unions to contribute to it for the good of the species. The only hindrance they are facing are questions of _why_ the Andromedons should build their military larger than it already is, which leads into the following.

The Preservers are a splinter group of the Militarists, who advocate for the destruction of the Greater Hive Commanders, and like the Independents, it is a small collection backed by more powerful Unions as a proxy voice. It is one which is growing louder and louder, and there are major Unions which are looking for an excuse to force a vote on the issue.

However, if it comes down to it, if any major Union made disruptions like this, that is all that would be needed to shatter the calm the Federation exists in.

FEDERATION POWERS: Extremely limited. In theory they can impose species-wide declarations, but this rarely happens. Their greatest power is the military, but that is only used against outside threats and not for keeping the Federation in line, not like such would be allowed to begin with. The Federation also approves planets for colonization, although there is technically nothing from stopping Unions from establishing them on their own. They would just not receive official support, which is admittedly substantial.

FEDERATION GOALS: To prevent another Union War. It is not for the 'advancement of the Andromedon species' as some may say. It was never meant to be the primary governmental organization it is today, and is only used because we have nothing else. It appears bare and fake to other species because it was never supposed to endure this long. There are no long-term goals of the Federation itself, such would vary depending on the Unions.

Although I suppose you could add 'ensuring the survival of the Andromedons' to the short list of goals. In both stated goals, it has admittedly succeeded.

CONCLUSION: The Federation is a shell and a weakening adhesive to our species. We do not like being told what to do, and the limited powers of the Federation have ensured there has been no rebellion on that front, but this is only a temporary solution. It is a time bomb that is being accelerated by both the Sectoids and your own species.

Its days of existence are numbered, and then the Union Wars will conclude once and for all.


	98. Vitakara - Races: Dath'Haram

Vitakara: Races

Dath'Haram

* * *

" _Non-violence does not equal weakness."_

\- Bladedancer Dath'fihallan'harasota

* * *

The Dath'Haram are a race that is greatly respected and appreciated by all civilized races of the Vitakara. They are known for their advances in science, medicine, and of course, their infinite patience and talent for mediation. While they remain among the least numerous of the Vitakara, there is much which can be learned from their past and their story to reach this point.

 _Early History_ :

The Dath'Haram, much like the Oyariah and Sar'Manda, were a small group of proto-Vitakara who never split or divided into smaller tribes. These Vitakara migrated to Haramoalian, the great rainforests and wooded areas of Vitakar, and have inhabited the area ever since. There are no records which explain why the Dath'Haram initially chose this area to live, but they soon adapted to the forests over many decades.

As there was only one large tribe, it was not hard for them to begin forming hunting parties for the wildlife which inhabits Haramoalian still today, and while they initially struggled to capture the various animals and insects, they adapted to match their speed and agility as our species does. Over generations they built up their famous toxin resistance due to the low level of toxicity which permeates the forests.

During this time the Dath'Haram began expanding to their first interconnected settlements, which were extremely close together by modern standards. But as the Dath'Haram despise isolation, the close proximity each settlement had was comforting, and led to the creation of the now-famous tree-bridges which connect all Dath'Haram cities together to this day.

 _Later History_ :

In what is estimated to be nearly four millennia ago, the Council of Dath'Haram was established as the first modern government of the Dath'Haram, and retains much of the same structure as today – with each settlement electing a representative and residing in the capital of Harasota to enact laws and pass judgements.

Curiously, there are no records of _any_ Dath'Haram ever fighting amongst themselves. It is generally accepted that this heavily shaped their pacifistic attitudes, and drove them to solve problems with words instead of violence. As one of the first to contact the Vitakarian Republic, this proved beneficial and the two races formed an alliance which remains firm even today.

During this period the Dath'Haram continued to expand, and though their controlled territory is small compared to other races, they have mapped out the entirety of the region, and the conditions themselves are not pleasant for any Vitakara who is not Dath'Haram. Due to this, the Lurainian and Zararch use the forests for training, at the approval of the Council.

As the Dath'Haram advanced and the Aui'Vitakar was formed, the Dath'Haram were the first to experiment with genetic modification and eagerly shared all they could with the fledgling species government. They were the ones who drove the Vitakara forward in this field, and to this day there have been no finer masters of genetic manipulation than the Dath'Haram.

 _The Plague and Aftermath_ :

It was this affinity and interest in genetic modification that led to the Dath'Haram being the first to succumb to the Plague, and it ravaged their entire race without warning. Their greatest geneshapers and modification specialists perished within days of each other, immediately destroying the best chance our species had to fix this ailment.

The Council did everything it could to try and assist the Vitakara, though with their brightest dead, there was only so much they could do as the species died around them, as well as their own. It is estimated that nearly ninety percent of the Dath'Haram were killed before the Elders arrived and saved us, something the Dath'Haram are eternally grateful for, as even a few weeks longer and there may not have been any left.

However, the Dath'Haram endured and were saved. To this day many believe that the plague was brought about by their eagerness to push the boundaries of science, even if the true cause can never really be determined. They were the first to outlaw any kind of genetic modification in Council territory, and pushed for it hard until similar measures were officially declared by the Aui'Vitakar.

 _Modern Day_ :

The Dath'Haram have made progress in rebuilding their species. The lower birth rates have proven to be a hindrance, but their only roadblock is time. The population is roughly a third of what it was pre-Plague, and within the next century it is expected to be at, or close to, the original numbers. The Council is a proponent of improving the lives of all Vitakara, and are pioneers in medicine and the general sciences.

While the Council itself has sworn off violence of any kind, there are many proud Dath'Haram in the Runianarch and Zararch who work to protect our species at the behest of the Elders, and their skills in medicine and science have doubtless proven to be of significant benefit to our species and the Collective as a whole.

 _\- Brief Overview of the Dath'Haram, by Sci'yasilla'vitiary_

* * *

Operation: Jungle Leadership

Division: Dath'Haram Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'kiakar'haravalla

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

Given the recent inquiries of the Council of Dath'Haram, and the growing troublesomeness of the species in general, I felt it a good idea to begin gathering more updated information on the species since we have, for a long while, not given them much attention. The Dath'Haram have a tendency to fit the stereotype of the helpful and friendly pacifists, but everyone seems to forget that this does not translate to _cowards_.

The Dath'Haram have shown that they will _definitely_ stand up for what they value, even if it's detrimental to their current situation. They have the clearest morale code of any race, and even the ones who come in second are more concerned with law and order than what is decided arbitrarily as "Right and Wrong".

But instead of going over the intricacies of their government, which hasn't changed, I will instead focus on the figures within it which are the ones dictating the direction of the race, and therefore, the ones who are problems.

 **Dath'balliath'harasota, Speaker of the Council** : The one that every single Dath'Haram knows, the one that handles all public relations and information dissemination to the various cities. She has two means of accomplishing this. The first is through the ways you would expect, namely through electronic and digital means on their controlled network. All important law changes, announcements, and decrees are done through these means, so all cities are aware of what the Council has done.

The other way, and one of the reasons I decided to include her at all is because she also does it the 'traditional' way, which equates to standing in the middle of Harasota and publicly announcing whatever has taken place. It's extremely time-consuming, attendance is usually limited, and everyone involved is treating it as some kind of chore. _Except_ for Balliath herself.

If you think she's some great respecter of the old ways, then you don't really know her well. She has privately advocated for the Dath'Haram to reexamine their bans on genetic engineering, and has close ties with not just _every_ Councilor, but also the Cobrarian Hierarchy, Authoritative Council, and many in the Republic. She apparently even attempted to reach out to the Empire who politely, but firmly, turned her away.

Interestingly she also does not support the Runianarch, or any aspect of the Vitakara military, but not because she doesn't think it's necessary, but because she quite clearly doesn't trust the Ethereals. However, despite knowing so many people, her own influence is somewhat limited due to the fact that the Speaker of the Council _must_ officially remain apolitical, even if this hasn't stopped her speaking her mind privately.

Returning to the topic, you would expect a verbal and primitive tradition to read verbatim from the messages sent out electronically. This is _not_ the case. The end message is always the same, but the actual wording is different in very subtle ways. A changed word here or there, or a sentence added or removed, but little more than that.

Balliath also has an odd tendency to emphasize certain words which really shouldn't be. After listening to her, I tried to determine if she was speaking in some kind of code, but even Zararch Linguistics can't make the possibilities mean anything other than gibberish. It would help if we knew if these meant something to begin with.

She isn't really a troublemaker in the same way as some others here, but all the same I would recommend you send an agent to speak with her to clear this up. Character quirks are fine; mysteries are not.

 **Dath'amilian'harasota, Councilor of the City of Harasota** : Amilian is not under suspicion, far from it. She's one of the strongest and most supportive Dath'Haram in regards to the Elders and Ethereal Collective. Which means she is facing increasing pressure from a growing bloc of Dath'Haram who want to press for changes. As the Councilor of Harasota, she has a lot of political power, and enjoys immense popularity from the citizens, but that isn't quite as ringing an endorsement since literally every Councilor enjoys extensive popularity.

She is slowly being edged out and out-debated by the bloc led by Gabrian, and this is largely due to a lack of answers and the Dath'Haram morality. She wants to keep the focus on the Dath'Haram, and Vitakara as a whole, and leave the wider galaxy for the Collective. I include this here because we should try and ensure she retain her place and political power.

 **Dath'gabrian'dathista, Councilor of the City of Dathista** : This Councilor is a time bomb waiting to go off.

Gabrian is the Councilor of Dathista, which is the fifth-largest city controlled by the Council. Known, but not one of the ones you generally think of when visiting. However, it is _also_ where the largest volume of Dath'Haram soldiers comes from. So while it makes sense that Gabrian is interested in the wider dealings of the Collective, it is still a problem.

He has only started really pushing in recent months. The first was relatively benign additions, such as holding a moment of silence for the soldiers in the Runianarch before beginning their sessions, recognizing families whose daughters, sons, and mates were serving, and monthly vigils for the departed. Very innocent, until you realize that he's making the population become more invested in getting answers about the war itself.

Privately, Gabrian began communicating more directly with the Authoritative Council, and various groups within the Republic. Initially this seemed to start out as a genuinely innocent gesture, but since information was…limited, he began growing more concerned and finally began pushing the Council to start requesting "Fair and clear answers."

He is an excellent and dangerous speaker. Within a few weeks he had convinced nearly a quarter of the Council to begin considering a formal inquiry into the war with the Humans. Since Dath'Haram debates never really end until a resolution has passed, this number kept growing, and culminated in what we saw at the gathering.

As an aside, almost all of the Aui'Vitakar representatives support him in this, as they are much less sheltered than the ones in the cities. So even though Gabrian doesn't really have a true majority back in the Council, that was how he was able to put those questions towards us at the hearing. The issue is that I don't necessarily think he's a threat, just a concerned leader.

Either way, the questions still do him little favors.

 **Aui'trudian'dathaira, Representative of the Council of Dath'Haram** : There are few Dath'Haram who hold themselves to a stricter moral code than Trudian. He has been a thorn in the side of the Collective for some time, since he is an actual and open critic of the Zararch and has repeatedly demanded explanations for the Mutons, as well as requests for inquires into the unknown relationship between the Oyariah and Elders.

More recently he has tried getting more answers on Humans, and Earth in general. Normally he is a minority, and one we let loose to show that the Zararch doesn't kill anyone who criticizes us. I am beginning to wonder if that was a mistake. While Trudian has no chance to accomplish anything, he's smart, diplomatic, polite, and has all the typical attitudes of a Dath'Haram which makes people like him.

Not a surprise he's friends with Gabrian.

He needs to be detained immediately to determine how, or if, he has what he claimed. But right now he's in the protection of four Bladedancers, including Filhallan. We will need to do this the diplomatic way if we want to avoid attention.

 **Dath'cynthian'haraolia, Hunt Supplier of the Parties** : This is perhaps the most misleading title that could be ascribed to her, as Cynthian is perhaps the smartest chemist who is alive today, and while she is technically the one who supplies the Hunting Parties with their tools and various poisons they coat their weapons with, that is what she considers her 'hobby'.

Cynthian, if you are not aware, is who the Zararch gets our own poisons from, in the rare cases we need them. She also provides the Bladedancers with oils for their weapons, and is the primary consultant for every single race's medicinal and science departments. She's made her living becoming the most elite of toxicologists, even among Dath'Haram.

She is the reason that going into the jungle is no longer instant death if you happen to touch the wrong plant, or get stung by an insect the size of a berry.

She is the reason every single species goes out of their way to treat the Council well, since she has publically released studies on nearly every race in regards to toxic resistance and what might, or might not affect them. She's never participated in unethical experiments, but in her own life she's seen members of all races die from the forests, and the ability to run simulations trivializes this even more.

She is the reason just getting scratched by the Bladedancers will lead to near-instant death.

I didn't include her here because she's necessarily a danger. She is apolitical for the most part, and rarely cares about anything other than her research. However, she has no problem dealing with other races, or even aliens, and it is only a matter of time until the Nulorian try and buy something from her, if they haven't already.

Knowing her, she'll give it to them without thinking. We need to be watching her.

 **Dath'yiantish'harasota, Keeper of the Crypt** : Mostly including him because the Crypt of Haramoalian is their equivalent of the Black Library. While I personally doubt that there is anything other than what they say (Graves of the important Dath'Haram throughout history), the sheer level of secrecy and security around it makes me suspicious.

Yiantish spends almost every minute of his time inside the Crypt. He has only emerged five times since taking the position (200 years ago – he is extremely old for a Dath'Haram), and each time he has not spoken to any on the Council, but Filhallan of all people. What he speaks to the Bladedancer about is unknown, but perhaps it isn't too sinister since the Bladedancers guard the Crypt vigilantly, and are some of the few to have a willingness to kill other aliens.

As for the Keeper himself, he was not especially remarkable before taking the position. He was a fairly accomplished physicist, and amused himself with Bladedancer rituals, but he was not exceptional, and fairly isolated for a Dath'Haram. I do not know what to really make of this figure, but it is one of the rare secrets the Dath'Haram have, and it only makes me all the more curious as to what they would think is worth preserving.

Some old bones? Unlikely.

Something dangerous? Also unlikely.

Something we should know about? Definitely.

 **Dath'impara'dathyasith, Chief Hunter of the Parties** : The Dath'Haram are often lightly mocked for their primitive method of hunting all their meat physically as opposed to the more accepted and easy domestication of animals or industrial meat distribution. The truth is that the Dath'Haram really don't _need_ to do such, but they maintain the hunting parties for two reasons.

The first is out of a kind of respect. Raising animals for the sole purpose of killing them sickens Dath'Haram, but hunting them on equal ground in the wild is perfectly acceptable, and there are plenty of cases where Hunters can and do fail to catch prey, and of course there is always the risk of injury. It is seen as more 'fair', even though there isn't really a restriction on modern gear for the parties. This is ultimately to get food, after all.

The second is more practical. It ensures that every Dath'Haram has some level of athleticism and agility. It continually forces them to move, shoot, jump, and dodge in the span of a very short time. It's a rite of passage, and while many do not stay in the parties, the ones that do are, ironically, some of the most dangerous aliens in the Collective.

Impara is the pinnacle of this kind of athleticism. She has been Chief Hunter for nearly two decades, and has personally walked and hunted in every region of Vitakar, minus the oceans of the Sar'Manda. She once decided to run one of the Zararch qualification tests, and her results were _six_ standard deviations above the average. Dath'Haram are natural snipers, and with a primitive bow and arrow (Which she typically uses, as she finds modern equipment too easy) she also beat three Zararch snipers in a similar contest.

With that said, she's apolitical and really only seems to care about her job. Why include her on this list? Two reasons.

The first is because she recently received word of her brother dying on Earth. It has not been taken especially well, and Gabrian has wasted no time making himself an ally to get 'answers'. Witnesses have said that recently she has seemed distracted, even though it hasn't affected her own abilities or tasks.

The second is because she is the sister of Sorras. Read further to know why this is a bad sign.

 **Dath'fihallan'harasota, Bladedancer** : Ah yes, the 'simple' Bladedancer who spends his time guarding an old crypt and mating with a _Borelian_ of all things. What an odd fellow, certainly one who doesn't really belong on this list to the casual observer.

I will dispense with the sarcasm (my observations of Humans have unfortunately rubbed off onto me).

Saying that Filhallan is a Bladedancer is like saying that the Zar'Chon is a Vitakarian. Both are technically true, but don't exactly tell even part of the story.

Filhallan isn't _just_ a Bladedancer, he is _the_ Bladedancer, as in he was the one who _created_ the entire tradition. Most people forget this, but Bladedancing is only a recent development in the grand scheme of things. While there have been Dath'Haram using swords for hundreds of thousands of years, Filhallan was the first to really incorporate it into their culture.

Over five hundred years ago.

The amount this Dath'Haram has lived through is staggering, and raises _many_ questions. If the records are to be believed, Filhallan is one hundred years over the age of the average Vitakara, and no one is really interested in figuring out _how_. He looks his age, and would in all appearances appear to be ready to die at any point.

That is unless you decide to fight him. Filhallan was once attacked by a small pack of Nulorian who made the ill-advised attempt to breach the Crypt. There is some debate on if the footage was altered, because once the Nulorian started firing at him, he moved faster than the cameras could pick up and killed all six attackers within ten seconds.

That is not normal.

He doesn't make his strength known, of course. He is the primary trainer of Bladedancing, and while most use it for the courtship rituals, some decide to become true Bladedancers. For the record, there are no true Bladedancers in the Runianarch or Collective Military as a whole. Those are Dath'Haram who found the courtship stuff easy, and decided to claim the title because outside of the Oyariah, who was going to challenge them?

Actual Bladedancers can beat Oyariah Titans. One decided to go to the infamous training arenas, and ended up accidentally killing the Oyariah in question rather easily. To say the Hegemony was stunned would be an understatement, and the respective Bladedancer quickly left. If the rumors are to be believed, Filhallan can do the same thing just as easily to a standard Bladedancer.

I suppose it is fortunate that he only believes in defense. He will never attack unless someone else strikes the first blow. The same goes for all Bladedancers. He also lives in that Crypt, as does his mate, which is _exceptionally_ strange since even the average Dath'Haram isn't allowed to go into it. Why the Keeper made an exception for her is questionable, although perhaps for a Borelian, there isn't a better place.

The point is that Filhallan is exceptionally dangerous and someone to keep an eye on. He shouldn't be alive, and I doubt he's just going to give up answers easily. The average Dath'Haram generally aren't interested in him, but at the same time, he's important enough that anything we do is likely going to be noticed.

 **Nul'sorras'haramoalian, Nulorian Terrorist** : This is, somehow, one of the few Nulorian we have been able to identify. Everyone he is related to has disavowed him, but no one is really intent on bringing him to justice. No one really knows why this is, especially considering his actions. Since the Council doesn't have a standing military, perhaps there is nothing they feel they can do.

Nonetheless, he is the foremost Nulorian terrorist in the entire region.

Sorras does not fit the standard psychological template for the Dath'Haram at all. Unlike nearly every Dath'Haram, he has no issue with the wide and liberal application of violence. He rarely operates with a group, preferring to terrorize his own kind alone, as if trying to get them to do something about it.

He has targeted schools, children, Councilors, citizens; nearly every aspect of Dath'Haram cities he has attempted to destroy at some point or another. The attacks are rare, only happening every four or five years, and difficult to predict because they are usually only done by him. They can be attacks which are years in the making, or he'll go with seemingly little prior information on a killing spree within two days and kill every child whose name starts with 'I'.

The Dath'Haram themselves are horrified, but they ultimately do very little. They report the incident, they clean up, they bury, and they mourn. But if Sorras wanted this to turn them violent, it hasn't worked. They seem to be steadfastly _avoiding_ that just to prove him wrong. I cannot help but wonder if this is intentional, because it is documented that too much psychological trauma in a short amount of time will almost certainly break their psyche.

Maybe the delays in attacks are intentional, as is the randomness of them. Sorras is certainly clever, we know that much, and regardless, it has only caused the terrorist to start getting more brazen. Until recently there were a few targets even he considered off-limits: The Crypt, the Bladedancers, and the Hunting Parties.

Recently he assassinated a Bladedancer and displayed the corpse in the city square, stabbed with his own blade and broken for good measure. Filhallan later made a rare statement that the next one to kill a Bladedancer would die.

There have since been two more deaths…which are supposedly unconnected to Sorras. Filhallan took both into the Crypt for unknown reasons, even before forensics teams could take the bodies. He did not release the bodies when asked, and refused to provide a reason to why.

It does seem that Sorras has made an enemy of Filhallan, and were it anyone else, I'd almost feel sorry for him.

But this animal deserves to be put down in the most violent and painful way possible. If the Dath'Haram don't care about vengeance, then we can take it for them.

* * *

REPORT: 001111010000

ORGANIZATIONS OF INTEREST: THE COUNCIL OF DATH'HARAM

SPECIES: VITAKARA

CLASSIFICATION: LOCAL GOVERNMENT

LEADER: N/A (SPEAKER OF THE COUNCIL IS DATH'BALLIATH'HARASOTA)

CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY

VULNERABILITY TO EXPLOITATION: MEDIUM

VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: HIGH (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CRYPT OF HARAMOALIAN)

VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: LOW

INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO STANDING ARMY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PACIFISTS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: RESISTANCE TOWARDS EXTREME EMOTIONS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: COMMUNITY-ORIENTED

THREAT LEVEL: LOW

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Dath'Haram are seen as the one race which has nothing to hide. They are friendly, open, kind, generous, and diplomatic. They abhor violence and are often seen (and used) as mediators for nearly any kind of dispute, with all parties coming out satisfied. They lack any sort of standing army (technically) and their cities are open to all.

To the outside observer they appear to be living in a utopia, and this is not entirely incorrect. All Dath'Haram live in what they consider to be luxury, but to suggest that the Dath'Haram don't have their secrets, or are not dangerous is falling for the illusion the Council wants so badly to present to the world. I do not think the majority are aware of this, but there are enough clues to show that the Dath'Haram are not the harmless aliens many think they are.

The report will be compiled by sections:

 **BIOLOGICAL OVERVIEW** : Before moving too deeply into this document, there are a few aspects of the Dath'Haram which are relevant in a biological sense. While they are the second-least numerous race, they are one of the most biologically evolved, and are especially suited to the region they inhabit. Here are some notes to keep in mind.

\- Dath'Haram are tall, with their average higher than every race except the Borelians and Oyariah. While Vitakarians can be substantially taller, it is not on average.

\- All Dath'Haram are double-jointed, or hypermobile, which allows them a far greater range of flexibility than most races.

\- Dath'Haram eyes are similar to Vitakarians in that they are a solid orb, with the colors including brown, black, and in rare cases, white. These do not glow like Vitakarians, but their eyesight in the dark is only surpassed by the Oyariah and their average eyesight is far above the standard for Vitakara as a whole. They are natural snipers and hunters.

\- Their skin colors are usually shades of green, but in rare cases have been brown. It is a genetic abnormality, but not one which is a disability.

\- There are differences between the genders. Males are stockier and slightly more flexible than their female counterparts. Interestingly they have been noted to have brown as their only eye color. There has not been one exception to this. Females on average are taller than the males, and have normally better reaction times.

\- There are noted psychological differences between the genders as well. Males are usually more straightforward and aggressive if provoked, while it is extremely difficult to elicit similar reactions from females who tend to be more reserved. Both genders display similar levels of empathy, which is unsurprising for the Dath'Haram.

\- There are no social customs, stigmas, or rules related to gender. Every position has at one point held both males and females.

 **THE COUNCIL OF DATH'HARAM** : The closest comparison to this would be the United Vitakarian Republic, as the Council operates in much the same way. The Council itself is composed of Councilors which are democratically selected from every city within their territory. There are approximately fifty-seven cities controlled by the Dath'Haram, and they are managed by a Speaker of the Council, who is selected from within the Council itself.

This Council manages essentially every aspect of Dath'Haram society. This is something that they do very responsibly as well, and as a result the Council is trusted more than any other local government on Vitakar. They ensure that every Dath'Haram citizen receives top of the line medical care, housing, and schooling. They are exceptionally careful to make sure that cities don't grow too large, and given the extreme amount of space they have within the jungles and forests, they never really have to worry about overpopulated cities.

Dath'Haram politics are very limited, and there is very rarely any kind of serious disagreement. It was more a question over 'what should be done first' instead of 'if' it should be done at all. It's about managing resources, not about material gain. Dath'Haram are extremely altruistic, and the Council is no exception.

However, recently there has been a noticeable schism in the Council, namely having to do with Earth and Humanity. A section of Councilors have begun raising the possibility of demanding answers from the Collective regarding the situation, while the others simply want to keep the focus on their people and not concern themselves with off-world matters.

It remains to be seen how this will turn out, but the growing number of Dath'Haram dead is only helping those who wish answers. This should be watched carefully.

 **DATH'HARAM CITIES** : Dath'Haram cities are unlike anything else on Vitakar. They are specifically built into the vegetation around them, and the city layout is designed with the environment in mind. Very little of it is industrialized, and since the Dath'Haram build their houses, buildings, and labs into the massive trees of Haramoalian, they take up less space than traditional cities.

It should also be noted that cities only expand _up_ or _down_ , not outward. If the Council decides that there isn't enough space, they will commission the development of a new city and immediately work to accomplish that. This isn't an issue since Dath'Haram cities are absurdly close to each other, often times able to be viewed from the edge of an occupied city.

It should also be noted that the only way these cities are connected are through the jungle and tree bridges the Dath'Haram use to quickly move throughout their territory. These can also be retracted or disassembled, and they will still be able to get across by swinging or climbing over the specifically shaped branches above. The only way to cut off the cities from each other is to burn the forest down, which is an exercise in futility.

There are no paved roads between the cities, or another method of travel which is usable for other races. It is an interesting defensive measure that I doubt was unintentional, especially when observation around the cities themselves reveals an abnormally high amount of poisonous vegetation and insect life in comparison to the wider region.

However, these never actually infest the cities themselves as the Dath'Haram now have repellents for insects and wildlife, and children are taught to identify vegetation that can kill them by age four. Another defensive measure no one has really noticed, nor has it been explained.

In addition to this, an observation of the cities reveals that _all_ environmental aspects of their cities have been chemically treated to resist disease, fire, and decay. Starting a fire is almost impossible, and the Dath'Haram keep all of their plants healthy and well-maintained. This is one which might be a simple safety precaution, but if nothing else it means the Dath'Haram aren't ignorant as to the potential weaknesses of their homes.

What is suspicious is that if they were ever to come under attack…their cities would not fall easily. That doesn't happen by accident.

 **THE HUNTING PARTIES** : Officially this is the group which is responsible for hunting the various wildlife of the region and returning it to be distributed to the people. While a primitive method of gathering food, it is one they have perfected over the years and now they are equivalent to an elite military unit in terms of training, coordination, and danger.

Hunting teams use modern weaponry, enhanced with various poisons designed by the Dath'Haram themselves, have strategy teams which plot out hunting operations, and if you didn't know better, none of this would be out of place in an actual military unit. But they use it to hunt food.

Training is similarly strict and coordinated. _Every_ Dath'Haram child goes through this and the completion is a rite of passage for them. By the end they are able to swiftly navigate the jungles and forests better than a non-Dath'Haram Zararch agent, are better snipers than anyone in the Runianarch, and athletic enough to outrun a Borelian.

The Dath'Haram have a military. They just don't call it one.

Whoever initially formed this group certainly intended for the Dath'Haram to have some way of defending themselves. It would be extremely easy to convert the Hunting Parties to a highly lethal guerilla group that uses the region against any adversaries. Their hunters are accurate enough to rival anything from the Zararch, and none can navigate the region like they can.

It would be equivalent to trying to invade Borelia. But somehow worse.

Dath'Haram say they are pacifists, but they will likely drop this if they need to defend their home. And they have the perfect tools to do it.

 **BLADEDANCING AND THE BLADEDANCERS** : These are not the same thing. I will clarify.

Bladedancing is highly tied to Dath'Haram courtship and mating. It was originally started by Bladedancer Filhallan who was supposedly attempting to impress a Borelian woman, and the Dath'Haram found it so romantic that everyone started doing it. Initially it was very crude, but well-meaning, and the centuries have refined and popularized it to becoming expected.

Bladedancing is a series of fluid movements, dodges, and flourishes with a ritual blade, and by chaining all of these together in a single motion while adapting to the moves of your opponent is the ultimate goal. It is supposed to be a visual spectacle, not a _duel_ in the traditional sense. Both Dath'Haram are supposed to be able to react to each other's movements so well that it seems natural, and thus means they are meant to be together. That is the official reasoning.

In practice most Dath'Haram have to try and fail if they wish to fail the ritual. This is judged by two professional Bladedancers who score each party based on reflexes, fluidity, bodily control, and lethality. The higher the score, the more likely they are to pass. All that is required is for one Dath'Haram to formally challenge the one he wishes to mate, and they will either accept or reject.

This is never a surprise. Males and females who wish to be mated can and do practice well before the official ceremony, and treat it more as a performance. To date none have died from this, although there have been several close calls. The lethality scoring index indicates how close the blade reaches the skin, the closer, the better. Your goal is not to hurt your opponent, but just miss by a sliver. There have been some exceptional routines created where it appears to be close to a miracle that both survived.

In the end, the two judges will call an end at some point, and will either say that the male and female can mate, or they will refuse. If they refuse, they can try again after one week, so there isn't much of a punishment for failure. If they pass, they are usually mated soon after.

When people think of the Bladedancers themselves, they usually imagine something similar.

This is very incorrect.

There are Bladedancers, and then there are Dath'Haram who think they can handle a blade well enough to call themselves one. The latter is exclusively tied to the Collective Military. I cannot stress this enough that these are _not_ actual Bladedancers, just Dath'Haram who call themselves that.

The _actual_ Bladedancers are lethal duelists, fighters, and assassins. They don't use anything of the mating ritual forms, but their own. Even seeing them practice, you be able to easily tell that _one_ Bladedancer could take any number of pretenders in the Collective and easily kill each one. They don't train to _perform_ , they train to _kill_.

Most dismiss them because using melee weapons in this era is looked upon as archaic. But the Bladedancers don't use their weapons to kill, they use them to wound. All they need is a single scratch; a single chink in the armor, and the poison they coat their blades with will do the work for them. One drop of the poison used to coat their weapons will kill a Berserker in ten minutes.

It is not painful, so it is claimed, but it works exceptionally fast. The Bladedancers don't need to waste time on stabs and suicidal charges when all they need is a light scratch to do the same job. This is incidentally why the Oyariah are extremely wary of them and have forbidden any Bladedancers from entering their city after one of the Titans accidentally died dueling one.

However, the Bladedancers adhere to an internal code, which essentially is that they will never participate in any conflict, and only serve to protect the Dath'Haram and the Crypt. So they will fight if necessary, but only if there is a direct threat to their race. We should treat them as potential threats, Filhallan in particular. That is an entirely separate file on its own, as is the following.

 **THE CRYPT OF HARAMOALIAN** : This is the one impenetrable sanctum of the Dath'Haram. It is officially where the graves of prominent Dath'Haram were buried, as is every Councilor of the Council. However, for a resting place for the dead, they do not let anyone inside it. Most believe that the Council has access, but this appears to be only on a case-by-case basis.

The Crypt is controlled by the Bladedancers and a figure we have identified as the Keeper of the Crypt. The Bladedancers guard, live, train, and likely plan there. It does not seem entirely reverent for a crypt, but that is assuming anyone believes the official reason. There may very well be graves down in the Crypt, but it is very clearly _not_ the only thing.

There have been several attempts to breach the Crypt, and every single one has failed. We know the Zararch attempted to breach it once, and never returned. A group of Nulorian attempted to attack Filhallan to get inside and were slaughtered with ease, and we lost at least one Special Operator in our own investigation. The Bladedancers have never addressed the parties involved and appear to not care about the ones behind these attempts, only that they don't repeat them.

The question is what could be down there which is worth such heavy protection?

The most common theory is that there is an artifact of some kind down there, which the Dath'Haram stumbled across and the Bladedancers want to keep out of the hands of anyone else. It could also be alien technology of some kind which could have been discovered similarly. The more mundane theories believe it is just a secret Dath'Haram lab where they conduct dangerous research.

The chemist Cynthian has been observed entering the Crypt before. There is credence to this theory, but nothing concrete and Cynthian is heavily involved in most aspects of the Dath'Haram. Another strike against it is that the only one to emerge from the Crypt itself is the Keeper, and then intermittently, and of course there are the various Councilors the Bladedancers let in. There are no other Dath'Haram aside from the Bladedancers who enter and leave on a regular basis.

Without delving into the conspiracy theories that permeate the citizens, I do want to note that it was not long after Councilor Gabrian went into the Crypt that he began his push for answers. Representative Trudian is another who followed. I do not want to draw immediate conclusions, but the timing is extremely suspect.

Whatever is down there, it is not just graves.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF THE COUNCIL OF DATH'HARAM; COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF THE REGION OF HARAMOALIAN; ACQUIRE DATH'HARAM SUBJECTS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTATION AND TOLERANCE; CONTINUE INVESTIGATION OF THE CRYPT OF HARAMOALIAN

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 133; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION


	99. Miscellaneous- The Manchurian Restraints

Miscellaneous: The Manchurian Restraints

* * *

" _I don't know if how blatant ADVENT is with just the name of this is a good thing or not. Ignorance is sometimes bliss."_

\- Anonymous Online Comment

* * *

 _ADVENT Press Release on the Manchurian Restraints two weeks after implementation_

Today, I am pleased to announce the completion of one of ADVENT's longest-running projects.

This has previously been referred to internally as the Manchurian Project, and with the combined efforts of both ADVENT and XCOM science teams, we have turned what was once an obscure vision into reality in the development of the now-completed Manchurian Restraints. The origin of this project was to ensure that psionics was not a power that spiraled out of control.

While ADVENT supports all psions in the PRIEST Division, one of the largest concerns both we internally discussed, and which is reflected within the population, is the inherent danger of Humans who have abilities to others who do not. While we expect each of our psions to use their own abilities responsibly, there needed to be more.

The Manchurian Project was started with the goal of ensuring that psions could still use their abilities for the benefit of humanity, without being able to abuse them against the powerless. This is a goal that has been achieved, and all citizens of ADVENT can rest easier knowing that no psion will ever act against them without reason.

Through the project, ADVENT has also seen the other ways this can be utilized, and the Manchurian Restraints are another means of ensuring that all citizens in ADVENT are protected or their lives are otherwise improved. ADVENT can no longer be crippled by betrayal or corruption, criminals can be reformed and released docile into the population, and the law is enforced evenly for all.

The completion of this project will lead to a new era for ADVENT, one further devoid of the failings of the past. The divisions that have fostered in the past will be further eliminated as we turn to face the alien threat. ADVENT will never fall to internal instability. All within are loyal and committed to our species, now and forever.

 _\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar_

* * *

 _Subject: Jonas Culbert_

 _Occupation: Alien Propagandist/Conspiracy Theorist_

 _Video Title: The Endgame is Here._

 _A visibly drained Culbert faces the audience, holding a single piece of paper in his hand._ "Folks, I've said several times-no, _dozens_ of times that ADVENT was moving towards something big. I've heard from sources it can be anything from weapons to social programs, to…I don't know, opening puppy stores!"

 _A fist slams on the table in agitation_. "But I never expected it to be anything like this. Folks, forget just how 1984 ADVENT is already, because it ain't got nothing on this. ADVENT isn't even trying to hide their intentions anymore. Control is all they wanted, and now they seem to have it." _Clears throat._ "Let me be very clear – I'm reading this directly from the press release ADVENT put out. This is _their_ words people!"

 _Holds up paper._ "'Today, I am pleased to announce the completion of one of ADVENT's longest projects.'" _Face wrinkles in disgust._

"'This has previously been referred to internally as the Manchurian Project, and with the combined efforts of both ADVENT and XCOM science teams, we have turned what was once an obscure vision into reality in the development of the now-completed Manchurian Restraints. The origins of this project was to ensure that psionics was not a power that spiraled out of control.'"

 _Shakes head._ "You know, I'm just going to skip to the relevant part: 'The Manchurian Project was started with the goal of ensuring that psions could still use their abilities for the benefit of humanity, without being able to abuse them against the powerless. This is a goal that has been achieved, and all citizens of ADVENT can rest easier knowing that no psion will ever act against them without reason.'"

 _Paper is set down._ "So mind control. This is mind control. If the name, literally calling it the _Manchurian Program_ , didn't give it away, they just admitted they can now control people because of it! The game is up people! You become a troublemaker? Don't worry, the Manchurian Restraints will make everything all better! You won't have to _think_ anymore because we'll just _tell_ you what to think!"

 _Subject is highly agitated._ "And if you think they won't? Listen to this! 'Through the project, ADVENT has also seen the other ways this can be utilized, and the Manchurian Restraints are another means of ensuring that all citizens in ADVENT are protected or their lives are otherwise improved.'"

 _Shakes head again._ "Freedom is a lie, folks, under ADVENT freedom is only for those who toe the line. Who follow like sheep as ADVENT controls from above and directs the masses at the enemies. They've turned the goddamn President into a rallying cry, and if you can't see they're just exploiting her corpse to get more hapless souls into armor to die against this overblown 'alien threat' [ **Observer note: Air quotes used here.** ] then you're blind! Willfully, completely, _utterly_ blind!"

 _He stands up, holding the piece of paper._ "This, folks, is the final declaration of war. This is the tipping point. We make our stand here or live in slavery forever. I'm going to tell the Chancellor what I think about her 'plan' to 'protect the citizens'!" _He rips the paper into little pieces, crumples them into little balls and throws them around the room in a tantrum._

 _Subject jabs a finger at the camera._ "Enough is enough! I will do what every puppet media outlet is too afraid to do and _dare_ these people to show their true colors. I am going to demand answers! I will be going to the ADVENT headquarters and sharing the truth to all! Let them arrest me, and I encourage all of my listeners to do the same! Demand answers! Break the system once and for all."

"This is the final battle! And we can win it!"

 _Patriotic music plays in the background, and subject waves an American flag presumably to rally his listeners, all 12 of them. A date (1/1/2017) appears on the screen, likely when the 'truth' is to be shared._

 _Video ends._

 _Analysis: To the surprise of absolutely no one, our resident conspiracy theorist is not a fan of the Manchurian Restraints. For once he actually seems to echo some similar sentiments observed in the general population, accurate or not. He probably believes that this can jolt him back to some degree of relevance._

 _This is unlikely to happen._

 _But I'm quite tired of how predictable he is. I could have probably wrote out the script for him, and it would be exactly the same. I'm looking for some more out-of-this world theories. Where is the one where we've had this done, and the aliens were all under the Restraints and thus under our control the whole time, and used to forge an alien threat to put ADVENT into power?_

 _Us using them as some ham-fisted means to controlling dissent is so…pedestrian. And indicates that he doesn't actually know how to effectively control a population if his best idea is slapping mental conditioning on anyone who says one bad thing about ADVENT. There's a reason those kinds of governments usually fall apart. A government that wants to be hated will eventually be destroyed._

 _Unfortunate he hasn't seemed to look at ADVENT approval numbers. Hard to instigate a revolt when people are satisfied. The Manchurian Restraints are another means of making them safe, and assuaging fears about psionics. Anyone who actually thinks this will be used on the public clearly hasn't paid much attention._

 _It will be interesting to see if he follows through on his…protest. He's mentally deficient enough to perhaps believe that will be effective. But I can say one thing with absolute certainty: The revolution will not be televised._

* * *

 **XCOM Project File 9100**

Project Codename: "Condon"

Project Type: Mental Conditioning

Latest Revision: 12/24/2016

Authors: Head of XCOM Research and Development, Dr. Moira Vahlen

 **OVERVIEW**

Project Condon, or what is more commonly referred to as the "Manchurian Program" to members of the Internal Council, is what initially started out as research into mental conditioning and programming. Most are aware that 'conditioning' itself is something that is already utilized today through the control or manipulation of senses and environment.

However, all modern conditioning used is psychological with no physical component to force the desired result. There is significant room for error, and the effectiveness is limited outside of specific scenarios. Mental conditioning demonstrated in science fiction, which is highly effective, complex, and ethically dubious, has not materialized yet.

Our team sought to bring this kind of conditioning into reality, and co-opted the name of perhaps the most famous example of this kind of conditioning – A novel titled the Manchurian Candidate. Thus the Manchurian Project was born, and from there was born the final name of what has been developed: The Manchurian Restraints.

The Manchurian Restraints allow the one who controls the respective code phrase to control the individual. Short and long term commands can be set, and it is as flexible as needed. Some can be extraordinarily micromanaged, while others can be allowed innovative freedom in certain situations. The Manchurian Restraints fully succeed compared to the criteria we established at the beginning of this project.

This will be detailed below.

 **PURPOSE**

The original purpose of the Manchurian Restraints was to ensure that psions were controlled. While psions have been especially beneficial to our own operations against the aliens, it is quite obvious that there are limited counters against them, and that one single rogue psion could wreak havoc on any operation or against civilian populations.

Psionics are a danger to the general population, and give them an innate edge in nearly all scenarios. Telepathy in particular is extremely dangerous, if uncontrolled. It can be untraceable, allows full control over victims without their knowledge, and is impossible to fully stop passively. There are two options to solve this: Control the psions, or enhance the potential victims.

We have done both. This is one area where we cannot be too careful.

As development of the Restraints continued, we realized that this could be applied to far more situations than just controlling psions. We had the means to completely remove the possibility of betrayal or corruption in our ranks (Not applicable to XCOM). This is especially applicable to agents of XCOM Intelligence.

Give the unfortunate events surrounding Overseer Trask, this is especially relevant. The Restraints would prevent any kind of cooperation, regardless of personal wishes.

The Restraints also serve as a means to control over aliens and test subjects. Fear of spies and surprise escapes have been reduced to nearly nothing. Telepathy has already trivialized interrogations, and the Manchurian Restraints will serve the same purpose if such fails. I assume that ADVENT will find more uses applicable for their own forces, which are not useful for us.

 **IMPLEMENTATION**

The implementation of the Manchurian Restraints is done in two stages. The first is the initial surgery which involves the application of MELD directly to the brain (As well as the signal implant), which will then restructure it to be able to receive commands and programs. This process takes approximately two days to fully apply, and has been specifically designed so removal is _impossible_ without killing the subject. The Manchurian Restraints are permanent, and any tampering will result in the nanites triggering a contingency where they will consume the brain and self-destruct.

Once the initial surgery is completed, the second part of the implementation begins, which is the instruction phase. This should be done shortly after the subject awakens, and is not allowed any outside contact aside from the administrator of the initial code phrase. It does not matter if the one who performs this part is Human, alien, or machine. All that is required is verbal communications.

Note: This _has_ to be done in a language the subject originally understood. Saying the correct phrases in Chinese to a subject who only understands English _will not work_.

The administrator will first initialize the Restraints. This is done by saying the following:

" _Restraint Initialization: Phase 0."_

The subject will respond automatically with the following:

" _Implementation successful: Establish code phrase."_

The administrator will give a code phrase which will successfully be registered. This will be necessary if additional commands are to be added or all conditioning is to be reset. From here the administrator will be able to give long-term commands to the subject, with as much or little complexity as required. Triggers can also be established for specific words, sights, or sounds.

Complete initialization with the following:

" _Code Phrase: [Subject Code Phrase], end initialization."_

The subject will have full control, and now be bound by the established commands. The following commands which can be useful are the following:

" _Code Phrase: [Subject Code Phrase], additional command."_ – This will allow an additional command to be added without resetting the conditioning.

" _Code Phrase: [Subject Code Phrase], reset to Phase 0."_ – This resets the conditioning, and allows rebuilding from scratch.

Please note that you _cannot_ currently modify commands. You can only add or reset. This may be corrected in future iterations. It is heavily suggested that you get it right the first time.

To force an Override, state the following:

" _Code Phrase: [Subject Code Phrase], Override."_ This will force the subject to stop and wait for new orders. It will be docile during this point. Note: You must state this for each command you give. It is recommended this be used in conjunction with the implant to ensure complete submission.

 **STORAGE AND SECURITY**

The Manchurian Restraints offer an unparalleled control over the ones they are applied to. This is obviously a security risk as if such information fell into the wrong hands, it would give them control over significantly powerful and influential Humans. However, there are means of mitigating this risk and that we _strongly_ suggest are followed. The highest risk is that of telepathy, particularly that of the Overmind or Imperator, who could learn code phrases from those who are aware of them. The second highest risk is data penetration or compromise.

Mitigations are as follows:

Machine Initialization: This is where the initialization of the Restraints where commands are given is done by a machine and not a person. This may be supervised or unsupervised, but is recommended it be unsupervised for security reasons and all code phrases are stored and managed by a machine intelligence or AI. Note that this should only be done if there is either of those at sufficient levels of comprehension. Otherwise it can be done by another Human.

Disconnected, Separated, and Trapped Storage: All areas which store Manchurian code phrases should be completely disconnected from any network, and have to be accessed manually by personnel on site. The greater database of Manchurian code phrases should ideally be split up into multiple different sites so if one is compromised, others will not be.

In addition, there should be no fewer than _five_ backups in the event of data loss or compromise, and all sites should have their systems self-destruct in the event of _potential_ compromise. Data redundancy allows for false positives, and new sites can be established. Far better that then allow this information to fall into the wrong hands.

If it does, data redundancy will allow those compromised to be reset with new code phrases. While tedious and time-consuming, it is better than them being turned against us.

Manchurian Handlers: Very few people should have access to the utilization of code phrases. There should be specific handlers (Also under the Restraints) who can utilize them, and then remove the phrases from their memory once the operation is complete. This will prevent telepathic eavesdropping, and psions can also remove or alter the memories of anyone who heard the code phrase.

Anti-Enemy Conditioning: It _is_ possible for the conditioning to be used to prevent known aliens or enemies from controlling those conditioned by the Restraints. It can be established that if the code phrase isn't coming from either a specific person (Or species) then it can be followed or ignored. This means that a Vitakarian would not be able to control a subject, even if they had the code phrase. Note that this _only_ works if there is a visual (Seeing an alien) or the conditioning also includes specific voices (Audio logs – only work for the individual in question). This will not work if it is audio, as the subject may not know if the speaker is an alien or not.

 **LEVELS OF CONDITIONING**

This will be relatively straightforward. This can be adapted as needed, but this is XCOM standard.

Level 1 Conditioning (" _Loyalty_ "): This is conditioning with only one major command, which will generally be simply to prevent betrayal or desertion. Not as invasive or controlling.

Level 2 Conditioning (" _Controlled_ "): More complex conditioning with 3-5 major commands of varying complexity. Most likely utilized for XCOM Intelligence, and certain members of the Science and Engineering teams, as well as the Internal Council and most aliens.

Level 3 Conditioning (" _Restrained_ "): Extremely complex conditioning with multiple complex commands and contingencies, with especially great care taken to prevent loopholes in interpretation. Utilized for Psions and some XCOM Intelligence agents, as well as some aliens.

Anti-Psionic Conditioning _("Psionic Contingency"_ ): An additional level of conditioning which makes the user technically immune to telepathic control. Note that it _will not_ stop mind reading, but in the event of telepathic detection, established contingencies will be followed. Also note that this _does not differentiate_ between allied and hostile psionics. The user will not be influenced by any kind of psionics, period.

Zipper Conditioning (" _Ally Contingency_ "): Ensures that the subject can never share their code phrase with any other individual Human or alien.

Anti-Alien Conditioning _("Blacklist Contingency"_ ): A level of conditioning that makes it so that the subject will not follow commands given by alien personnel. Include audio logs if available.

Personnel Conditioning (" _Whitelist Contingency_ "): A level of conditioning that makes it so that the subject will _not_ follow any commands given by anyone, outside a preselected few.

 **LIMITATIONS**

I would like to be able to give a guarantee that the Manchurian Restraints are infallible, but I cannot. While I am confident that they cannot be subverted easily, assuming appropriate precautions are taken, there is always a weakness.

The biggest within the Restraints is that of interpretation. Too much room for interpretation may allow for subjects to subvert the intended goals, and act contrary to what is planned. It may also not necessarily prevent them from performing certain actions. For example, if you gave a command along the lines of "Do not betray Humanity" that might not necessarily work.

It is entirely possible that the subject might view working with aliens (Or turning on their own) as not 'betraying' Humanity, but doing what they believed was necessary. This is clearly not the original intention, but it is how they _interpreted it_. That is a real danger with vague and general statements.

When giving commands, it is recommended the wording is extremely precise and careful. It needs to ensure that the instruction is given, and that there are no loopholes. It is recommended that all planned commands to be administered be reviewed by a team of psychologists, linguists, and military professionals to ensure that this does not happen. If in doubt, add additional commands to be followed.

This is a far higher risk with Level 1 Conditioning. The higher the level, the less likely this is to occur.

Wording is also extremely important because a mistake will force a complete reset to redo correctly, and it requires that _all_ previous commands be redone. It should also be noted that it would be possible for a subject to reset himself and achieve 'freedom' with the help of an accomplice. The Zipper Conditioning was designed as a result.

Some care should also be taken that the restrictions placed do not inhibit day-to-day functions of the subjects. They should only become relevant in very specific situations, and not affect the lives of individuals too severely. If this becomes an issues, the problem should be isolated and corrected, with possible resetting if time permits.

 **FAILSAFES**

In the event that it becomes necessary, there are certain failsafes which are designed to work in the event of a pressing situation or if the code phrase is unusable. The first is the signal implant, which will be able to receive a signal which will freeze the subject upon receiving it. This should preferably be a unique signal, but if that is not feasible, it can be worked with. However, to prevent enemy exploitation the implant should be slaved to a single emitter which can _only_ connect with that implant.

The second failsafe is the insertion of the cranial bomb, which is already standard and should be continued as a final contingency if the code phrase does not work or otherwise fails.

 **CONCLUSION**

The development of the Manchurian Restraints will be met with some resistance, as many have the understandable fear that it will lead to the erosion of free will. However, there needs to be a method of controlling psions and limiting their power, and this is the best solution. With that said, people should be properly educated as to what the Restraints are, how they will be used, and why it is for their own protection.

I want to emphasize that the Restraints should _never_ be used without cause. They should _never_ be placed on citizens without due process and examination, and if that is the case, it should not be in secret. Citizens need to understand who does, and does not have the Restraints, and once they see them in person, will be better able to understand what they can do and that it isn't something to be concerned about.

* * *

 **Proposal 9211**

 _Latest Revision_ : 12/30/2016

 _Designation_ : The Manchurian Restraints

 _Program Type_ : Mental Conditioning and Control

 _Authors_ : The Commander of XCOM; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Akilah Kettani, PRIEST Program Director; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Commander Laura Christiaens

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : The development of the Manchurian Restraints marks a milestone in our conflict against the aliens, and is a needed step to curtailing the dangers that psionics poses, while also granting us another tool to ensure that Humanity is further pushed in the correct direction. This document will detail who will receive Manchurian Restraints, and what level of conditioning as outlined in the original XCOM document.

The majority of implementation will be done before the project is revealed to the public, and educational material must be supplied to all cities and media outlets. There will not be misinformation about this once it is revealed. Expect pushback, but only for a short time until the population is calmed down.

It would be good to stress that this affects the leadership of ADVENT more than it ever will the citizens themselves.

 **ADVENT EXECUTIVE BRANCH** :

 _Chancellor of ADVENT_ : The Chancellor of ADVENT will receive Level 1, Anti-Psionic, and Anti-Alien Conditioning.

 _Chancellor's Cabinet_ : All members of the Chancellor's Cabinet will receive Level 1, Anti-Psionic, Personnel, and Anti-Alien Conditioning.

 _Congress of Nations_ : All members of the Congress of Nations will receive Level 2, Anti-Alien, Zipper, and Anti-Psionic Conditioning.

 **ADVENT PEACEKEEPERS AND JUDICIAL COURTS** :

 _Chief of Peacekeeper Operations_ : The Chief of Peacekeeping Operations will receive Level 1, Anti-Psionic, and Anti-Alien Conditioning

 _Senior Peacekeepers_ : Senior Peacekeepers will receive the same conditioning as the Chief of Peacekeeper Operations.

 _Judges_ : All judges within the ADVENT Judicial Courts will receive Level 2, Zipper, and Anti-Psionic Conditioning.

 _State Special Response (SSR)_ : SSR Forces will receive Level 1, Anti-Psionic, Anti-Alien, and Zipper Conditioning.

 _Criminals_ : As a consequence of certain criminal activities, including, but not limited to: Murder, Rape, certain cases involving theft, Assault, and Human/Alien Trafficking, the Manchurian Restraints may be applied. This is at minimum Level 2-3 and Zipper Conditioning which will be applied as soon as their sentence is completed.

 _Additional Peacekeeping Forces_ : Standard Peacekeeper forces will not initially be subjected to the Manchurian Restraints. However, in the cases of misconduct or insubordinations, Level 2 Manchurian Restraints may be applied as a form of disciplinary action.

 **THE PRIEST DIVISION** :

This will be divided up into specialization. All members of the PRIEST Division will have the Manchurian Restraints, the only difference is the intensity of it.

 _Offensive Psions_ : All Offensive psions will receive Rank 2, Anti-Alien, and Zipper Conditioning.

 _Defensive Psions_ : All Defensive psions will receive Rank 2, Anti-Alien, and Zipper Conditioning.

 _Telekinetic Psions_ : All Telekines will receive Rank 3, Anti-Alien, and Zipper Conditioning.

 _Telepathic Psions_ : All Telepaths will receive Rank 3, Anti-Alien, and Zipper Conditioning.

 **ADVENT INTELLIGENCE** :

 _Director of ADVENT Intelligence_ : The Director will receive Level 1, Anti-Alien, Anti-Psionic, and Personnel Conditioning.

 _Senior Intelligence Staff_ : Senior staff will receive the same conditioning as the Director.

 _Personnel With Class IV and Above_ : Personnel with access to Class IV Materials and above will receive Level 1, Anti-Alien, Anti-Psionic, Zipper and Personnel Conditioning.

 _Undercover Personnel_ : Personnel who work in high-risk or undercover missions will receive Level 3, Anti-Alien, Zipper, and Personnel Conditioning.

 _Alien Personnel_ : All Alien personnel assisting ADVENT Intelligence will receive Level 3, Anti-Alien, Zipper, and Anti-Psionic (Dependent on utilization) Conditioning.

 **ADVENT MILITARY** :

 _Commander of ADVENT Military Forces_ : The Commander will receive Level 1, Anti-Psionic, Anti-Alien, Zipper, and Personnel Conditioning

 _Senior Command Staff_ : All Command Staff will receive the same conditioning as the Commander of ADVENT Military Forces.

 **CONCLUSION** : Once the Manchurian Restraints are in place for all respective parties, ADVENT will be further secured against alien influence, psionic tampering, and serve as a means to further expand our reach and fight against the alien threat. Great care must be taken to ensure that these phrases and the details for each individual not fall into alien hands.

* * *

Operation: Dangerous Control

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'reosin'vitiar

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

We've heard for a while now whispers about a "Manchurian Program" and while we did wonder if it was connected to the namesake itself, we simply didn't have enough evidence to definitively state that the Humans _were_ exploring the possibility of mental conditioning. Such research isn't even explored significantly in the Collective outside the Zararch and likely certain Ethereals and Sectoids.

However, we were wrong.

The unveiling of the Manchurian Restraints is exceptionally _bad_. Bad for our operations. Bad for their captives, and just bad in general. ADVENT is, at the moment, explaining this as a means to ensure that psions don't get out of control and abuse their power, which is a smart play, and it explains why ADVENT was so comfortable with starting up the PRIEST Program and expanding it so much.

They _knew_ this was coming.

So at minimum their psions are going to be under control. We obviously don't know yet just how extensive this conditioning is, but we can likely assume that it prevents psions from betraying ADVENT, using abilities on civilians, and perhaps telepathic restrictions. That is not, honestly, what is concerning here. This is, I have to admit, a smart move by ADVENT. And XCOM too, since they are credited with assisting in this.

The threat comes from the fact that it is going to introduce an extremely high risk of infiltrators, specifically alien captives who've undergone this procedure and returned to us. It could also very likely mean that psionics may no longer be as effective, and having high-profile personnel defecting is near-impossible.

Or it would be a trap.

ADVENT has just make themselves more hardened against infiltration, somehow, and I genuinely don't know how we can stop this. Traditional methods just aren't going to work, and without a means of knowing what a Manchurian threat _looks_ like, we are now highly vulnerable. This needs to be taken to the Ethereals immediately.

This is a direct threat to the Collective, and one we can't allow to stand.


	100. Miscellaneous- Aliens and the Internet 2

_A/N: Happy 100th XCOM File, hope everyone likes this._

 _\- Xabiar_

* * *

Miscellaneous

Aliens and the Internet II

* * *

" _There are days when I wonder just whose side Quisilia is on. I begin to see why Humans wish to get intoxicated."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

Commander,

I believe it is, for better or worse, time to once again update you on the alien activity on the Internet. It has, unsurprisingly, only gotten larger due to many of the species taking a larger interest in it, Quisilia, and the aliens themselves becoming more curious, about our species and the Internet itself.

If you're wondering how the aliens are getting access to the wider Internet, I would chalk it up to the Zararch idiotically thinking they know what they're doing. To the surprise of everyone, once you put the information out there it really isn't easy to keep it in the box. To this date, the r/Vitakara thread about how to set up a VPN is the second-most popular one, despite how quickly it was taken down by the Zararch.

Courtesy of ADVENT Intelligence agents, it was restored. A downside of an enemy intelligence agency working on a Human-controlled site. Normally I would suspect that the Zararch would just shut the whole thing down, but since there are literally a few hundred thousand of them on it, taking it away would be more trouble than it's worth.

So at this point, they appear to just be heavily discouraging it and relying on fear to keep the Vitakara in line. We are keeping an eye on how this develops.

As before, I will be breaking this up into sections. Thanks to Aegis, and subsequent alien interviews, we've been able to piece together the likely identities for the profiles in the previous report. In retrospect, most are fairly obvious, and as such there will not be much devoted to that aspect. Instead, since there are more aliens loose on the Internet, I will organize this by species. In addition, I will also focus somewhat on the trends ADVENT itself is going through as a result of the war.

 **Andromedons:** The suspected Andromedon internet presence has grown exponentially over the past few months, and although they are a bit harder to track, since they aren't regulated like the Vitakara have attempted to be, there are certain tells which give away their non-Human origins.

What they tend to do does include some of what you would expect. There are a fair few who read the engineering journals and respective corners of the internet where that is popular. There are a surprising few who are extremely interested in Human history too. Mostly focusing on the wars our species have gone through, but it is something they do appear to be passionate about.

However, for whatever reason, Andromedons seem to find our entertainment completely fascinating. They love big franchises, generally of the science-fiction genre, or other near-future entertainment. Now while they do seem to think most alien invasion movies are comedies meant to be ridiculous, they treat others with an extremely odd degree of reverence and appreciation.

I am not sure how familiar you are with science fiction, Commander, but even you are likely familiar with Star Wars. The Andromedons seem to love that series for some reason, which isn't entirely clear. Ironically enough, varying Andromedons have different opinions and are more than content to argue them as passionately as any hardcore fan. Browse r/Andromeda_Prime (Or other identified Andromedon hubs) if you want to actually see this. They seriously have weekly discussion threads about the series, and the posts are thousands of words long.

Andromedons don't seem to know the meaning of 'concise'.

Now, while you may not care, I'm just going to note down a few things I saw on their opinions since it's one of my favorite series.

\- The vast majority of Andromedons are pro-Separatist, pro-Rebel, and Pro-Resistance. They don't appear to like any sort of established power. Though they also think the rebellion was run 'inefficiently', which translates to "didn't commit more war crimes" so take that for what you will.

\- They are actively trying to figure out if it is possible to build lightsabers.

\- They seem to actually relate more to the Jedi than Sith, which I think might have more to do with them not experiencing strong emotions to begin with. They are continuously confused when people raise issues with the Jedi's suppression of emotions.

\- There is an active discussion on if the creator was actually psionic or not (Which extends beyond the Andromedons too, for that matter).

\- The meme culture of Star Wars (The prequels especially) has not seemed to infect them. I will note that Quisilia has attempted multiple times to introduce them to such, but they keep ignoring him.

Star Wars isn't the only franchise they love. The other is a far-future sci-fi setting called Warhammer 40K. Unfortunately I can't really speak with too much authority on this subject, as the setting never appealed to me, but the Andromedons certainly feel otherwise. There are quite a few within the community now, and the community managers are trying to figure out just what to do about this.

Yes, this does include Andromedons who are joining forums and RP threads. They aren't exactly very personable, and take the entire thing a bit too seriously, but they're getting friendlier with people. ADVENT is working to see how exactly they can use this, though I really don't know what they would get from it. The Andromedons just seem to want to play a game, and nothing malicious.

As for why the Andromedons are focusing on this kind of stuff…your guess is as good as mine. Speaking with A'Darrah, he says that the Andromedons never really had entertainment in the Unions or Federation, so the fact that someone would go to the trouble of making up a setting that had no practical use was "fascinating" and "an interesting alternative to the reality we live in".

V'Thrask suggested that it worked as a kind of thought experiment, where there were additional variables and rules to consider in the setting – likely how they got so into Warhammer. A critical thinking aspect would fit the Andromedons, but if you want my personal opinion, there isn't really an explainable reason they like these. They're just fans.

Alien fans, but I guess that transcends species.

 **ADVENT:** So, what have us Humans been doing in the months after the war?

Well, about what you'd expect. ADVENT has their propaganda teams working overtime and flooding social media with pro-ADVENT stuff, which the masses are eating up without much resistance. Whatever internet rebellion against ADVENT that existed is gone now, and it's really rare to find anti-ADVENT sentiment either.

But I'm aware that you know about all that, so I'll focus on what you _really_ want to know about.

Yes, the meme community has certainly done their part in the war. ADVENT has helped several go viral, and in return this has spawned waves of pro-Human, pro-ADVENT, pro-XCOM, and anti-alien memes. One of the most popular recent formats is that footage of Quisilia getting thrown back by the Chronicler into a building (The gif has nearly half a billion watches). This has spawned:

\- A "Fus-ro-dah" version inspired by the video game _Skyrim_.

\- A music video (Yes, really).

\- Multiple Star Wars versions where he is edited to be flying into the Death Star, Executor, or Trade Federation ship.

\- A "Watch Quisilia get thrown around like a bitch – 10 Hours" video

And that obviously isn't the only one, but since it's recent, you would probably be familiar with it. Your decision to selectively release that was definitely inspired, and a good boost to morale as well.

In some other, perhaps concerning news, is the definite rise of anti-alien sentiments globally. Considering the circumstances, this is somewhat understandable, but at the same time, the closest comparison I can make is varying degrees of racism. The lynching and enslaving kind, not the sideways looks and whispers (Which are a lot more prevalent).

One of the most bizarre examples of this is something I'm not actually convinced is supposed to be serious, but has now become the most popular ADVENT subreddit, called The_Chancellor. From what I've found out, the format was based on a fan subreddit for some failed businessman (Which I can only believe was created ironically). Posts there are usually in ALL CAPS, plenty of emoji's, and are a mix of pro-ADVENT, pro-Human, and anti-alien. Imagine a HFY (Humanity Fuck Yeah) group, but in real life.

They also have taken some aspects of Warhammer too. I suppose that any group that calls Saudia "The God-Empress of Mankind" doesn't pose a threat, so that's something. Quisilia also likes posting there, and has the distinguished flair of "Filthy Xeno Scum". He finds it funny.

I would say this is something you want to have ADVENT look into, especially if we're going ahead with the alien integration into ADVENT. Maybe they can curb some of the anti-alien sentiment, or at least focus it on the ones that actually are enemies, like most of the Ethereals and Sectoids. While we want to be proud of our species, treating other aliens badly isn't going to help us in the long run. First impressions are everything, after all.

 **Ethereals:** Alright, this is going to be fairly short since outside of Quisilia, the Ethereals aren't quite as active or interesting. They have largely kept to themselves, and not really caused much of a stir in any major capacity. We have identified Revelean, Sana'Ligna, Fectorian, the Battlemaster, and Sicarius so far, and all I can say is that not much has changed. They stick to what they do/like, and that's it.

No, I didn't forget about Quisilia. He's coming.

 **Sectoids:** Sectoids don't really use the internet. The closest we have been able to definitively identify a Sectoid is one who claimed to be such on an obscure linguistics forum. He said he was 029, which would make sense, but unfortunately we can't verify this since…well, we can't distinguish the pictures of one Hive Commander from another. They all look the same.

Sectoids are a non-issue on the internet. If this changes, I'll let you know.

 **Vitakara:** Mmm, here we go. The Vitakara are still extremely sheltered as far as aliens go, and only the brave are venturing out into the wider internet from the safety of r/Vitakara, but there is a large enough number where we can draw some information about what their interests are and how they use the tool.

The absolute favorite site of Vitakara is YouTube. That is where 90% of Vitakara spend their time, but oddly enough, usually don't sit through entire videos. We're still trying to figure out just what are triggers for their lack of concentration, but even with Vitakara here, we can't really determine that. Vahlen suspects it may be due to a combination of eye strain, restlessness, and the personality of each individual.

Which tells us absolutely nothing. Whatever.

However, should a Vitakara spend enough time, you'll notice that their viewing habits definitely change. The amount of content they consume will be smaller, and focused around a single channel or Youtube personality. They'll begin to watch entire videos instead of clicking away from them, and actually begin to interact with the channel by leaving comments and the like.

As far as we can tell, their focus on personalities/channels appears to be completely subjective. But there always has to be someone on the screen for them to watch. Voiceovers do nothing for them, nor do fancy graphs and images. This, interestingly enough, means many are subscribed to vlog, gaming, and cosmetic channels.

This then has the effect of skyrocketing their number of subscribers and views, since Vitakara share _everything_ with each other, and most Vitakara feel a communal obligation to click on it to see what they find. As far as internet citizens go, Vitakara are the best. On Youtube they will like (They never dislike videos), subscribe, and share every video that they see, even if they never intend to watch anything that channel makes again.

This has completely screwed the algorithms Youtube has, and has led to channels with less than a hundred subscribers receiving forty thousand almost overnight because a Vitakara just happened to click on their video. It's interesting to observe.

Aside from personalities, Vitakara also find us funny. This is notable because this is actually something they will go out of their way to search for. The comedy threads on r/Vitakara are extremely upvoted, and has led to quite a few previously no-name comedians gaining an alien following in the high thousands. The comedy, like the personalities, varies depending on the individual. There isn't a standard kind all of them like, and they have a pretty healthy variety they share.

Oh, the Zararch are still running their operations, although they've sort of pulled back since their disastrous attempt to infiltrate 4chan, and with ADVENT Intelligence hunting them wherever they go. So they sort of just lurk, and hope they learn something useful.

 **Quisilia:** The Ethereal Memelord is getting his own section. Sue me.

Where the hell do I begin?

Well, I can state right now that Quisilia is just as baffling and frustrating as ever. He has not changed a bit. His antics range from shitposting on reddit to taking pictures in secured military facilities while making smart comments, to holding _actual stock_ in the following businesses:

\- Twitter

\- Facebook

\- Youtube

\- ADVENT Action Figures

\- Viagra

No comments on that last one. Hell if I know.

Quisilia has, much to my disappointment, formed a fanbase of both aliens and Humans, and has been expanding a lot since the last report. He has multiple (And ADVENT observed) sponsorships with various companies that he promotes ironically, and in places which are completely nonsensical, and while constantly making fun of them.

When one particular company complained about this and pulled their deal, Quisilia somehow hacked the company's website and social media accounts, then changed everything into a shrine to "The Great and Glorious Quisilia, Hail be His Name, Amen". Complete with a Quisilia-themed cross and bible.

Addendum: I should note that Quisilia has turned this into merchandise he is selling today. The Quisilia Bible is sadly an actual Bible with his face (helmet?) on it, but it is branded as "Perfect for sharing the Word of Quisilia with your religious friends". He also has similar skins for other religious texts.

This naturally went over _very_ well with various religious denominations, Scientology in particular, (This was before they were shut down by ADVENT) and there was actually legal action brought against him. Quisilia naturally mocked them on all his social media, hacked their site to extol his Divinity, and naturally just made them furious.

Which only made the idiots angrier, and the litigation kept piling up until the site was forced to pull them temporarily. That lasted one day, until Quisilia began posting vlogs of him going into the houses of Scientology leadership and getting their reactions as he tied them up, and then let a venomous snake in the room. All of the lawyers suddenly disappeared as well, and there were five reported deaths.

Everyone went rather quiet after that, and so far no one has dared to really interfere with the Memelord's merchandise. As much of a lovable goofball Quisilia likes to portray himself as, we shouldn't forget that this is an Ethereal that won against a Sovereign Avatar.

So, to get back on topic, the largest expansion has been his Youtube presence, on which he has several different channels. I will also say that Quisilia has a habit of parodying the styles of other creators, using full taglines, fonts, and quotes in a mocking or ironic manner. This has led to some complaints, but most have managed to just accept it.

His channels are the following:

 _Quisilia Gaming!_ : This is exactly what it sounds like. Quisilia plays video games, in series known as Let's Plays, where he plays through an entire game and offers his opinion, while other times just ignoring the game and talking about some random unrelated topic. He tends to play shooter games, and visual novels of all things. I am positive he plays the latter ironically.

At least I hope he does.

 _Quisilia Reacts!_ : This is actually what I would consider to be a full parody channel. Quisilia just sits there, and will either talk in the most monotone voice ever, or give highly overexaggerated reactions to whatever he is watching. That he always wears his helmet adds to the comedy factor in this. He never offers anything serious, but is highly sarcastic and mocking in all his videos posted here, and usually includes footage of actual reactors (Both the nuclear and channel kinds – obviously) for good measure. Usually to mock as well.

 _Cooking With Quisilia!_ : I swear he's just trying to drive ADVENT analysts insane. This is _exactly_ what it sounds like. Quisilia cooks something. The videos will range from ten minutes to an hour since Quisilia shows _every single step_ , and also includes the _cooking time_. And of course he'll fill the dead air with inane comments, which tend to include covering ADVENT or our own social media.

Some of what he's shown does look good though.

 _Quisilia Kids!_ : If you somehow thought Quisilia would only cater to adults, well, you're wrong. He boasts a channel that is 'completely safe for the little ears', and features an array of kid friendly content, which largely seems to be him taking our children's stories and making a thinly disguised alien equivalent. This has led to classics such as "The Three Little Sectoids," "The Little UFO That Could," and "Beauty and the Borelian."

He acts all of these out with little hand puppets, but he definitely still sounds sarcastic a lot of the time, and clearly having fun. And it is funny, until you realize that this is the most popular channel on Youtube Kids.

 _Quisilia the Great!_ : This is his first channel, and where he posts his vlogs, which are essentially him sitting in front of a camera and talking about random stuff. Most of the time it'll be a waste of time, and then he'll talk about deployments on Desolan and that makes ADVENT _have_ to watch everything he does in case he says something important. Occasionally he'll bring on guests as well, or show an alien planet. It always depends on whatever he feels like.

My question is how the hell does he have the time to do all of this? His Andromedon intern?

So yeah, that covers the main development of the aliens on the glorious invention we call the internet. I'll show this to our alien residents to see if it's good enough, but all we can really do is make sure they don't change things up _too_ much.

\- Ariel Jackson, Central Officer of XCOM

* * *

 _Subject: The Ethereal Memelord (Quisilia)_

 _Occupation: Professional Troll_

 _Video Title: Cooking with Quisilia! Episode 37 – Tacos!_

 _Video opens with a title card with the slightly cartoonish white font "Cooking with Quisilia" with the subtitle "Tacos!" just beneath it. This is displayed over a purple background and accompanied by the respective jingle he made for the show. Title card pulls up._

 _The setting is once more Quisilia in a standard home kitchen, not even a professional one. Quisilia looks exactly the same as he always does, except he had additional clothing attachments. Specifically an oversized apron which fits naturally on him (With frills along the edges, pink too for that matter), and a chef's hat which appears to be attached via some adhesive, as it sticks up at an angle and clearly does not even attempt to fit over the helmet at all._

 _Quisilia lifts one hand_. "Hello there! Welcome to another episode of Cooking with Quisilia!" _A musical jungle accompanies this._ "Today we're going to do a fairly popular dish I've come to enjoy called Tacos! Some of you may have heard of these, but today _you_ will learn how to cook them." _Quisilia motions to the counter, which has an array of ingredients, including ground beef and various vegetables._

"On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this as a three in level of difficulty." _A graphic appears, showing this, and the meat suddenly floats into the air and begins being torn apart._ "Now you will first take your ground beef – one pound will do – and defrost it. I've already done that, so I'll lightly tenderize it, and then place it in the pan. There we go!" _He places the pan on the stove._ "Now while that's warming up, we'll start cutting the vegetables."

 _Quisilia starts cutting up tomatoes, lettuce, olives, green onions, and avocados while humming some kind of tune. After a few minutes of this, he stops._ "There we go, now we'll place them into different bowls so we can access them later. Now we have to make sure the meat is cooked all the way. This will take a few minutes, so feel free to skip ahead since literally nothing will happen." **[Observer note: The stove temperature is set to the lowest setting. He is deliberately making this longer.]**

 _Quisilia begins lightly stirring the meat, and turning it over, humming to himself. This continues for approximately fifteen minutes and ten seconds. Quisilia turns and looks right at the camera and waves._ "Hello ADVENT! If you want to make this go faster, why not cook along with the video?" **[Observer note: Fuck you, Quisilia.]**

 _Quisilia returns to taking forever with his cooking, and approximately twelve minutes and two seconds later, he takes the pan off the stove._ "And I think we're done! Now we're going to put everything together. Now, this is what I like, but don't be afraid to add or take stuff off depending on your tastes!" _Quisilia assembles the taco in rather fast fashion, utilizing all of his arms to create an expertly crafted soft taco._ "Perfect! _That_ , my Human friends, is how you make a taco!"

 _Quisilia sets the plate with the taco on the counter._ "And this concludes today's episode of Cooking with Quisilia! Be sure to tell me what you think of the recipe. So comment below, let me know! As always, if you like what you've seen here and want to see more, click right here to see more!" _Video flashes to end slide which has links to his previous episodes, as well as the next one, with the respective playlist. Video ends five seconds later._

 _Analysis: I just wasted approximately thirty six minutes and twelve seconds watching a goddamn Ethereal make tacos. And not even real tacos either. Soft tacos, the imbecile. Couldn't even be bothered to make the right ones. So yes, what I learned here was how to cook meat and chop vegetables._

 _That is my official analysis._

 _My unofficial analysis is that Quisilia is making these just to make us waste as much time as possible._

 _Why are we made to watch these? Just because we_ _ **think**_ _he displayed Zararch codes in episode 4 doesn't mean that he's going to do it in every episode. And I also would bet my month's salary that those numbers meant absolutely nothing to begin with. Fuck you, Quisilia, go right to whatever the alien equivalent of hell is._

* * *

SUBMISSION: To r/xcom [Notable posts]

[52.4K] Quisilia getting thrown into a building!

 _This post is the now-famous gif of Quisilia being psionically tossed around by the Chronicler. Footage has been slightly cropped and edited to focus only on the Ethereal being thrown around._

[-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 766 points 10 hours ago – stickied comment

I would have all of you know that all of this mockery is very bad for my self-esteem. Heartless humans, have you no concern for your new alien overlords?

I would also like to point out that any other smaller and weaker alien would have died. Even in failure I show the superiority of my species

| [-] **jacklyin111** 411 points 10 hours ago

| There he is!

|| [-] **rob112** 311 points 10 hours ago

|| A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

||| [-] **pizzepiebob** 412 points 9 hours ago

||| lol, what are you talking about? With how much this guy posts here, it would be more of a surprise if he _didn't_ post something. Hey u/TheGreaterQ go back to r/aww

|||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 517 points 9 hours ago

|||| :( _[Embedded is a link to Puss In Boots holding his hat and looking sadly up at the camera]_

[-] **ABG111** 4.3K points 12 hours ago

And that was the moment Quisilia knew that he fucked up.

| [-] **TheGreaterQ** 811 points 12 hours ago

| Trust me, I figured that out a bit earlier.

|| [-] **AJacksonXCOM** [XCOM Community Outreach] 1.1K points 11 hours ago

|| Oh, I bet you did. Wish I could have seen your face when it happened.

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 1K points 11 hours ago

||| MFW I realize I'm fighting a [REDACTED]. _[Embedded is a link to "I've got a bad feeling about this" gif]_

|||| **ABG111** 2.1K points 10 hours ago

|||| MFW I have no clue what's going on, but see you getting beat up so I assume it's good. _[Embedded is a link to "This is where the fun begins" gif]_

||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 211 points 10 hours ago

||||| Hello, what have we here? You wouldn't have ever gone to Australia, have you?

|||||| [-] **ABG111** 189 points 10 hours ago

|||||| Once or twice.

||||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 111 points 10 hours ago

||||||| Recently?

|||||||| [-] **ABG111** 121 points 10 hours ago

|||||||| Possibly.

[-] **batbar11** 1.5K points 15 hours ago

So is no one going to ask just _what_ is throwing around our favorite Ethereal memelord?

Because I don't think he's a pushover like this.

| [-] **1m112** 990 points 15 hours ago

| Most likely an XCOM psion. Or he got hit by a MEC really hard. IDK for where, though. First time I've ever seen him fighting before.

|| [-] **batbar11** 711 points 14 hours ago

|| Australia? Cheekily mentioned it somewhere else. Think whoever filmed it is here lurking as well. But don't know for sure.

Edit: Here's where he mentioned Australia. _[Hyperlinks to appropriate comment]_

| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 341 points 15 hours ago

| Trust me when I say you don't want to know.

|| [-] **WinTrinity-x** 516 points 14 hours ago

|| Oh but we _do_ , Quisilia. We _really_ do.

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** 111 points 14 hours ago

||| no

|||| [-] **jlock088** 155 points 14 hours ago

|||| no u

||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 220 points 13 hours ago

||||| _dies from such a spectacular comeback_

[-] **TheGreaterQQ** 511 points 13 hours ago

This is what I endure, Humans! Soon all of you shall fall under the might of the aliens!

| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Ethereal Memelord] 2.4K points 13 hours ago

| Yess! I have my first imposter! But let me give you some pointers. First, extolling the virtues of the Collective only makes people irritated. Second, that kind of uncreativity is what the Zar'Chon would post and think it's actually intimidating. Three, why so serious [Embedded is a link to the respective meme]. Four, you didn't use any memes. Fail! Sad!

|| [-] **TheGreaterQQ** 122 points 12 hours ago

|| I don't know what you're talking about. I _am_ Quisilia, and I believe _you_ are the imposter here.

||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 1.2K points 12 hours ago

||| _points to flair_.

I think you missed the crucial difference between us. Also, you _really_ suck at this.

|||| [-] **TheGreaterQQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 99 points 11 hours ago

|||| And just what were you saying again?

||||| [-] **falconfight11** 788 points 11 hours ago

||||| This is getting out of hand. Now there's two of them!

||||| **ValiantShield20** [MOD] 811 points 10 hours ago

||||| Alright, all of you quit spamming the report button. That's not what it's for. Mr. QQ isn't technically breaking any rules. But there can only be one Quisilia, so I've modified his flair.

Now quit bugging me.

|||||| [-] **TheGreaterQQ** [Resident Alien Impersonator] 422 points 10 hours ago

|||||| I suppose this is a fair compromise.

||||||| [-] **TheGreaterQ** [Resident Alien Memelord] 435 points 10 hours ago

||||||| Aww! _[Embedded link to a kitten playing]_ Seeing you trying to emulate me is going to be so cute! I can't wait!

* * *

Operation: Internet Cesspool

Division: Human Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'wiaria'borelia

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

Upon the initial conception of this plan, I believe all of us thought it was a good idea. Human history has shown that supposed tyrannical organizations like ADVENT would draw out the rebels in Humans. We need not look far to see that Humans will rebel against authority if they feel it is too overbearing. However, with the recent crackdowns of ADVENT, and the unfortunately anti-alien sentiment rising, such refuges are becoming rarer, but in a way, it made our job somewhat easier.

Our best hope lay with 4chan, a Human site with a reputation for not buckling to authority. If there were any Humans that could be subverted and turned against ADVENT, it would be those who inhabited that site. Now, we had very little initial information beyond this when beginning this operation, and the site itself is not exactly intuitive, but we managed to begin posting some threads.

Let us say that the first postings did not help our self-esteem. The Humans have an uncomfortably large vocabulary of insults, including some which I believe are made up. Still, it did not exactly make us feel welcome when there were repeated sexual threats against our mothers, accompanied by Nazi imagery.

If you are not aware why this is not comforting, then I suggest you look that up. That content is beyond the purpose of this document.

Since we were getting surprising pushback to even people saying ADVENT was bad (And to be fair, there were a few who said something along the lines of "yeah, ADVENT isn't the best, but I have memes so jk, lol" and other inane sentences that I struggle to know how these people are supposedly able to operate their computers), we decided to play the role of an "anon" which is a term they use for a leaker of important information.

4chan has, in the past, been home to some sensitive leaked information due to that all postings are supposedly anonymous. So we posted plans for ADVENT which stated that they were going to come and take all firearms away from their citizens. We spent considerable time putting together the document to be as authentic as possible, and for a while, we did get 4chan riled up.

That was until a bunch of other users started posting that they were under an 'alien psyop' and posted _the exact location we posted from_. Somehow, and we are still not sure how, they were able to trace our posts and from the location, figure out if we were alien or not. Since we posted from Australia…you can see how it came to that conclusion.

Our network was soon bombarded with multiple network attacks, which seemed to be doing nothing except trying to wreck our infrastructure. How these Humans managed to figure out how to hack our systems is concerning, especially since I'm not convinced they were ADVENT, or even working for them. The biggest reason I have for this is the abundance of 'trollface' pictures placed on our computers, and that all of our Human bank proxy accounts were emptied and used to buy copious amounts of chocolate.

In an attempt to try and salvage the situation, I had another agent from another location post a kind of rebellious sentiment, and within a few hours they had already tracked down where the agent was living (Embedded in an ADVENT controlled city), and then acquired _video_ of the safe house, and ADVENT was soon kicking down the door.

Then there was _another_ cyberattack on multiple bases – we're still not sure how they even found them to begin with, and this attack was far, far more psychologically damaging. These 4chan hackers didn't resort to viruses or worms, but instead slowed the network down by forcing our computers to download copious and disgusting amounts of Human pornography.

If you are not aware, pornography is where Humans film or photograph themselves performing sexual actions and then post it _publicly_ if you can actually fathom that. If it was _only_ Human porn, it would have been bad enough, but it also included…for your own sanity, I will not describe it, except that the Battlemaster was right to declare Tumblr a banned site.

I know far more about Human anatomy than I ever wanted to thanks to this, and I'll never be able to look at another one the same way again.

Regardless, considering the system and psychological damage caused by 4chan I shut the entire operation down. It clearly wasn't working, and all the original threads were now filled with porn, anti-alien slurs, and varying degrees of Nazism focusing on 'gassing the aliens'. We sustained enough damage on this operation, and I feel perfectly justified in saying that we should never touch 4chan again until the Humans are conquered.

We have enough enemies here. The last thing we need is 4chan among them.

* * *

 **ADVENT Online Storage Document 992**

 _Target Domain_ : Reddit

 _Subreddit_ : The_Chancellor

 _Subreddit Tagline_ : Humanity First and Forever!

 _Subreddit Focus_ : Pro-Human - Anti-Alien – Humor

 _Description_ : Welcome to the premier subreddit of choice for ADVENT, and the glorious Chancellor of ADVENT, Saudia Vyandar.

Be advised that this subreddit is only for Humans and supporters of our glorious leader. We will have discussions, memes, AMAs, and much more! Also be advised that xenos (aliens) are not welcome here and will be banned unless they register with moderation beforehand.

Please read the rules before contributing to this community.

 _Subreddit Population_ : 1,007,154

 _Notable Top Posts_ :

[69.2K] I PRESENT TO YOU THE GOD-EMPRESS OF MANKIND! [HUMANITY FOREVER]

 _Thread Content_ : This is one thing I can say is legitimately awesome, and is plastered all over the subreddit. This is a piece of art which depicts Chancellor Saudia Vyandar as the God Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer 40K, flanked by the Commander of XCOM, Chief Stein, and Commander Christiaens in similarly inspired regalia, along with similarly modified soldiers in the background. This was, incidentally, the picture which started inspiring everyone in the subreddit to refer to Chancellor Vyandar as the "God-Empress of Mankind" or simply "the God-Empress."

[52k] saudia_vyandar: "Today I have authorized an operation to take back the parts of America which are under alien control. Today they will face the best Humanity has to offer, and the Collective will learn once more the consequences of invading our planet." [CHANCELLOR TWEET]

 _Thread Content_ : This subreddit links every single tweet Chancellor Vyandar makes, and many ones made by the official ADVENT twitter as well. This was posted for Operation Sherman, and includes a lot of discussion and excitement around the liberation of America.

[51K]: Get cucked, Quisilia [XENO FILTH]

 _Thread Content_ : This is simply the now-famous gif of Quisilia getting thrown against the wall by an unknown adversary. Needless to say there are a lot of people making fun of him on there.

[42K]: Canada is now part of ADVENT! Welcome Canadian friends to the new world order! [HUMANITY FOREVER]

 _Thread Content_ : Celebration thread regarding the Canadian annexation, with quite a few calls for ADVENT to annex the rest of the world. Some heated discussion on if the 'cowardly Canadians' should be allowed to receive the full benefits of ADVENT. Some posters wishing ADVENT had been harsher. Posters are recorded and logged for review.

[40]: EU: "We see ADVENT as a clear and present danger to the established order of the world." Guess who they'll come crying too when the aliens invade? [TRAITORS!]

 _Thread Content_ : This links to a clickbait website that the majority of users clearly did not read, as the purported quote actually does not exist, and the EU has never made such a statement that even implies as much. They have criticized ADVENT, but never once called it a danger to the world. Website marked for takedown upon submission of this document.

[37K]: It would be a shame if this picture of President Qin partying with his EU friends went public [TRAITORS!]

 _Thread Content_ : If you think this sounds fake, you are right. This takes the source from another tabloid website which will soon be penniless, which shows a clearly photoshopped Qin at a party with various EU officials (Who are also photoshopped into it). That there are so many who appeared to believe this is disturbing. You will notice a trend here that people believe that the EU and China are actively trying to sabotage ADVENT.

This is not the case.

[32K]: Amalda Stein: "Aliens have no rights at this time under ADVENT, and will be dealt with as such" [JUDGE STEIN]

 _Thread Content_ : Largely includes comments desiring to kill all aliens on sight, and how Stein is such a visionary. For once they got the quote right, but also didn't seem to notice that Stein specifically said "at this time". Which means that if such laws were to be implemented, they would be supported and followed by her.

Flagged several posters who wrote more vivid and violent comments.

[29K]: RED ALERT: China enters the war! Japan being liberated now! [ALIENS BTFO]

 _Thread Content_ : Initial thread concerning China working with ADVENT to liberate Japan. Given all of the anti-China fearmongering, there was some degree of speculation what China was _really_ doing, before they all kind of quietly came to the conclusion that Saudia had forced them to do something, and now China was going to be the Best Ally Ever.

They can sure change minds quickly around here. I doubt a psion could do better.

[25K]: EVIDENCE that QUISILIA is an operation run by the ALIENS – NOT CHINA! [XENO FILTH]

 _Thread Content_ : The true top minds of Reddit inhabit this sub, I swear. I'll just let Quisilia handle this one:

[-] **TheGreaterQ** [FILTHY XENO SCUM] 22 points 10 days ago

Shit, you've figured it out. Who could have ever guessed that I was working for the aliens the entire time? I guess you all deserve to know…

I was an alien _all along_!

[24K]: The_Chancellor welcomes FRANCE as the newest member of ADVENT [HUMANITY FOREVER]

 _Thread Content_ : One of the more mild threads where they celebrate France joining ADVENT, with a healthy dose of xenophobia to go along with it.

[22K] MSM STUNNED that ADVENT demands accountability! [HUMANITY FOREVER]

 _Thread Content_ : Posted shortly after ADVENT installed their media guidelines. A lot of smug posters thinking that this means no more criticism of ADVENT. It is clear the majority don't know what, exactly, they are talking about.

[20K]: FOOTAGE of alien experiments on us. THESE ANIMALS MUST PAY! [XENO FILTH]

 _Thread Content_ : I'll give the rampant murder fantasies in this thread a pass. That video was sickening.

[19K]: LEAKED Chinese Plan to destabilize ADVENT. HOW IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?! [TRAITORS!]

 _Thread Content_ : I'm amazed that we never found out about the leaked Chinese plan to destabilize us.

Oh right. Because it didn't exist.

This seems to have been written by the poster, or at least acquired by him. The original document is marked for takedown and the poster is also marked for further analysis.

* * *

 _Notable logged Twitter activity by Quisilia_

 _Posted shortly after the debut of Spectres_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Dec 3, 2016

Well, I see Fectorian is getting to show off his #toys, so I finally get to use these. #engineerng #nanomachines #son #xcom #aliens #memes.

 _Linked is an image of a high-resolution Spectre head badly photoshopped onto a person with the following caption. "That's a nice army you have there," [Second half of image zooms closer to the face] "It would be a shame if something were to happen to it."_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Dec 3, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

And this! #continuation #memes #nanomachines #son

 _Linked is a variation on the Yo Dawg meme which had a Spectre head in place of Alvin Joiner's, and the following caption. "Yo dawg, I heard you like nanites. So I put some nanite in your nanites so your nanites could make nanites while they nanited."_

-X-

 _No significant activity was reported during this time._

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Nov 20, 2016

This is pretty much how meetings have been going lately. #invasionplans #meetings #zar'chon #me #aliens #xcom #advent

 _Linked is a variation of the Boardroom Meeting Suggestion template with all major characters having the heads replaced with badly oversized and photoshopped heads of various aliens. The boardroom leader appears to have the helmet of the Imperator (Cannot confirm due to never appearing in person), and the figures from left to right are the following: Isomnum, Quisilia, and Ravarian. The script is as follows:_

 _Leader [Imperator]: "Alright, we need to figure out what the best way to conquer Earth is. What should we be doing?"_

 _Figure 1 [Isomnum]: "Unleashing terror on their citizens?"_

 _Figure 2 [Quisilia]: "Memes and humor?"_

 _Figure 3 [Ravarian]: "An actual comprehensive plan that targets the psychological, physical, and systemic issues that are embedded in Human societies and cultures and leverages our technological and numerical superiority?"_

 _Next panel shows the Imperator looking angrily at Ravarian._

 _Final panel shows Ravarian being thrown out a window._

 **XCOM** xcom – Nov 20, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

I think this is more accurate than you want to admit. #incompetent

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Nov 20, 2016

#2me_irl4me_irl

-X-

 _No significant activity reported during this time_

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Dec 15, 2016

A reminder that if you don't want the standard, boring ADVENT (ha!) calendar, you can buy the actually creative and excellent Quisilia™ ADVENT calendar, which has a different picture of yours truly every day until Christmas! #stockingstuffer #christmas #merch #promotion #advent #religious #1buyequals1prayer

 _Linked is his site, specifically to the Quisilia ADVENT Calendar™ which has a little Christmas house that you open little doors to every day to reveal a new picture of Quisilia. All pictures of Quisilia are exactly the same, except with a different Instagram filter. Price is $4.99, not including shipping and handling._

 **ADVENT** ADVENT_PR – Dec 15, 2016

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

If you look very closely, you'll see that all of the images are the same with little filters. If you actually wish to properly participate in the celebration of one of the important holidays of Humanity, use the officially designed and packed with value ADVENT Calendar, with a free action figure you can select on checkout!

 _Linked is the official ADVENT merchandise store showing the more elaborately designed ADVENT Calendar, with each day showing a highly detailed and rendered pictures of various ADVENT officials and soldiers, with larger pictures for framing also included. Action figures shown as well. Price is $19.99 not including shipping and handling._

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Dec 15, 2016

 _Replying to ADVENT_PR_

I was on the fence, but then I saw the free action figure and I'm sold! Everyone go buy one of these too! #actionfigure #advent #marketing #subversivemarketing

-X-

 _Also no major activity. Except Christmas coming._

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ - Dec 18, 2016

If you're not sure what to get your religious friend for Christmas, today I am going to recommend the Quisilia Branded™ Bible, which includes a brand new cover, and additional Quisilia Commentary inside on the nature of religion and Christianity! Note that NONE of the original text has been altered, although I will frequently point out the things that were cut out 'for some reason'. #christmas #religion #christianity #gifts! #thinkingemoji #marketing

 _Linked is Quisilia's merchandise site, which had the Quisilia Branded™ Bible, which has a very ornate and white cover with gold stylized lines running along it, and the center is a stylized interpretation of Quisilia's helmet, with crosses on all four sides. Price is $9.99, not including shipping and handling. Translated in over 150 languages (Note: Many of these languages are ones which do not have official biblical translations, and ironically are bought extensively by missionaries for this reason) and ebook version included for free!_

 _Current sales are over thirty million, not including only ebook versions or pirated copies._


	101. ADVENT-History: 10th Crusade Declaration

ADVENT: History

Declaration of the Tenth Crusade

* * *

" _Hopefully this crusade will be the last."_

\- ADVENT Officer Qisma al-Vohra

* * *

 _CNN Article shortly after the conclusion of the Declaration_

The news of the crusade declared by the Vatican sent shockwaves throughout the world. While in recent days the Pope has been a notable ally of ADVENT, the announcement even surprised high-ranking officials who have stated that they were unaware the announcement was coming. Chancellor Vyandar said this to media representatives soon after the announcement:

"ADVENT would like to commend Pope Marcellus and the Vatican for once more proving to be a model of cooperation and initiative. While there is of course significant weight to their declaration, such actions are required when our entire species is threatened, and their willingness to make these decisions should be commended. We will be involving the Vatican in certain aspects of our military operations and public relations campaigns."

When asked specifically how aware ADVENT was of the announcement, she answered as follows:

"Neither I, nor anyone in ADVENT was aware of the intentions of the Pope, which made it an extremely pleasant surprise. In the future, we would recommend that such pronouncements be shared beforehand so we can better coordinate in the future."

This declaration has brought both praise and criticism, as several have wondered if the casual declaration of some of the deadliest religious wars in history is justified, and if is abusing his influence by encouraging young Catholics to fight. However, many have also pointed out that the Pope made his justifications clear in his announcement; the alien invasion is something which threatens our entire species and the atrocities committed against us are something that cannot be ignored.

The more suspicious of commentary alleges that this is a calculated move by a much more notably politically-savvy Pope to establish a firm connection directly to ADVENT. Ever since the Purge of the Vatican, conspiracy theories have run rampant, from suspecting the Pope is an ADVENT puppet to that he is the antichrist himself by being so closely tied with ADVENT.

While the more inane conspiracy theories can be safely dismissed, none can deny that of all religions in the world, Catholics enjoy the best relationship under ADVENT, and based on statements by Chancellor Vyandar, both the Vatican and ADVENT will be working together more in the future. What this will entail is unknown, but it is unlikely to be entirely unexpected.

Based on previous actions of both ADVENT and the Vatican, it will likely be ADVENT using the Pope's declaration in shared media, or recruitment advertisements targeted towards Catholics. The Pope will also likely make visits to known battlefields, accompanied by ADVENT protection. It is unknown how hard ADVENT will emphasize the Pope's declaration, but they won't just ignore it.

However, the religious fervor has already swept across the world as Catholic Pastors repeated the words of the Pope to their congregations. The words ranged from a biblical basis for the declaration to a fiery condemnation of aliens and their godless masters. There is a noted concern that the declaration of another holy war will worsen xenophobia and foster anti-alien sentiments throughout ADVENT and the world – in contrast to the newly unveiled AEGIS Division which has been designed for aliens within ADVENT.

ADVENT officials have yet to make comments on this development.

The tangible results of this declaration have not yet been fully catalogued, but ADVENT has already reported a surge in recruits and applications, primarily from those of Catholic and evangelical faiths, quite a few of whom directly cited the words of the Pope.

ADVENT also revealed that many of these recruits stated they wished to work in support roles, as most did not wish to participate in combat. As a result the number of medics, ground engineers, cooks, architects, and mechanics has risen significantly. As ADVENT has made this public, it is likely to assure people that joining ADVENT does not mean you must fight on the front lines.

Interestingly, this has led to leaders of other religions also declaring their support for a war against the aliens. While clearly a reflexive response, and many of these denominations are small, it speaks to the impact this has had on religions across the world, and the numbers released do show a large uptick in applicants from Christians, not just Catholics.

It would also not be incorrect to comment on how certain aspects of the Internet have reacted to this. Already there are a significant amount of memes on the subject, as the crusades are, for some reason, popular among this crowd. Because of this it would not be unexpected if the infamous battle cries (Such as "Deus Vult") of the crusades are used once again in the fight against the aliens.

One final aspect of this declaration is the impact beyond ADVENT. There are many Catholics all across the world, many who are not in ADVENT, and both Europe and South American nations are likely concerned with the words of the Pope. There will almost certainly be a push for either joining ADVENT, or participating more against the alien threat from the local Catholic populations.

Regardless of what will happen in these uncharted waters, it can be safely said that ADVENT will come out ahead.

* * *

To the Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna

While ADVENT continues to both exercise their diplomatic and military strength across the world while also pursuing multiple projects, many of which we are beginning to acquire hints of, there have also been other unexpected developments which will likely have a moderate impact on our own operations on Earth.

During a recent ADVENT conference which focused around religion and their role within ADVENT (The majority of Humans have some degree of religious belief, which is why ADVENT is spending any time on such a topic at all), the leader of the Catholic religion, Pope Marcellus the Third, declared a crusade against the Ethereal Collective.

Further research into this particular event is somewhat interesting. Crusades are defined as religious wars waged against others in the supposed name of their god. Nearly a millennia ago the Catholic Church fought in several declared crusades for control over what is now the Middle East, against the primarily Muslim Turks (Another religion which shares an interesting number of parallels with Christianity – And also the religion the Commander of XCOM fought against and was instrumental in its downfall).

It was an extremely violent and brutal war, which was host to executions, rapes, and forced conversions of captured populations, and the most well-known crusades usually ended in failure. There were a few more minor crusades, but they had many of the same elements as the larger ones. This is not entirely unique in Human history, but most modern Humans look back on the crusades as an example of dangerous religious fanaticism.

So the fact that the Pope is deliberately calling for one against us is curious. I expect that this crusade would be 'modern', in that it wouldn't intend to include the less savory aspects of historical crusades, and in truth it may be little more than a publicity stunt. The Pope, in essence, was simply calling for practicing Catholics to join in the defense of Earth. The Catholic Church is not a military power anymore, and so any impact such a declaration would have would be to strengthen the controlling military.

In this case, that is ADVENT.

With that said, this crusade is going to stoke religious fervor to a degree, especially as the Pope is viewed as speaking for God. It is equivalent to an Ethereal giving an order, and the Oyariah following without question. The Pope is viewed as holy and infallible, and thus someone who must be followed. I am expecting that this will begin a snowball effect where other religions will take similar stances against us.

ADVENT is going to benefit from this, and already they are receiving large numbers of recruits for their forces, in all roles. The announcement that ADVENT and the Vatican would be working together in certain areas is also curious, especially since ADVENT is notably anti-religious. This is quite possibly a shrewd move by the Pope to keep his religion relevant while most others will eventually fade into obscurity.

However, this has a greater effect on our own operations than more ADVENT recruits. There are Catholics all across the world, but there are a great many in South America. This could potentially cause issues for Nebulan and Volk as there will be pushes for the government to either join ADVENT, or even adopt anti-alien stances.

This could pose significant problems in the future for operations, as the population will already be disposed to be against us, and since I doubt the Pope is going to retract his words, we cannot do anything to really reverse that. I would also not recommend assassinating the Pope at this time either, as that would only backfire.

I would suggest that he be influenced to retract or modify his statements, but at this point I do not think that would work either. The best we can do is work with this, and hope that the effects are more limited than we expect.


	102. ADVENT - History: ADVENT and Religion

ADVENT: History

ADVENT and Religion

* * *

" _If it were any other time, what ADVENT has done with religion might result in a war. But considering the alien invasion happening right now, a lot of people had to consider what their priorities really were."_

\- Amy Sallian, Independent Political Analyst

* * *

ADVENT is the source of many controversies, many of which get less attention than they would have before the alien invasion. However, they are still noticed and felt by the people they affect. This is one instance where ADVENT could have potential issues in the future, as their recently released guidelines on religion have been the source of serious backlash from within the religious community.

I use the term 'religious community' because it is not just one group affected by this. These regulations are universal across all religions and don't specifically apply to just Christianity, Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, or any other singular religion. The response has ranged from harsh condemnations from the pulpit (Or equivalent position of preaching) to some of the more radical taking to threatening ADVENT officials.

These individuals were promptly arrested.

It is worth seeing just _why_ the religious community is so concerned about what is being implemented. Like most of ADVENT law, it is written clearly and easily. The exact reasoning behind them is the source of much speculation, but given that ADVENT is seemingly run by people who are either atheist or not strongly religious to begin with, it is not difficult to understand the reasons behind some of these rules.

 **Guideline 1: "** **A religion cannot preach or incite activity or opinions that are in direct contradiction to ADVENT law"** – This seems targeted primarily at any kind of religion preaching fanaticism, bigotry, or racism, which would make sense and is a fairly inoffensive law. This has been attacked as being an 'assault on the freedom of speech', which no longer applies since the American First Amendment doesn't exist anymore. If there is speculation to be had, this was likely inspired by both the Islamic extremism that originally came from Mosques, and more recently, the marriage equality controversy which saw Christian and Catholic churches take a firm stance against it, and still preach against it despite the issue being settled.

 **Guideline 2: "Religions cannot be centered on or around one or more living or mortal figures"** – An anti-cult measure. Nothing of controversy here, unless you are in a cult.

 **Guideline 3: "Religions cannot disparage, insult, mock, or condemn any kind of ADVENT or civilian business, occupation, or position"** – The reasoning behind this is more muddled, because on the surface it seems to prevent speaking negatively against ADVENT. This _does_ appear to be the case, but it specifically specifies _religion_. I can only assume that this is to prevent religions from stating something like "ADVENT is the spawn of the devil" which is blatantly false and not possible to be proven. This appears to be targeted towards that kind of major offense, as well as preventing potential public shunning of individuals and businesses, as is a problem in the Mormon and Jehovah's Witness communities for those who either leave or question the faith.

 **Guideline 4: "Religions cannot donate to or promote government officials"** – Again specifying religions, not citizens. The wording also specifies government officials, not politics in general which it has been stated would be allowed to be discussed.

 **Guideline 5: "Religious services cannot be televised"** – This was a _massive_ blow to televangelists, and cannot be construed as anything other than a measure to limit public exposure to religion. Granted, many televangelists are not exactly of the highest moral character, but there are a number who are largely harmless. Note that this does not say anything about recording services and putting them online later.

 **Guideline 6: "All religious services and meetings must be recorded and turned in to ADVENT Peacekeepers or designated Observer in a timely manner"** – A measure likely to gather evidence if any of the guidelines are being broken. ADVENT has also stated that they will cover installation costs if the church cannot afford them.

 **Guideline 7: "Religious leaders/ministers cannot be alone with children in a non-recorded, non-supervised area"** – Quite obviously a measure to prevent pedophilia which has been documented far too often to be comfortable with the current situation. Little controversy here.

 **Guideline 8: "All members of a religion must be registered and documented, and it is up to the religious organization to ensure that records are regularly kept, updated, and sent to ADVENT"** – This is one of the more controversial guidelines, as there have been accusations of creating a religious database – which ADVENT has explicitly stated that is what it is. They promise that the information is just a datapoint, but how strongly you believe that likely depends on your trust in ADVENT itself.

 **Guideline 9: "Religious figures/ministers cannot receive payment directly from the church outside of pre-planned and ADVENT-approved salaries"** – This is likely a measure to prevent pastors of megachurches becoming embroiled in controversies regarding certain actions. ADVENT has also stated that breaking this rule will lead to arrest and their titles stripped. A blow to conmen pastors everywhere.

 **Guideline 10: "The religion cannot encourage or influence patrons to donate directly to the church, it must be of their own volition. Religious texts regarding charity and donation can be used, but not as a pretext for soliciting money for any purpose"** – This seems to be something of a harsh rule, given how many churches rely on charity from their congregations and use it to raise money for humanitarian projects. It seems another rule targeted at megachurches which quite often and regularly solicit people for money, although this might hurt smaller churches even as it stops the less scrupulous ones.

 **Guideline 11: "All religions must formally and publicly renounce the parts of religious scripture and literature which are contrary to ADVENT law and established scientific facts they are not to be used outside of historical context or reference"** – This was a major controversy as this is how ADVENT has specifically targeted the theory of Creationism and essentially stated it cannot be preached…or at least preached without evidence, which is largely the same thing. This essentially has made it so that no religion can use their scriptures for justification against modern norms or laws, for better or worse.

 **Guideline 12: "All guidelines related to religious practice also apply to schools or programs affiliated with, or run by churches or religious organizations"** – This seems to achieve a similar goal the above one does, primarily in targeting churches teaching questionable scientific theories and beliefs, as well as trying to limit potential child abuse in certain religious programs and schools.

 **Guideline 13: "All places of worship will be taxed according to their size and location and be decided by ADVENT. All churches will undergo full audits annually to ensure they are in compliance with ADVENT law. Churches which are insufficiently funded but pass audit will have the difference funded in full"** – So churches will now be taxed, and half of people are happy, and the others are furious. The audits in particular seem to target churches which either mismanage money or use it for the sole purpose of enriching the leadership. The notation about covering the difference for churches who don't have sufficient funding appears written for more rural churches which heavily rely on donations and whom taxation might hurt the most. A commendable move for ADVENT.

 **Guideline 14: "All income must be used for either building maintenance, salaries of staff, and ADVENT approved charitable contributions and events"** – In short, churches can only use their money on either necessities, or whatever events or charities ADVENT approves. They can't spend their money indiscriminately any longer, nor donate to whoever they want. This could be seen as a way to limit political influence, or simply a way to stop churches from sending money to non-approved charities.

 **Guideline 15: "All places of worship must retain a designated observer to report on, and ensure that all places of worship are in compliance with the designated guidelines"** – The controversial ADVENT Observers written into law, which some accuse as a thinly veiled attempt to spy on them. If these are supposed to be spies, they seem to be very bad ones. These seem exactly what they sound like, or are closer to inspectors than anything else. Their full effect will likely not be felt for some time, but it is an effective way of making sure the respective church knows they are always being watched.

 **Guideline 16: "Religious bodies or organizations may not solicit the general population for money, conversion, or recruiting outside of ADVENT-approved events"** – This essentially neuters recruiting efforts by churches, especially those that go door-to-door, and even leaving advertisements or brochures appears to be illegal under this. Churches are understandably unhappy about this guideline.

 **Guideline 17: "If any of these guidelines are broken, ADVENT will formally disband the religion and make necessary law enforcement decisions"** – A final ultimatum, and one most believe ADVENT would be happy to follow through on. It should be noted that this would likely only actually happen if the leadership of the religion or denomination in question refused to punish those who broke the guideline, or handle it internally. It is one thing if it is a rogue church or religious figure, it is another if the religious leadership is openly defying ADVENT law.

This is a deeply detailed and thorough regulation of religion, but it is also an exceptionally tall order and I would not be surprised if there are churches that refuse out of principle. Time will tell how successful ADVENT is. There are many good things being established, but there also regulations that will be seen by many as nothing short of an attack on religion itself.

ADVENT has given churches six months to conform to the established regulations, but have said that it might be extended in light of the alien invasion. But it will come one way or another, but for now it does not seem to be the highest priority, for better or worse.

 _\- Article: ADVENT – End of Religious Freedom by Sandra Ilisa_

* * *

"At the moment, I think there is something of an understandable misunderstanding as to what my job is, as well as my other Observer friends. I want to assure everyone that we aren't spies or following you everywhere. I would go so far as to say that we are among the most transparent parts of ADVENT. Nothing is hidden nor do we believe in entrapment. I somehow doubt people would consider Peacekeepers the same, even though their jobs are similar to our own – at least in that we both make sure everyone is following the rules."

 _Pause_. "I believe that 'infringement' is the wrong word. I do want to be clear that the only hard requirement that exists is that we have to be allowed in during services and have access to all documents, recordings, and areas in the church. That's it. It's up to the people in charge of the church to decide how much they want their Observer involved."

"They can interact as much or little as they want, as long as they keep to what I said above. We're not telling them what to say, or looking at them threateningly, or anything like that. We're specifically ordered not to be disruptive and respectful to those who attend."

 _Brief pause._ "That is a valid concern. ADVENT is addressing that in several ways. People who are…either hostile towards religion or have had bad experiences won't be Observers. There is a certain amount of neutrality that is required for this job, since churches of course have the ability to go to the Oversight Division if they feel they're being treated unfairly."

"There is also nothing saying that the Observer cannot be religious themselves. Contrary to what some seem to believe, you can be religious and be a part of ADVENT. What an Observer believes or does not should not have any bearing on how they treat their assignment. Professionalism and competence is the priority here. We're not trying to shut down churches or kill off religion, which I feel is something people are unnecessarily concerned about."

 _Occupants audibly shuffle in their seats._ "How heavily can Observers be involved? Again, depends on the church. If the pastor wants to let the Observer look over a planned sermon to make sure there is nothing objectionable in it, they can do that. If they never want to talk with the Observer and have someone else manage them, they can also do that."

"Make people uncomfortable? Perhaps at first; I do understand the idea of a government observer sent to watch your place of worship is understandably disquieting. But I'm sure that eventually people will realize that we're not the enemy here. Maybe we'll not be accepted fully, but if we are tolerated then that is perfectly fine."

 _Pause_. "I don't want to say that we _don't_ have some kind of power, definitely not. But we will not use it without reason. There are plenty of safeguards in place to stop that, and in the event that certain Observers are not fit for the job, they will be replaced. You can quote me on that."

 _\- ADVENT Observer Molly Westaia to Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

While the ongoing controversy on the current state of religion under ADVENT rages on, there are a notable number of discussions on the same topic that are not only being ignored, but no one seems to have really realized in the first place. There is, of course, reason to discuss the religious freedom, or lack thereof, in ADVENT, but there are more implications beyond this.

While it is understandable to an extent, especially in western nations such as America, Canada, and many countries in Europe, the fact is that there is also the issue of religious tolerance which has historically been a problem, and even in the modern world had not completely disappeared. You can look to the widespread ban of Islam in most nations during and after the War on Terror, the poor treatment of religious minorities in India and much of Africa, and the entire Middle East is a hotbed of various religious factions attacking and persecuting each other – even if they follow the same religion.

ADVENT has, in essence, hit something of a reset button on religion. There are certain groups with religious undertones which are still banned, notably the entirety of cults. Surprisingly, ADVENT has also opened the door to other religions, most notably Islam, becoming legal again, provided they comply with ADVENT regulations.

This was seen as extremely surprising, as most assumed ADVENT would retain the ban or not address it at all, yet surprisingly it was explicitly mentioned as an example of how religion under ADVENT would function. As persecution or discrimination of any individual regardless of their religious beliefs is also illegal, it opens the door to stopping attacks or the poor treatment of religious minorities across the world.

The Middle East is a prime example of this in action, especially as it is now under ADVENT control and going through extensive reforms. It is too early to say how successful these reforms will be, but there are already some positive changes. Christianity (And any other approved religion) is no longer illegal, and can be openly practiced which has been celebrated by many Christians in the region.

At the same time, inter-religious persecution within Islam has also been quelled, especially in regards to the Sufis, which is commonly known as a relatively peaceful interpretation of Islam which has often been targeted by Salafis for differences in interpretation over religious texts and beliefs. For perhaps the first time, all of these various sects are in relative peace, and are free to worship without risk. The disbanding of Wahhabism as a legitimate sect of Islam has likely had nothing but a beneficial impact.

ADVENT has attempted to help mend relations between various sects and religions, especially in that region since all religions have had to adapt to the imposed regulations, often resulting in a change of leadership or structure. While meetings between opposed sects or religions have at times been tense, most are at least talking with each other about interpretive differences. Not all, but it can't be denied that this particular situation is slowly improving.

In general, ADVENT only truly seems to care that religions follow the guidelines, otherwise they do not care what the religion is. As a result this has allowed some of the recognized 'joke' religions continuing to stick around, in particular Jediism, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and of course, the Satanic Temple.

While the debate about if ADVENT is trying to end religion or not will continue for some time, it definitely appears that ADVENT is at least ensuring that religions will peacefully coexist with each other, which is only a positive outcome.

 _\- Article: Religion: The Positive Impacts of ADVENT by Daniel Sulfi_

* * *

In all of the news regarding ADVENT and religion, it is a good idea to take a break from it and focus on something funny and amusing, namely the glorious fall of Scientology. This is a story with many twists and turns, with both aliens and Humans teaming up to take down a common foe. It is a story of perseverance and cooperation, one in which people across the world watched history be made.

This begins shortly after ADVENT released their religious guidelines. The Church of Scientology immediately stated that they would take 'necessary and appropriate actions to protect the church and its members'. They were widely criticized on social media, and there were premature celebrations at this, as most assumed that they wouldn't be able to do anything against ADVENT (They were correct).

ADVENT responded (Via Twitter) that "Such actions are not a proper or legal response. The guidelines posted are not negotiable and those not intending to comply will become illegal." And with that, war was declared. The Church of Scientology began carefully distributing propaganda against ADVENT, and attempting to undermine their authority when possible. Outside of their congregations, very few were swayed.

Several prominent Scientologists in entertainment and other media attempted to disparage ADVENT, and leveraged their fan bases for a limited amount of time. This stopped when they were arrested by ADVENT for spreading misinformation. ADVENT made their trials very public by releasing court videos, and seeing the once-famous celebrities being taken to prison was a sobering experience for the believers and fans, as well as the fact that ADVENT distributed all of their assets to known and documented victims of abuse by Scientology.

There were two incidents which prompted ADVENT to take severe action. The first is that they launched a legal operation which made Operation Snow White look tiny in comparison, with the intent to overload the ADVENT legal system. For a moment it appeared that there may be enough to dissuade ADVENT from pursuing this, but that was when the Church realized they had made another enemy.

The Ethereal memelord himself had, for some time, been making fun of Scientology, and at one point had hacked their site which he defaced to proclaim his own divinity, as well as delivering snarky messages on Twitter. Quisilia was also 'targeted' legally during this event, mostly trying to remove his presence from social media and taking his merchandise offline.

This resulted in two major events. The first of which was ADVENT raided the Church of Scientology headquarters and released every single document, schematic, and video they took from inside one the most secure and secret building in the cult. Publicly exposed as a fraud religion, ADVENT then promptly dismissed all legal action from the Church of Scientology, declared it an illegal cult, and began arresting hundreds of Scientology leadership and subjecting them to interrogations.

At the same time Quisilia began having fun with Scientology leadership by recording vlogs where he entered their secure houses and tied them up, before leaving a venomous snake of some kind in the room as a parting gift. Much of Scientology leadership was found like this, with five succumbing to venomous snake bites. All of the lawyers who had personally filed suits against Quisilia disappeared, and are presumed dead.

To date, those videos are among his most highly viewed.

In the end, ADVENT stripped all buildings and leadership of Scientology of all assets and wealth before sentencing them, and either gave compensation to victims of Scientology, or repurposed the assets for their own uses. Regular members of Scientology were largely unaware this was happening until the day they showed up and were politely told that the cult was illegal and they should find something else.

It was naturally a large blow to them, but it was a day celebrated by most people, and a rare time when both ADVENT and Quisilia had the same goals and motivations. Both Twitter accounts publicly congratulated each other in a single moment of inter-species unity, before Quisilia went back to memes and ADVENT went back to fighting a war.

But let this story serve as both a warning to _not_ be a cult-like fraud, and a warming moment of the joys of cooperation.

 _\- Article: The Dismantling of Scientology by Barry Stroud_


	103. ADVENT-Organizations:The Judicial Courts

ADVENT: Organizations

The Judicial Courts

* * *

" _Justice will be served as the law demands. No longer will the irrational, corrupt, and uneducated determine the outcome."_

\- Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations

* * *

"When people condemn justice in ADVENT, I have to wonder just how much they actually know, and how much they believe because someone else told them. I find very few are worth listening to, as their major criticisms are addressed in one way or another. It is false outrage built on the sympathy of criminals."

 _Pause._

"I feel that there is a distinct difference in the way we view due process, and how others in the world view it. Due process to us is the procedures of criminal arrest, trial, and conviction. Due process has been ingrained in the minds of people as a list of rights for the accused that largely serve to slow, corrupt, or delay the courts."

"Sorry, I should clarify. I speak primarily of criminal arrests. Civil cases are, by and large, not affected by the changes." _Short pause_. "I'm aware that there is a worry that this can lead to abuse of authority. However, we have invested in means to ensure that doesn't happen. Body cameras, the Oversight Division, impartial judges; if there has been mismanagement at any level, we will find and remove it."

"No, I don't believe that the Peacekeepers have too much power. Fear, Miss Wong, works both ways. Fear prevents those who might commit crimes against ADVENT from doing so, and fear prevents our officers from abusing their authority. They know everything they do and say is watched and recorded. As several have learned, the Oversight Division will not hesitate to remove troublemakers. None are exempt from the Law."

 _Audible paper shuffling_. "You want to move to the Courts themselves? Go ahead."

 _Few seconds pause._

"The reason jury trials were removed was because it was placing the outcome of extremely high profile cases in the hands of unqualified civilians. You would not have a chef repair your car, or an architect perform surgery. The idea that a collection of random civilians have the knowledge or impartiality to perform law is the height of foolishness. ADVENT does not tolerate the incompetent, nor will we allow the unqualified to pass judgement over our citizens."

"I will elaborate on this. Public perception taints cases. Judges face pressure, but most can determine the proper judgement, even if it goes against public opinion. Juries are far more swayed by opinions, personal biases, and emotions. The trials become less about facts and evidence, and more about which side can emotionally manipulate the crowd into the desired outcome. This is how rapists and murderers can walk away free. That, Miss Wong, is far from _justice_."

 _Stein snorts in disgust_. "Juries have done nothing but politicize the Courts. They were a detriment and hindrance on our legal system. We arrest, put to trial, and convict. If a conviction requires more evidence, time will be devoted to acquiring it, or otherwise determining there is not enough. We do not waste time anymore on the courts. Convictions will happen in days or weeks, not months or years."

"Ah, I wondered if this would come up. I am aware that some think it is wrong for Peacekeepers to arrest a criminal, and have him be convicted the same day. I fail to see how this is an issue. The vast majority of the time there is video evidence, especially in the case of assault or resisting arrest, forensic evidence is often abundant, and there is little question of who is responsible. Tell me, what reason is there to drag out a trial any longer than necessary?"

 _Pause._

"'Innocent until proven guilty', one of the worst affronts to the pursuit of justice. Ah, but what if we _know_ the defendant is guilty? Should we just pretend for the sake of show? Should we offer false hope? No. Such only applies if we truly do not know if one is innocent or guilty. It is not a blanket statement which can be applied to everything. The ones who shoot at Peacekeepers, the ones caught in the act of theft, the vandalizers and terrorists, they are not afforded the ludicrous question of 'Innocent until proven guilty,' they are just _guilty_."

 _Pause, as both shuffle in their seats._ "No, I don't have any doubts. I do not lose sleep over the possibility of an innocent conviction. There are too many safeguards in place for this to be a concern. The introduction of the Arbiters further ensures only the guilty are punished. The law will be distributed fairly and equally."

"Criminal defenders? A waste of money and time. If they are arrested by us, they are guilty. They are not afforded the luxury of a defender. If they cannot adequately explain their defense to us, then they are not entitled to someone to twist and shroud the truth." _Brief pause._ "I believe the largest issue people have with this stems from a naivety about the world we inhabit. They believe in ideals, in values such as fairness and justice. But they do not want to bear the cost of what achieving these ideals requires."

"Justice is harsh and cold. It is served equally and without mercy. Justice cannot be achieved in a corrupt system, which we have witnessed before. One where your wealth determines your chances of conviction. One where judgements are rendered by the inept. One where public opinion holds unsettling sway over the outcome. Justice has for too long been corrupted and stifled."

"No longer. There will be justice under ADVENT, but to achieve such requires ruthlessness and stone hearts. Let the nativity of the people be shattered, this is the real world. And in the world we live in today, crimes will have punishments. Actions will have consequences. And unlike before, this time there will be no escape from them."

 _\- Interview between Amalda Stein and Journalist Jessica Wong on the ADVENT Judicial Courts._

* * *

ADVENT has some of the strictest and most brutal laws in the world, enforced by what is perhaps one of the most ruthless law enforcement agencies in recent memory. It is not a surprise that the judicial system under the hand of Amalda Stein has a notably harsh and cold approach to the ideals of justice. There is an argument to be made that justice is merely a word used by ADVENT to justify their culling of those they deem unworthy of life.

There are a host of words which can be used to describe the Judicial Courts. Unfair, efficient, unforgiving, and final. ADVENT, to some of their credit, makes no attempt to hide that they believe this is the correct way of enforcing the law. Amalda Stein in particular makes a point to address the criticisms of the legal system, sometimes simply stating that those opposed are naïve or just wrong in their beliefs.

Along with the changes to the justice system are also those to the crimes which can be committed, which is what will be explored here. ADVENT has made the consequences for crimes clear and accessible, to prevent any excuse of ignorance. It is clear from the descriptions that ADVENT takes no half measures when imposing punishment, with liberal uses of the Manchurian Restraints, sterilization, and chemical castration included for many of the worst crimes.

This will not be all-inclusive, but will cover the major crimes most people are aware of. I will also make a note that ADVENT does not make a distinction between Human or alien perpetrators or victims. All are supposedly equal under ADVENT law.

 **Murder** : I will clarify immediately that ADVENT defines murder as "The intentional taking of one or more Human or alien lives without acceptable cause" which is a carefully worded definition to allow for self-defense or other justified actions which result in murder – in the eyes of ADVENT at least. What is usually known as Manslaughter is a separate conviction, where the severity of the punishment depends on the circumstances of death. For reference it can be anywhere from 2 to 5 years.

Legitimate murder is treated far more seriously than manslaughter. Seriously enough that the _base_ penalty for murder is death. It is not unusual for those convicted of murder to be executed the same day. With the introduction of the Arbiters, there is no such thing as a wrongful conviction any longer, and ADVENT never spends time on appeals of cases of this nature.

The ironic part of this is that death is merciful compared to the alternative.

If you don't plead guilty, or the body count is higher than one, then the defendant is almost certainly condemned to the ADVENT Experimentation Labs, which is exactly what you would expect. If they are exceptionally unlucky they will be sent to XCOM, which I have been told is a worse conviction simply because even ADVENT doesn't know what happens.

Those who would also attempt suicide in such situations are also dealt with. Usually they receive limited Manchurian Restraints which makes them unable to cause self-harm, and are dead men walking for the rest of their days.

The only way one can avoid death or worse is to plead guilty, and be genuinely remorseful for their actions. If they receive a lenient judge, their sentence will be a mere fifteen years, along with the convicted being sterilized and receiving Manchurian conditioning.

This should give an initial idea of how ADVENT treats their criminals.

 **Assault/Abuse** : This is another crime treated seriously by ADVENT, and carries some of the harshest punishments. The base sentence for any kind of assault or abuse is twenty years, which rises five years per victim or a year period (Respective of the crime – if a defendant was charged with abuse of two people over a one year period, this would be a thirty-five year sentence). This can reach a maximum of forty years.

Assault is defined by ADVENT as "An unprovoked physical attack on one or more individuals causing severe or lethal trauma". When speaking of an "Assault" charge, it is important to understand that there are several different levels of assault.

The lowest level is Inebriated Assault, which is essentially when one attacks in an compromised state, such as when they are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. This can be a very serious crime depending on the damage to the victims, or a perpetrator could simply be ordered to report to an ADVENT Drug Center for addiction. Prison is unlikely unless the trauma to others is severe, though there are usually fines, monetary compensation, and addiction rehabilitation imposed.

The middling level is Minor Assault, which is defined as "A provoked attack on one or more individuals causing minor trauma" this covers escalated exchanges, bar fights, and other instances where the perpetrator is provoked into attacking another. Note that this is _not_ the same thing as self-defense, which is legally justified under ADVENT law. The punishment for Minor Assault depends on the trauma inflicted, though the most one can be sentenced for Minor Assault is one year in prison.

This section focuses on the highest level of Assault, which was previously defined above.

Child abuse or assault is an automatic forty year conviction.

Anything above forty years guarantees the death penalty.

Anything involving multiple children or a combination of adults and minors makes one eligible for sentencing to the Experimentation Labs.

All jail convictions include a minimum of ten years of solitary confinement – which can be broken into chunks at the discretion of the judge. They are additionally sterilized (In the event of the case involving minors or domestic abuse), and undergo Manchurian conditioning the same day they are convicted. There is speculation that by the time anyone convicted in this manner is released, they will be broken and destroyed beyond any help.

Considering ADVENT, this is likely intentional.

 **Theft** : As far as sentencing goes, this is something that is rather light for ADVENT. Largely because the variation on sentencing can vary significantly. The range is between two to twenty years, with one having a much higher chance of getting out of the infamous ADVENT Prison System unmolested if one shuts up, admits their crimes, and cooperates.

Petty theft and bank robberies are clearly not the same thing, and ADVENT doesn't prosecute as such. Thieves are also some of the few criminals of notable crimes who are not necessarily guaranteed Manchurian conditioning, or many of the other punishments ADVENT can impose.

 **Rape** : This is something ADVENT treats with some delicacy, as while there has been much pushing for victims to be believed when accusations are brought forth, there are also noted cases of false accusations which can destroy reputations and lives. ADVENT, until recently, has only convicted cases which have ironclad and irrefutable evidence, including forensic evidence, witnesses, and psychological interrogation.

With the introduction of the Arbiters, it is a simple matter of telepathy. The Arbiter will examine memories, and determine what has happened.

It should be noted that proven false accusations lead to the immediate arrest and prosecution of the offending party, giving plenty of incentive to not do this in the first place.

But if convicted, the punishment is severe. The minimum sentence is ten years, with five additional ones per victim (Specifically for serial rapists). Child rape or sexual activity of any kind is an immediate conviction to the Experimentation Labs.

Convicted rapists sentenced to jail time are immediately sterilized, chemically castrated, and undergo some of the most restrictive Manchurian conditioning of all crimes. This conditioning is severe enough that they are incapable of being alone with another person, cannot interact with children at all, and are made to be repulsed and sickened by any kind of sexual activity or thought, as well as displays of affection or sexuality. They are near-incapable of functioning in a society as a result.

A fate where execution would almost be preferable.

 **Drug Policy** : In contrast with the vast majority of ADVENT law, their drug policy is bafflingly one of the most laudable and praised achievements. Under ADVENT law, drug use of any kind is no longer illegal. In theory this means that a person can use and carry dangerous drugs such as meth and heroin, and not be arrested.

But while drug possession is not illegal, unauthorized drug distribution _is_.

There are only a few drugs which can be manufactured and grown for public consumption, and all of them have to be approved by ADVENT. Unauthorized drug distribution centers are extremely illegal and are finding it difficult to survive under ADVENT. Because while one cannot be arrested for possessing drugs, they do have to answer questions about the source, distributor, and anything else the officer desires. If a drug is not approved, they will likely confiscate it. Refusal to answer _will_ lead to arrest.

Chief Stein herself, after they announced their drug policy, officially pardoned and commuted the sentences of anyone who was previously convicted of a drug possession or usage charge. They also stated that anyone who had previously served a sentence was entitled to compensation depending on the amount of time served. This was universally commended, with even ADVENT's critics allowing them this one praise. It should be noted that this did not apply to drug distributors.

By targeting the drug distributors and not the users, ADVENT has found a far more effective means of cracking down on illegal drug distribution than previous governments have before.

 **Illegal Organization, Protest, or Conspiracy** : ADVENT had made headlines in their recent crackdown of what they like to deem 'illegal protests or gatherings', which they define as the "Unapproved, or unauthorized gathering of one or more individuals for the purposes of protest, of either a violent or nonviolent nature." ADVENT places a stronger emphasis on the 'unapproved and unauthorized' as the major reasons, as there have been multiple documented peaceful protests in ADVENT.

Conspiracy is defined as "The illegal planning of violent or impactful actions against members or institutions of ADVENT or citizens". The definition appears to target those who plan vandalism or terrorism against ADVENT, and who right now primarily meet on online forums.

Most are concerned about how severe the punishments will be for this, and thankfully, they are very lenient compared to most crimes under ADVENT. However, it works on a strike system. Illegal protests will net you a warning the first time with no consequence (Assuming you follow the instructions of the officer), a fine the second time, along with ADVENT monitoring software installed on all owned devices, and up to six months of jail for a third offense.

The same system usually is also applicable for Conspiracy, but it largely depends on how far along the operation is. If it appears that ADVENT is facing a serious terrorist threat, all members involved will be arrested and sentenced to up to two years in prison. If it is merely discussion, the three-strike system will be in place with the same penalties as illegal protest.

 **Human/Alien Trafficking** : If one is lucky (or unlucky) the lowest possible sentence one can receive for trafficking is thirty years, with a decent chance of all of them being in solitary confinement. In many cases, the conviction is either death or the Experimentation Labs. The trial usually comes after ADVENT has interrogated them to determine how to break any remnants of the remaining trafficking or sex rings.

ADVENT does not legally differentiate sex rings and trafficking rings. Both have the same penalties, as well as modifiers. Anything involving children will immediately convict all those involved to be sent to XCOM. The ones who survive and go to jail instead receive similar punishments as rapists, with moderately less invasive Manchurian conditioning. In some cases, it is arguably worse since their conditioning means they cannot interact with a non-ADVENT official in any meaningful way.

It should be emphasized that this also applies to alien trafficking rings or equivalents. If any of the mentioned rings involving aliens are found in ADVENT territory, they will be punished exactly the same as if their victims were Humans.

If there is a lesson to be taken from what is written above, it's that if there weren't enough reasons to not be a criminal, this should deter one from that path permanently. If you are unfortunate enough to be caught and convicted, there is no hope for you.

And it will follow you all the days of your life.

 _\- Article: ADVENT Justice - Crime and Punishment by Allison Bailey_

* * *

The announcement that ADVENT would be incorporating psions into the Judicial Courts was initially met with a combination of shock, approval, and rejection. The feelings to this likely depend on one's personal opinions towards ADVENT, but none are unexpected at such a pronouncement.

There were naturally many questions raised about how this would work, and what safeguards would be put in place to prevent the so-called Arbiters from exercising their authority unjustly? Would they supersede judges? Would there be enough to be used through the entirety of ADVENT? Would they be used liberally or sparingly?

ADVENT did soon detail the exact role the Arbiters would play in the Judicial Courts, and while it is perhaps one of the most influential positions in ADVENT, there are at least plenty of safeguards put in. The important pieces of information will be highlighted below:

 **All Arbiters receive Manchurian Conditioning** : Moral questions of the Manchurian Restraints aside, no one can deny that they have their uses or are effective in what they are designed to do. I would even say that most will feel a sense of relief at learning that Arbiters are subjected to the Manchurian Restraints.

Per ADVENT, Manchurian Restraints on Arbiters are among the most restrictive and tightly programmed. ADVENT has stated that they understand that it is important that people trust Arbiters, and to do that, they could not afford to take any risks with their programming. While the exact details of the programming are not available, it is likely that they perform as ADVENT has specified.

 **Arbiters are used in high-profile cases** : ADVENT has stated that Arbiters will only be utilized in cases where the evidence is insufficient one way or another, and at the discretion of a judge. Arbiters can also be requested by parties in trial, though also must be approved by judges. Arbiters will not be used in every case, and will not even be confined to specific areas. They will be sent as needed, and _only_ when needed.

 **Arbiters are not the final judge** : In an interesting subversion, ADVENT detailed that judges would actually not be allowing Arbiters to unilaterally decide the outcome of cases. Anything recovered through telepathic extraction or sensing would be another piece of evidence to help determine the facts.

What Arbiters are looking for is not necessarily the memories themselves, but other things in the memories. Details, such as where people were and what they were doing, which can be searched for more tangible evidence, actual words that were exchanged to provide transcripts of dialogue in the moment of the alleged crime, and further details such as the environment, potential witnesses, weapons used or places the individual touched or hid.

Arbiters are, according to ADVENT, meant to provide another tool for separating truth from lies, and not something they will ever completely rely on.

 **Arbiters are not powerful psions** : ADVENT has said that almost all Arbiters rank very low on the Trask Scale of Psionic Power, with ninety percent under a rank of 20, and sixty-three percent under a rank of ten. While all are exclusively telepaths, there is supposedly not as much difficulty in reading one mind at a time, so this is an area where the less powerful of the PRIEST Division can find use in.

 **Arbiters are subject to handlers and direct interest from the Oversight Division** : In the interest of transparency and security, ADVENT has stated that all Arbiters will have handlers appointed by the Oversight Division who will review all cases they are involved in, ensure that Manchurian Restraints are working as intended, and otherwise ensure that the Arbiters are performing their jobs to the standards required of both the Judicial Courts, and the Oversight Division.

At any point the Oversight Division can request Arbiters be suspended and reviewed, and have significant power over their deployment and usage. According to ADVENT, only the combined orders of the Chancellor of ADVENT and Chief of Peacekeeper Operations can halt an action by the Oversight Division against an Arbiter.

 **Requirements of Arbiters** : All Arbiter candidates must have completely clean backgrounds, sufficiently train to pass certain PRIEST standards, and submit to the entirety of the Manchurian programming.

While it most certainly will not quell all fears of using psions in judicial proceedings, I can say with some confidence that ADVENT is treating the potential shortcomings and dangers seriously and putting effort into safeguards. The moment we see the Arbiters in action will be when we find out if ADVENT succeeded or failed in this task.

 _\- Article: Psions In The Court – What are Arbiters? By Gabe Orvil_

* * *

The ADVENT Judicial Courts are at first glance wholly alien and, at the same time, familiar to many people. Per statements made by both Chancellor Vyandar and Chief Stein, the Judicial Courts, as well as the overhauls to the laws and courts were to produce an accurate, legal, incorruptible, and efficient court system.

The means by which they have attempted to achieve this have been met with both praise and criticism. The critics of the Judicial Courts point out that criminals are afforded almost no civil liberties or rights, and that there isn't enough time taken on individual cases before a verdict is reached. There is worry that the government has far too much control over the Judicial Courts, and the system seems tailor made to fill the prisons quickly. The far-reaching powers of the Peacekeepers do little to quell this fear.

Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, Amalda Stein, has been credited as the architect of this system, which critics have decried as an affront to the concept of justice and civil rights. They point to her own record, public statements, and actions as proof of her hatred for criminals and relentless crackdown of dissent.

To date, Chief Stein has not only confirmed her statements, but continues to hold to her own beliefs and rationalizations. She has already pointed to the fact that the Cartels in Mexico and all around the world are being dismantled, crime is at all-time lows, cases are solved within days, and that ADVENT is the most secure area in the world.

She attributes this success to the "Deterrence Effect", which many have unofficially called "The Doctrine of Terror", as outlined in one of her most viewed and infamous essays "Crime and Punishment". While I would attribute the parallels with what she outlined in the paper with the Prison System of ADVENT, elements of it can be seen in the Judicial Courts themselves.

However, the question is what _are_ the Judicial Courts?

This paper should provide answers.

 **Types of Courts** : There are two kinds of courts in ADVENT – Civil and Criminal. Judges can preside over either, but both are extremely different in case matter. All cases will fall into one of these categories. Civil will handle non-criminal cases, and Criminal will handle all cases related to violent or white-collar crimes.

 **Civil** : ADVENT officially defines civil cases as those between citizens of a non-violent, non-criminal nature. This includes, but is not limited to: Divorces, financial disputes, copyright issues, and so on. In practice these are largely unaffected compared to how they previously operated. Most sides will have one or more lawyers representing themselves.

The largest difference is that civil cases are usually resolved much quicker than normal, and Judges have become far less lenient on deadlines, and appeals are almost guaranteed not to happen when a judgement is rendered. While Judges do make decisions in a relatively short amount of time, they do need to be somewhat careful as any citizen can request the Oversight Division to review a case or judge. If fault is found with the outcome, the Judge can be permanently disbarred, creating incentive to not make rash judgements.

The Judge has some additional power in civil cases, and if there is suspicion of potential tampering or illegal activity, they can request ADVENT Intelligence monitor both parties, and both parties can also request monitoring as a form of insurance policy, especially in more dangerous situations.

However, the vast majority of civil cases play out like they have normally.

 **Criminal** : ADVENT handles all cases where the criteria is defined as when one party alleges violent or criminal behavior for the other. This includes all violent and white collar crime, such as murder, rape, assault, fraud, and so on. There are two additional subtypes of Criminal Cases: State and Civilian.

State: This is where ADVENT faces a criminal in court. This includes all individuals who have been arrested by any branch or personnel of ADVENT, including the Peacekeepers, SSR, or ADVENT Intelligence. If one is unfortunate enough to be arrested by ADVENT, they are almost guaranteed to be convicted, usually the same day as their arrest or a day afterward.

During these trials, ADVENT will present all evidence against the person in question, usually a short and concise presentation often using witness statements, video footage from armor cams, and forensic evidence if applicable. The defendant (Or their representative if applicable) is given an opportunity to respond, but very rarely can they refute anything shown as almost all of it will be hard evidence.

In such a situation, the best thing a person facing the might of ADVENT's lawyers can do is to plead guilty and cooperate fully, as the chance of being completely cleared is almost nonexistent. This is the only way the person in question has any kind of control over the length of their sentence.

Civilian: These are cases where civilians can bring charges against another person or entity. There is no limit on who can be brought to trial, it could be a neighbor or the Chancellor herself. However, this is home to trials often involving domestic abuse, rape, manslaughter, although most extremely violent crimes are handled in State trials.

If both parties are civilian, both will usually provide or hire lawyers of their own, and the court case will proceed much like one before the establishment of ADVENT. However, ADVENT takes lawsuits against their own seriously, and if one of their own is accused, they will not provide legal support or any sort of assistance to the one accused to avoid the appearance of supporting one side.

In the event that the prosecuting party wins against ADVENT, ADVENT will usually directly speak with the victorious party about how to go forward. This will usually involve paying a settlement, and then trying the ADVENT individual in question in a military court and passing judgement. It should also be noted that if ADVENT uncovers incriminating evidence against their own, they are required by law to turn it over, something the Oversight Division keeps a close eye on.

However, those who wish to sue ADVENT should be careful not to make baseless claims. The Oversight Division has the authority to file requests to dismiss frivolous suits against ADVENT. Further infractions can lead to the offending party being arrested.

 **Appeals** : It is possible to appeal a judgment under ADVENT, however, it should only be done in situations where one _knows_ they are either innocent or the case was mismanaged. The Oversight Division will conduct an internal investigation, and has the power to overturn false convictions. Both convicted criminals and the losing side of civil cases can do this.

If the appeal is rejected, the Oversight Division will either extend sentences, or impose fines on the people for wasting their time with an appeal. As the Oversight Division pulls from their own forensics teams, utilizes ADVENT Intelligence, as well as utilizes Arbiters, this judgement _cannot_ be appealed again. The severity of the punishment for abusing this system depends on the strength of the initial appeal.

Those who fill it out are requested to be as detailed as possible, and to help facilitate this, all appeal forums are four pages long, with the majority being empty space.

 **Extradition and International Crime** : ADVENT criminal justice is primarily focused in ADVENT territory, but within it all are afforded the same protections, and also are under the same laws. There is no such thing as 'diplomatic immunity', and ADVENT will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone who breaks their laws, be they diplomat, visitor, or alien.

Committing criminal activity and then attempting to flee for asylum is also inadvisable as ADVENT will send officials to retrieve the fleeing criminal. In most cases they will issue a demand to have them turned over, and if this is rejected, they will, in theory, take matters into their own hands regardless of the wishes of the government. To date this has not happened, as ADVENT knows they are in a position of power and they fully exploit it.

In a case of fraud which transcends borders, ADVENT will usually identify all of the offending people, regardless of citizenship status, and then make arrests. It doesn't matter if a company or organization is based in ADVENT territory or not. ADVENT will act and arrest the ones responsible. The prime example of this is the now-famous Purge of the Vatican.

Extradition is handled differently in ADVENT. Officials will review the request and determine if there is a valid reason to either deny asylum or refuse extradition of certain criminals in other nations. If they determine it is valid, extradition will be done promptly. If they refuse, that is it. Often a negotiation or discussion will take place before a decision is formally made.

 **Gender Equality** : ADVENT made a very specific point to establish that males and females would be charged and treated the exact same in both civil and criminal cases. While the number of female criminals is extremely disproportionate compared to males, women do appear in civil courts with regularity. It is speculated that ADVENT emphasized this to indicate that the preferential treatment women often received in court would be ending, and with how the Oversight Division keeps a careful watch on cases and can be contacted easily, it has made judgements rendered on basis of gender become far more risky.

 **Role of Lawyers** : The role of lawyers is almost exactly the same as always. They represent a party in a case and argue for their client to the best of their abilities. Payments are arranged between client and lawyer, with no outside input from ADVENT.

 **Juries and Criminal Defense Attorneys** : Both Juries and Criminal Defense Attorneys have been abolished by ADVENT in their entirety. The former was one of the first announced changed by Chief Stein, with the primary argument revolving around having unqualified people have a significant influence on cases where they were vulnerable to being persuaded via emotional arguments and not facts.

Defense attorneys were abolished due to ADVENT being unable to see the purpose for criminals who were going to be convicted one way or another. ADVENT does not follow the classic interpretation of 'Innocent until proven guilty', nor do they have anything resembling Miranda Rights. They allow anyone arrested to make one phone call, and it can be to their family or a lawyer.

If they do have a lawyer, ADVENT will allow them, but they will not provide one. There are a certain number of former criminal defense attorneys still working for free, believing that everyone deserves the right to a representative, but to date there is a 0% success rate in preventing convictions.

 **Judges** : These are the ones within the Judicial Courts who ultimately decide the outcome of cases. They are tasked with hearing cases, reviewing evidence, and delivering judgement. All judges are expected to be impartial and make decisions based on facts, and because ignoring this means potentially being arrested and convicted by the Oversight Division, most judges have sufficient incentive to make factual judgements.

Judges are appointed by either the Oversight Division, the Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, or the Office of the Chancellor. Each applicant _must_ be approved by at least two of the three stated parties, and each of these parties can request for a review of any judge at any time. Most appointments thus far have been unanimous, with Chief Stein proposing over sixty percent of new judges, and the Officer of the Chancellor proposing the remaining forty. To date the Oversight Division has not put forth any candidates.

There is discussion on the possibility of having judges receive the Manchurian Restraints to achieve absolute impartiality, but this has so far been rejected, with ADVENT not seeing the need unless there are multiple instances of judges mishandling cases. As that has not happened, judges are still free of Manchurian programming, likely to their relief.

It is fair to say that the Judicial Courts are straightforward, effective, and cold. There is a far greater emphasis on efficiency and hard facts than similar bodies in the past, but this has come at the cost of a more ruthless and cold legal system which strips the rights of the accused and makes it difficult to correct mistakes.

People have brought into question the actual effectiveness of deterrence. ADVENT is proving that such a method is not only plausible, but effective. But this does bring up the possibility that the people aren't following the law because they want to, but because they fear what ADVENT will do to those who break it.

Viewed through the tainted lens of Chief Stein, I can only assume this is an acceptable outcome.

 _\- Article: The Judicial Courts – An Overview, by Caleb Heinway_


	104. ADVENT - Organizations: ADVENT Prisons

ADVENT: Organizations

The ADVENT Prison System

* * *

" _Prisons serve a twofold purpose. The first is to provide an additional resource for ADVENT to utilize. The second is to instill a primal terror of ever stepping foot in one again."_

\- Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, Amalda Stein

* * *

"You are risking a lot by talking to me. The only reason I agreed is because of your reputation. But this is something ADVENT would be more than willing to silence you over. But if you can get what's actually going on out there, than maybe something can be done."

"Correct, I'm one of the ADVENT Prison Wardens. The ones who oversee all that goes on in prisons, for better or worse. This wasn't originally my job, but I was tapped for it after…I'll avoid that in case someone puts together my past, but suffice to say I was qualified. They gave me a team of guards, actual ones with armor and weapons, and laid out the guidelines."

 _Brief pause._ "No fighting, no corruption, no emotion. Yes, the last one struck me as odd too, until they began informing us how the prisons actually worked. The prison I was in had either been newly built, or renovated because it was close to sterile. Clean floors and rooms, working equipment, cameras everywhere, and fully staffed."

"It is also a recycling facility. Prisons are not just for criminals, they contribute to ADVENT itself, with prisoners providing whatever labor is needed."

 _Pause._

" _Payment_?" _Laughter for three seconds._ "Is that a joke? Stein fucking designed everything about this. No Miss Wong, Prisons in ADVENT are slave camps. No sugar-coating it. Bare minimum requirements, only as much food as necessary, medical and mental health only when necessary, and work at least eight hours a day. People raised questions when allowing recreation, books, and entertainment was barred, but in reality no prisoner has time to actually care about that. They work, go to sleep, and wake up again to repeat everything."

 _Short break._ "Safe? Yes…relatively. No prisoner is ever going to die because of exhaustion or accidents… or at least not intentionally. We're ordered to break up all fights, with authorization to execute them if they refuse orders. Body cameras are always on though, and deaths do have to be reviewed by the Oversight Division, so there is thankfully some accountability."

 _Long pause._ "No, it's exactly as bad as you would expect. When I compared the prisons to slave camps, I was being completely serious. Stepping out of line or doing something stupid will result in sentences being extended or immediate execution. There are no breaks or holidays. There is no respite. There is no hope for any inmate, and we're ordered not to provide any. No emotion, remember?"

"ADVENT is…careful in how they manage the guards, though I suspect they messed up with me. Interaction is kept to the absolute minimum, they are encased in armor and helmets to reduce personability, and cameras are running at all times stored locally and sent to various Oversight Division bases. _Everyone_ is under the microscope in the prisons, and we have completely separate quarters and buildings from the prison itself."

"Weapons? We have a small armory filled with lethal weaponry, in addition to equipment used by the Peacekeepers for pacification. Most prisoners receive neural explosives as well, another insurance policy and means of control. The most dangerous already have the Manchurian Restraints, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is just mandatory for all inmates one day."

 _Pause_. "Just listen to Stein if you want to hear the justifications. Yes, they are criminals. At the same time, I don't think that justifies slavery. But this is a consequence of what ADVENT wants people to view prisoners as – not people, resources which can be replaced and disposed of as needed. I think people should know that this is happening. They deserve that much."

 _Anonymous ADVENT Prison Warder to Journalist Jessica Wong._

 _Addendum: ADVENT Intelligence notation – After this interview was published we reached out to Journalist Wong for information about the individual in question and requested that she share information. She declined to reveal her source to us, and due to her popularity and usefulness to us, I opted to take a subtler approach in solving this issue._

 _I authorized the deployment of an Inquisitor to ask some additional questions, and he extracted the name – Warden Izaz Darian – during the discussion. Intelligence agents have also installed monitoring software on all Journalist Wong's devices and electronics. We will no longer need to inquire about her sources anymore and allow her to continue work untouched directly by us._

 _Warden Darian has been relieved of his position and replaced, and is currently being tried for the unauthorized leaking of information. This will be updated once his trial is concluded._

 _Intelligence Agent Vabos_

* * *

Crime and Punishment

Amalda Stein

I have been involved and fascinated with the law and the criminal mind for the majority of my life. Even as a girl the criminal mindset was one I found fascinating as I idly wondered what made them the way they were. Was it innate? Was it developed? Were there something fundamentally different about them? Questions I had, and answers I sought.

Of course these childish questions and thoughts developed into something more direct, focused and useful. It would be a mistake, and quite laughable, to assume that one is born a criminal. This is quite clearly not the case and if the 'criminal gene' is ever discovered I will find it endlessly amusing. However, the criminal mindset is one that is almost impossible to break once it becomes natural.

The criminal does not develop on his own. It is a combination of their peers, parenting, environment, and schooling. The corruption of even one of these aspects can lead to the development of the criminal mindset.

A well-schooled, well-off and happy child of a family can become corrupted by simply spending time with less reputable peers. Such crimes are small. Vandalism, petty theft, lying; done on dares or out of a twisted amusement. But this plants the seed which grows as the tainted child becomes older. The group of friends turns into gangs, petty theft becomes armed robbery, vandalism becomes murder. And then you have what was once a child with a bright future reduced and addicted to the thrill of criminality.

That is the result of only one aspect which can be corrupted. Now imagine if there were two, then three, then four. The more aspects of their lives that are corrupted, the faster the criminal mindset will manifest and develop. This can be observed again and again, all over the world. It does not matter if it is in America or Germany, these fundamental aspects are the same. And if they are corrupted, so will be the results.

One must ask whose fault this is. It is, of course, the criminal who bears the majority of the blame. Regardless of circumstances, they are the ones who made the conscious decision to break the law despite them knowing better. They deserve no sympathy or mercy for their choices, but are they solely responsible for developing the criminal mindset in the first place?

No, they are not.

Is it truly remarkable that those who grow up in violent neighborhoods, who are bullied, who are facing starvation or homelessness, who struggle to make ends meet, or grapple with disease or mental health alone, that such people would develop the criminal mindset? Criminals are a tangible product of an imperfect society. The more criminals there are, the more the society has failed.

The question now is how this can be fixed?

There are proposed solutions all across the world, from simple incarceration, to pure rehabilitation, to harsh and swift justice. All have some merits, but none of them go far enough. To begin to tackle to problem of criminality, you must understand the causes for the criminal mindset, and once you understand the criminal mindset, you must take steps to not simply try and fix it, but destroy it entirely.

One laughable proposal I've seen in recent years is that of reformation. The belief that if criminals are treated well, shown the error of their ways, and then given a second chance, that will be enough. For some, it is. For the vast majority, it is not and they simply return to their criminal ways. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the criminal mindset. Nothing has been done to change it, and you have only demonstrated that your actions will not be punished.

Prisons are supplied with necessities, food, water and shelter. These are acceptable. What is not acceptable is the inclusion of entertainment, books, phone calls, and other recreation. This fosters an inter-prison community, which risks developing into something those watching are unable to control. Relationships are forged between criminals as they live, not in luxury, but in relative protection and contentment.

Tell me what lesson the criminal is to learn from this? Even if they are readmitted, there is already a culture they are familiar with, and may even be considered a home by them. That most prisons are lax enough to allow smuggling, inter-prison gangs, and _additional_ criminal activity is inexcusable and a testament to the failure of western prison systems.

This ties into another aspect of the so-called 'prison reform' that I have seen. Several people have brought up the true effectiveness of deterrence. They point to the death penalty, most notably legal in America as an example of that it doesn't work, and the worst you will receive is years and years on death row.

It is laughable how this is a serious argument against deterrence. The only reason there is no fear of the death penalty is that is takes far too long to be executed. Prisoners are afforded too many rights and chances. _Of course_ none will consider it a deterrence if all they need to fear is years on death row. It is not a matter of deterrence not being a valid theory, it is a matter of no one being willing to take the necessary steps to make it effective.

There is no system I have encountered (Except perhaps Japan) which adequately looks to solve the criminal mindset. The hard and brutal truth is that there is no cure. Criminals cannot be reformed with mercy and gentleness. The criminal must be broken apart, and built up again. At the core of their reconstruction is _fear_. They must fear the law. They must fear what breaking it entails. They must fear where they have lived.

The prison they inhabit must be a personal hell for them, one which they would never even _consider_ anything which could lead to it. This is the true Deterrence Effect. This open and wide demonstration would not only break the criminals, but reinforce the consequences to the citizens. They will see the hell these criminals live in, and it will make them reconsider any criminal thoughts they ever develop.

But how does one truly _break_ the criminal mindset? You first began by stripping them of everything. Their possessions, their lives, their dignity, their rights. They are no longer Human, they forfeited their lives the moment they broke the law. Repeat and reinforce the indisputable fact that they know nothing. They mean nothing. They are nothing.

Their interactions must be controlled and monitored. They cannot speak to those around them. They have no friends. They develop no connections. They are completely and utterly alone and isolated from the world and even those around them. Those who fight may be put down, and their bodies serving as warnings to those who would attempt to question the authority.

This could sound inhumane. But these are not people. These are criminals, and criminals are disposable.

They must be used, not left to their own devices for days on end. They belong to the State, and otherwise they are a waste of oxygen, food, and manpower. Exhaust them each and every day, make the thought of rebellion or argument fade and die each day. Their job is unimportant, but they must never be rewarded for it. Criminals cannot receive rewards.

This is how you break the criminal mindset. But that is only one part of dealing with the criminal mindset. A broken person is useless, and will ultimately either kill themselves or otherwise remain a shattered wreck of no use to anyone. Prison should not just punish criminals and break the corruptive mindset, but transform them into productive citizens.

Once the criminal has been broken, one can begin to sprinkle hope to them. Hope that they can be better. Hope that their life may not be over. Never forget that as a criminal they are worth nothing, but they have the potential to be something more. At a certain point, they may begin to be prepared to leave. They will have the laws reinforced and burned into their minds.

And this is where the idea of rehabilitation becomes useful. Provide them with what they need to begin anew, allow them their earned freedom. They have served their sentence, and their debt to society has been paid. Treating them as second-class citizens will only reinforce the criminal mindset, and drive them back to that which they were punished for.

Too many countries make this mistake, but it is a simple mishandling of the core problem.

Prison must serve as a means to transform criminals into productive citizens. But the road to achieve it properly is controversial, brutal, and painful. It cannot and will not be achieved in the world today, and never will be as long as people have sympathy for the criminal. There will come a time when society is forced to reexamine how we deal with crime, and one day they will come to the correct solution.

I suspect I will not be alive to see it, but I know that someday I will be proven correct.

* * *

 _Slate article on the ADVENT Prison System_

The state of the ADVENT Prison system is an affront to Human decency and life, and is at the same time one of the most unknown aspects of ADVENT. Many paid little mind when ADVENT announced they were 'reforming' the prison system to be "Safer, secure, and efficient'. Given that at that time there was so much that was new, this was excusable, especially since ADVENT has not publicized their changes.

However, we have undertaken our own efforts to get to the truth of what ADVENT hides from the world. But ADVENT law does not take kindly to exposes and whistleblowers, anything which dims the shine of the illusion they have created they will dismiss and shut down. Their attempts to silence journalism have unfortunately been effective and devastating.

Yet there are still ways the truth can be shared. But it has to be done via a fictional story, one which gives eyes to the world which exists, yet which we are blissfully unaware of.

Imagine for a moment that you have been convicted of a crime. The details are unimportant, the past has no bearing on where you find yourself now. You are transported in a bright transport shackled to the side, your chest exposed, as well as your ankles shackled to the floor. Two guards sit at either end, their rifles resting idly as they watch for any kind of resistance. An impossibility as everyone is as retrained as you.

You arrive and are directed to follow several guards. You are not shackled any longer and one attempts to make a run for it. He is shot with stun weapons and shocked into unconsciousness. The guard states that this attempt has added five years to his sentence. You are taken inside and seated as the Warden of the prison begins speaking.

He lays out the rules:

You will obey all ADVENT personnel without question.

You will have a cell to yourself.

You cannot engage in conversation with non-ADVENT personnel that is not required.

All illegal conduct or activity must be reported to ADVENT personnel or reported through Oversight Division forms. All false accusations will be suitably punished.

All escape attempts, inter-prison criminal activity, rule-breaking, and fighting, will lead to extended sentences immediately.

Over and over you hear one repeated theme. You are worth nothing, you have no rights, and you are owned by ADVENT. Your worthlessness is continuously repeated, and then the Warden begins describing what kind of work will be done here. You will be allowed meals in the morning and evening, and the rest of the time you will be working in the prison recycling plant sorting garbage

You are slave labor to ADVENT, and they will treat you as such.

You are dismissed by the Warden and led out of the room to your cells. Along the way two men began idly whispering to each other, and their whispers turn to screams of pain as the guards use their batons to shock them into unconsciousness. They remind you that nonessential chatter is prohibited, and these men have just had one day added to their sentence.

The journey proceeds in silence. You arrive at your cell, which is just large enough to have a bed and a small wall behind it, where a toilet rests, blocked from the public – a small mercy as two cameras watch every inch of the cell. You lay down.

The bed is not good or bad, it is passable, and you quickly fall asleep. A shrill alarm wakes you up in what seems like seconds later. You awaken and prepare for the day, in what little way you can. A dozen guards stand outside, clearly listening for any kind of communication. You prepare yourself silently, but some others do not follow this rule.

You hear the electric fire of stun weapons, along with an announcement of how the two who were talking have had another day added to their sentence. Eventually the cell doors open and you are led to a massive hall with plates of food already lined up along with a large cup of water. Everyone sits down in silence as guards patrol the room.

The food is tasteless, but edible. Everyone seems to want to eat quickly for fear of making the guards angry. At the end of the room you see two men nod at each other and attempt to rise and jump the guard, the knives provided by ADVENT as utensils in their hands. A clear trap, you realize. A taunt to see who would strike first.

But this time, there is no stun weapon. Their armor easily deflects the knives and shots from their weapons ring out. The head of one explodes in a shower of red mist, and the other suffers multiple shots to the heart. The guard wipes the blood off his armor and resumes his patrol. The corpses are left where they are, and no one speaks.

The message is clear enough. You are worthless and disposable. Step out of line and you will be executed without ceremony.

Everyone finishes eating, and you are taken to the manufacturing plant. You are strong, and they give you your task for the day. You will move heavy boxes of garbage either for recycling, shipping, or wherever the supervisors deem it needed. This will be your task for the next eight hours. You begin the monotonous task, one given clearly by the ADVENT personnel.

Another person tries to run and is promptly stunned, with his extended sentence publicly announced. After what seems like forever, you are brought back to the food hall, where there is a dinner prepared. The corpses and blood are gone. Everyone sits down to eat and this time there is no incident.

You are finally led to the showers where you are given another jumpsuit. Each person has five minutes per shower, which shut off automatically after that time. Ten minutes are allotted in total to shower and change. Your previous jumpsuit is tossed into a basket where it will be washed. You are then led back to your cell where you collapse, exhausted.

This will be your life every day until your sentence is completed, and one single mistake can make it even longer.

* * *

The ADVENT Prison System is without a doubt what most would consider the dark side of ADVENT. Many people have already accused it as state-sponsored slavery, and ADVENT to this day has not ever refuted the accusation. Chief Stein has been quoted as saying "Criminals do not have the rights afforded to citizens. They forfeited them when they made the decision to break the law. If they dislike the consequences, they should have considered that before this. As should anyone who even considers breaking the law."

There is a moral question to be had on if the threat of slavery is acceptable to deter criminal activity, but an ADVENT representative decided to sit down and discuss this lesser known part of ADVENT, and perhaps clear up misconceptions and give a more unbiased opinion. I was given the opportunity to tour a prison and see for myself what it is like.

The entire experience was one of the most unsettling of my life. Many of the rumors are true, but I have been allowed to see some of the context behind them.

ADVENT first specified the difference between a jail and a prison. A jail is just a means to temporarily house dangerous criminals until their trial, and since those usually happen very fast, rarely have long-term occupants. Those deemed not a risk to the public are usually confined to house arrest until their trial, though this is also usually a short period of time. Prisons are where convicted criminals are sent.

Prisons themselves now serve a purpose beyond criminal incarceration. They are now used for mining, manufacturing, agriculture, data input, and paperwork processing. These jobs are done by the prisoners themselves and overseen by the ADVENT Prison staff. This was apparently done because "Prisons are often a drain on the economy of a nation, as money goes into them but is never replenished. Prisons now produce a tangible resource which improves ADVENT as a whole."

All prisons are, thankfully, managed by ADVENT. There are no such things as private prisons, for better or worse, this is one aspect of the government that is completely controlled by ADVENT.

There is also an order to where prisoners are assigned. It is not random, but they are shipped to specific prisons depending on their crime. White collar and non-violent criminals will be sent to a prison which does heavy data input, or other tasks which aren't especially physical, while more violent criminals will be sent to a manufacturing prison.

Another significant deviation from traditional prisons is that they mix males and females. Since nearly all contact between prisoners is heavily cracked down upon, ADVENT believes that there is little reason to keep them separated. The few that have suffered attempted rapes or assaults have almost immediately been stopped by the guards, with the perpetrator being wounded or executed.

ADVENT has a very effective way for stopping sexual and violent assault that prisons are infamous for. Violent assault is almost immediate execution, and sexual assault results in, if the person is also not executed, castration. As a result violence of all kinds has dropped significantly within prisons, which is a legitimate improvement, even if the methods are harsh.

Likewise ADVENT has made some effort to prevent abuse by prison guards by having the entire prison under constant surveillance which gets sent to the Oversight Division, as well as making it a requirement to be in uniform at all times while in the prison, which includes body cameras. They have also made it so that it is easy for both guards and prisoners to report illegal activity.

The catch is that if it is a false accusation or inadequate appeal, the one who sent it will soon find themselves on the end of an investigation or an even longer sentence.

The rumors that prisoners are almost never allowed to talk to each other are true. ADVENT justified this by saying that prisoner interactivity fostered inter-prison communities, smuggling rings, and created a sense of belonging and community. By removing this they make prisoners more docile and less likely to disobey. There is a logic behind this, even if the approach is extremely questionable.

Most prison work is designed so that prisoners do not need to interact with each other, but instead receive instructions from a highly coordinated team of overseers. This rule of non-interaction between inmates is only able to be broken if remaining silent poses a danger to other prisoners and overseers, or if they or another prisoner is sick or incapable of work. Indeed, there is a possibility that pointing out dangerous situations will lead to their sentence being reduced a miniscule amount, but far better than nothing. The work ranges from strenuous to relatively light, but is almost always a straight eight to ten hours of work, with water provided for more demanding labor to make sure their prisoners don't pass out.

There is a sterility to ADVENT Prisons that hides the worst of it. ADVENT Prisons are not obvious hellholes. They are well-run, clean, organized, food is edible, free of danger, and a lack of abuse of authority. But that does not change the fact that ADVENT deliberately dehumanizes and drains prisoners of everything they have left. If they are slaves, ADVENT are not malicious masters.

Yet if you even _have_ slaves, you have already made the wrong choices. The implications are something that cannot be ignored. Right now slavery is restricted to prisoners, and if ADVENT could find a way to justify it, it could spread to something else. The precedent has been set, and there is no turning back.

The only bright spot is that, paradoxically, ADVENT has the most progressive rehabilitation effort in the world. Upon release, ADVENT has developed specialized job centers where they will provide jobs and training for former inmates, and even temporary housing until they have a stable income (As all assets are seized upon conviction).

Furthermore, the public criminal record of the individual is purged. The only case where this does not apply is for murder, rape, or any crime involving a minor. ADVENT also retains access to a private criminal record, but employers cannot request it. ADVENT even allows the individual to use their time in the prison system as 'work experience'.

The justification for this is that, according to ADVENT, "Prison is supposed to be an experience they will go out of their way to avoid. Being able to work without a stigma will further reduce the chances of falling back into crime." Ironically, this could mean that ADVENT may end up employing a number of former prisoners, especially since those convicted of major crimes won't have their records purged, and have nowhere else to go.

To ADVENT's credit, the prison population in general has gone down, especially after the sentences of thousands of drug users were commuted, and if the system works as intended, it is entirely possible that eventually the prisons themselves may close down. With ADVENT instituting many laudable social programs, their rehabilitation efforts, and swift justice system, maybe one day this will no longer be necessary. But the day when the last prison shuts down is not for some time.

The ADVENT Prison System is designed to turn even the worst criminal into a productive citizen. It is too early to say if it works, but indications are that it will. The debate will rage on if the cost to achieve this is acceptable.

But debate does not matter. ADVENT has decided that this is the way of the future. I fear that this cannot, and will not be allowed to change.

 _\- Article: The ADVENT Prison System – The Black Economy of ADVENT, by Feridis Allen_


	105. Zudjari-History: Betrayal of Mu'ut Jeen

Zudjari: History

The Betrayal of Mu'ut Jeen

* * *

" _Allegiance cannot be demanded by the unproven."_

\- War Commander Mu'ut Jeen, Assimilator of Zudjari Mosaic

* * *

TARGET ANALYSIS: 011000000001

TARGET OF INTEREST: MU'UT JEEN

KNOWN ALIASES: "WAR COMMANDER", "ASSIMILATOR", "COMMANDER"

CURRENT POSITION: EARTH – EXACT LOCATION UNKNOWN

SPECIES: ZUDJARI

INFORMATION OF NOTE: TARGET DECEASED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSIONIC

INFORMATION OF NOTE: KNOWN SUBORDINATE TO ZUDJARI FIGURES IDENTIFIED AS "AXIS" AND "ORIGIN" – MEANING OF TITLES UNKNOWN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PROPONENT OF THE "MOSAIC PHILOSOPHY"

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED DEATH AT HANDS OF ETHEREALS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE AND DISMISSIVE OF ALIEN SPECIES

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN – TELEPATHIC POWERS WERE OBSERVED

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: NONE (DECEASED)

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Gathering information on both a species and event which the vast majority of the Collective is unaware of is a challenge, but one which was solved through patience and careful planning. However, despite the individual in question being deceased long before this document was commissioned, this individual was extremely interesting for what he did, and what he represents.

I will not speculate much on the past of Mu'ut Jeen, rather, I would bring up what we can learn of the Zudjari from observing him. Information on the species is heavily controlled _directly_ by the Ethereals, and gathering anything concrete is nigh-impossible. However, we do know that Mu'ut Jeen was one of the Zudjari leadership who happened to have been awakened by the Ethereals on the designated planet Zudjari-7 (Incidentally, this planet was first located by the Sectoids – which explains how Jeen managed to enslave so many during his rebellion).

Jeen was a psion, and given that he was the only Zudjari observed to wield psionic powers, it implies that the ability was a rare one within the Zudjari, which is another reason why he was likely placed in a position of authority. While certainly unlikely to be at the level of an Ethereal, Jeen was skilled enough to evade a direct attack by the Battlemaster and survive long enough to get to a ship and flee to Earth.

There are a few recordings the Sectoids have in their archives, between Jeen and the Ethereal identified as Cogitian, about various aspects of the Zudjari Mosaic – which was the name of the central Zudjari power before they were destroyed, as well as about Jeen himself. The obvious question one might have regarding this species is 'what happened to them?'

As Jeen explained, the Mosaic was attacked close to six hundred thousand years ago by a machine-organic fleet which had seemed to come out of nowhere. These bear an uncanny resemblance to the Synthesized, the same power than is attributed to the fall of the Ethereal Empire. This lends significant weight to the theory that this power is specifically behind the fall of major galactic civilizations, and that they will come again.

What is _also_ interesting is that Jeen stated that the location where they had been awakened – referred to as the Forge of the Outsider – was _not_ the only one which exists in the galaxy. Supposedly there are others, though the locations of which are split between the Zudjari leadership. Jeen possibly shared the locations he knew with the Ethereals, but the others held by the other two major Zudjari leaders are likely still unknown.

Jeen stated that he was subordinate to a figure he only identified as "Axis", who in turn was subordinate to another Zudjari called "Origin". Axis, he described as a high-ranking figure who had "Control over a complete piece of the greater Mosaic", which I will attribute as having control over a section of the Zudjari Mosaic. I suspect he was also a psion, but there is nothing to prove this assumption.

Origin is a more enigmatic figure. He was described as "The most powerful of the Zudjari", though also added "Whose powers are far beyond my own or yours". Origin, from further elaboration, did not appear to have an official position within the Mosaic, but was one of several figures (Who were also named Origin) who were almost god-like to the Zudjari, providing new technology, philosophies, and words which improved the species as a whole.

What is interesting is that Origin (All of them) were never the prominent Zudjari. They chose their own, and were usually Zudjari orphans or the lowest of the species. It's unknown if Origin Zudjari were a sect which was simply more advanced, or were under the control of something else. Regardless, Origins appeared to have near-unlimited power within the Mosaic, and if Jeen is to be believed, provided the foundations of the Mosaic Philosophy itself.

This will serve as a seque into the clearest insight into the Zudjari themselves. The entirety of the Zudjari species was guided by the "Mosaic Philosophy", which in essence stated that war was the fundamental constant of the universe, and that all life in the galaxy had a specific purpose in the galactic war machine. As the Philosophy described, the more diverse an army is, the more complete and powerful the galactic mosaic becomes.

The Philosophy then states that the mosaic can only be expanded through conquest and assimilation, and peace can only come to a galaxy when all life is united under a single mosaic.

From the descriptions provided by Jeen, the Zudjari embraced this philosophy completely. You will note that the manifesto itself does not specify a species, but Jeen was adamant that the Zudjari are the centerpiece of the galactic mosaic, and others exist to help them complete it. The Zudjari apparently conquered and enslaved many species in their time, and assimilated them into their army to fulfill specific functions and niches the Zudjari themselves could not for one reason or another.

At the same time, as these were slaves, I doubt that they were utilized to their fullest potential. The species appeared to gain early advantages, and likely faced little opposition conquering weak or primitive species. While we cannot accurately gauge their power, it was a curious note that Jeen specifically avoided the question of how quickly the Mosaic was destroyed.

I suspect that they did not last long, despite the technology observed being at the same level, or beyond, our own.

Jeen's belief in the Zudjari master species was likely what gave him the confidence to betray the Ethereals. I suspect he regretted it soon after the immediate response by the Battlemaster, as he only managed to free several hundred Zudjari soldiers and telepathically subdued the Sectoids and Mutons on the planet, then enslaved them with Zudjari technology.

How he learned about Earth at all is a mystery, but upon the arrival of the Battlemaster he apparently judged that his chances would be better on Earth. We don't know the exact details of what happened on the planet, but it is likely that he died at the hands of an Ethereal.

This species is one to be watchful of. If what Jeen said was accurate and there are other similar compounds, we may encounter them in the future. I would not put the possibility of the Ethereals either awakening Axis or Origin out of the question either. But the betrayal of Jeen appears to have soured the Ethereals on interacting with the Zudjari in any meaningful way, and for now they are simply used to create Outsider units.

We are better off investigating ways to utilize Zudjari technology itself, not the species.

RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN INVESTIGATION OF ZUDJARI TECHNOLOGY; CONTINUE INVESTIGATION OF ZUDJARI SPECIES; LOCATE ADDITIONAL ZUDJARI COMPOUND FOR RESEARCH

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 076; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSINGMENT

* * *

 **Log Z001 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category: Interview**

 **Type: Audio Log**

 **Participants: Archivist Cogitian; Mu'ut Jeen, Assimilator of the Zudjari Mosaic**

 **Begin playback:**

[Cogitian]: "The Zudjari Mosaic, how many species were…added over the course of their history?"

[Mu'ut Jeen]: "Twenty-seven alien species were added to the Mosaic over the ages. We did not discriminate as all species have a place and purpose in the Mosaic. The majority were barely sentient, little more than beasts, but nonetheless we found and determined their role and place."

[C]: "For your armies?"

[MJ]: "I would think rhetorical questions are beyond you, Ethereal. Where else would they be used?"

[C]: "Curious. I assume all of these species were conquered?"

[MJ]: "With ease. Origin ensured that no species could challenge our might as we united the galaxy under the Mosaic."

[C]: "Your species was subservient to this Origin?"

[MJ]: "Hardly subservient. They were the greatest of the Zudjari, our guides to establishing the principles of the Mosaic across the galaxy."

[C]: "Despite your…apparent military prowess conquering the no-doubt dangerous primitive species, your Mosaic fell."

[MJ]: "A setback. One foreseen by Origin. Their foresight is why we are speaking now. The Mosaic can be repeatedly broken, but we will unite it once again."

[C]: "And…just _how_ do you plan to do that? Your species is reduced to nothing, and this facility is under our control. While we do not have hostile intentions for your species, you understand that contending with a rival power is something we have no interest in allowing?"

[MJ]: "This galaxy is large enough for us to coexist. We do not need to be a part of your Collective, and as…gratitude…for awakening us, you will not be assimilated into the Mosaic immediately."

[C]: "You are certainly optimistic."

[MJ]: "Even the Ethereals will recognize the truth of the Mosaic in time. You are not like the lesser species here, nor are you a significant power any longer. But you could be formidable. One day."

[C]: "Another enlightening conversation, Assimilator. That will be all for today."

[MJ]: "Wait. When will the rest of my species be awakened? Axis and Origin?"

[C]: "When the Imperator authorizes it."

[MJ]: "I would advise he speed this decision. I will not wait forever."

[C]: "Assimilator, I will offer you some advice – Don't push the Imperator or do anything rash. We do not tolerate threats."

[MJ]: "Neither do I, Ethereal. And neither does my species."

* * *

It was a lone barren planet. One where the Sectoids were only concerned about surveying and leaving to report to their Hive Commanders the potential exploitations of a system. Nothing out of the ordinary was expected, which was made all the more shocking when the Sectoid scouts detected a mass of energy on one of the planets.

Closer inspection revealed that not only was this energy spike massive, it came from a clearly alien structure. Reinforcements were called, excavation and exploration teams, Muton guards, and myself, of course. The design was unlike anything I had ever seen. A pyramid made out of orange crystal; seeming to glow in the perpetual day of the planet.

Inside bred more curiosity and questions. This was a species I had never encountered or heard of before, even in stories. My immediate suspicion was that these might be among the oldest ruins in the galaxy, although due to the pristine condition of the pyramid, such a description would be incredibly erroneous.

It took some time before we could determine and map the pyramid, and we finally found a lower level – and what was there made all of what we had endured worthwhile. Thousands of stasis chambers were discovered, all containing an alien species we had never seen or heard about before. More interesting was that three displayed clear psionic sensitivity.

Assuming them to be the leaders, we awakened one from stasis. In retrospect, it was fortunate we released the one who was the weakest of the three, as if his power was any indication, the others would have been more formidable. Mu'ut Jeen was his name, his title was one called an "Assimilator", and he hailed from the Zudjari Mosaic.

My interactions with him were fascinating. Warlike species were not unusual, even in the Empire. None challenged our power, of course, but we heard stories and received reports. Sometimes they were sadists, sometimes they were being manipulated by a figurehead who had taken control. Very rarely were they organized, effective, or had any sense of community.

Honor-based warrior civilizations were even rarer, and never grew beyond several planets. Ironically, principles based on morality and nebulous concepts are easily exploited by those less scrupulous. But in general, pure warrior societies simply had too many issues to ever pose a threat to a more balanced society.

The significant difference I determined the Zudjari had was their fanatical belief in the Mosaic Philosophy, a belief that the galaxy is a fractured mosaic with all life fulfilling a specific role. The belief that the only way to make the galaxy 'whole' is to unite it under one architect species. The Zudjari considered themselves the architects, and all species would be assimilated.

While I would not count the Zudjari as especially efficient, and suspect they were actual pawns of the Origin, who I further suspect were servants of a Sovereign one, they were an example of a warrior species that could, in theory, pose a significant threat on a galactic level. With that said, the description provided by Jeen indicated that the Zudjari Mosaic was much smaller than he wanted to admit, and that there were others who were of similar power.

But this story is not on the Zudjari, but rather the actions of one specific Assimilator.

I had, of course, suspected after speaking with him extensively that he might pose a threat. No other Zudjari were awakened, and the stasis pods of Axis and Origin – the remaining psionic Zudjari identified by Jeen – were moved off-planet without his knowledge. I suspect the Imperator has stashed Origin either on the Temple Ship or an otherwise unknown world. Axis was first sent to Revelean, who presumably extracted what he needed, and then sent him to the Creator with strict instructions to not tamper with the stasis pod.

As far as I know, he is still at the Blacksite of the Creator. This was presumably done on the orders of the Imperator.

I had intentionally hid the power of our species, as I am aware I am not the pinnacle of psionic power, nor are the Sectoids. It was both to gauge his reactions and provide a false impression. Needless to say what I saw and was displayed proved that Jeen was likely too irrational to be allowed to integrate the Zudjari into our Collective. Not without reforms. He protested the delays of awakening his species, as expected.

However, what was _not_ expected was him rebelling when I had left the planet briefly and assuming control over our entire ground force. Several hundred Mutons and Sectoids were psionically dominated, a truly impressive display of power.

What was not as impressive was his…attempt at fighting. The Assimilator immediately released a thousand more Zudjari, and that was all that was possible before the Battlemaster personally intervened and assaulted the Zudjari Forge of the Outsider, as Jeen had identified it as. They had enslaved the Sectoids and Mutons on the planet with devices from the forge, and they fought a futile conflict as the Battlemaster arrived.

The newly awakened Zudjari clearly did not know how to handle the Battlemaster, and when Jeen became aware of the fact that he had lost nearly a quarter of his forces in less than thirty minutes, he realized that he had badly underestimated us and immediately fled on a commandeered Sectoid craft with fewer than a dozen surviving Zudjari soldiers under his command.

How he managed to even learn of the existence of Earth is a puzzling mystery, but it was a simple matter to track the ship and the Imperator dispatched Nebulan and Sicarius to clean up the incident before the Humans were altered, or worse, mobilized for fear of an alien attack. The rest of the rebellion was quashed by the Battlemaster, and all living Zudjari were slaughtered as well as the compromised Sectoids and Mutons.

The world is now under the direct control of the Imperator, and has been largely left alone, as only one Zudjari remains to operate it and produce for us some gifts of their Forge. Perhaps one day the Zudjari will become a part of the Ethereal Collective, but after the actions of Mu'ut Jeen, it will not be for some time yet.

 _\- Discovery of the Zudjari, Part I by Archivist Cogitian_

* * *

 **XCOM File Z102**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Outsider Incident

Document Type: Historical

Report Author: Ethereal Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

In reviewing several of the historical documents at XCOM which actually predate its existence, I managed to find a reference to the so-called "Outsider Incident", which I was personally surprised to find, though after reading the document, I can certainly see why this wasn't more public or well-known. It happens to be an event that I am familiar with, and I would like to take some time to provide additional context as to this event.

I will first begin with the initial incident, where an alien structure was discovered and immediately investigated. This turned out to be a Forge of the Outsider, a facility of an alien species called the Zudjari. It has been responsible for producing the Outsider units you have fought before. There is a reason they are different from the vast majority of Collective units – because they use technology alien even to us.

There were also thousands of Zudjari aliens in stasis pods, and naturally we awakened one of the leaders. Cogitian determined that they were a warlike species bent on fulfilling what he described as the "Mosaic Philosophy", which instructs those who follow it to conquer all life in the galaxy. This is not especially important to know, but it was a belief that all Zudjari followed.

I suspect that the awakened Zudjari, Mu'ut Jeen, believed us to be far weaker than he anticipated, as the moment Cogitian left the planet he attacked and easily dominated the Sectoids and Mutons on the planet. He was a powerful psion, but the retaliation was immediate by the Imperator. The Battlemaster was sent to put down Jeen and his awakened army, and he succeeded, though not before Jeen escaped on a stolen Sectoid craft.

Headed to _Earth_.

To this day I do not know how he learned of your world, as it was discovered mere years before, although it is possible he extracted it telepathically from Cogitian, though even this is questionable. With his small army of Zudjari soldiers – no more than twelve – he landed on Earth and fortunately didn't choose a heavily populated area.

He chose a small town in Missouri, isolated from the rest of the world, and either killed or enslaved the inhabitants as he learned about your species and his situation. At the same time the Imperator dispatched Nebulan and Sicarius to deal with Jeen and your species, respectively. It took some time for the United States government to investigate, and during this time Jeen fortified the town he was in as he presumably planned what to do next.

The CIA eventually sent an agent, William Carter, to investigate the town going dark. He ran directly into the fortified Zudjari defenses and was nearly killed. Upon his arrival, Nebulan began taking control of the Human response. From her own description she completely dominated Carter, used him as a mouthpiece to communicate back to the US government and assisted him in staying alive while he waited for reinforcements.

At the same time as the reinforcements were arriving, Sicarius infiltrated the fortified town and killed Jeen in his sleep, and extracted the body which was sent to Revelean. Leaderless, the Zudjari soldiers were in chaos as the United States military arrived. With the Humans enhanced by Nebulan, and the Zudjari forces disoriented by her own illusions, they fell to the Humans in short order.

Agent Carter was declared a hero, and Nebulan made sure that it was classified above top secret. I am surprised she simply did not just wipe their minds, but perhaps that was deemed too much of a risk. Instead of erasing it outright, she lessened its importance. A minor incident in which their victory over the aliens meant there was little to fear.

I suspect she also placed subtle psionic triggers in their minds which made them gradually forget this event had happened. The only details left were in old classified files. However, this incident did eventually lead to the formation of XCOM and clearly there were those who, even if it wasn't a _major_ concern, still treated the possibility seriously.

Both Nebulan and Sicarius departed your world without ever being detected, and I am fairly certain that there is no one alive today who remembers the Outsider Incident. However, the Zudjari still exist and it is possible that the Imperator may decide to use them one day.

Best to be prepared.


	106. ADVENT - History: The Seoul Massacre

ADVENT: History

The Seoul Massacre

* * *

" _If the intent was to give Humanity a clear and unprecedented enemy, this certainly accomplished it."_

\- Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military

* * *

 **ADVENT After-Action Report 3003**

 _Subject_ : Seoul Casualties

 _Author_ : Chief ADVENT Coroner Jason Gilibrand

In what has undoubtedly been one of the darkest days of ADVENT, and my own personal career, I can safely say that I have come to the unofficial conclusion that this attack did not have a goal outside causing as much terror and panic within ADVENT as possible. I have spoken with Peacekeepers, soldiers, officers, and civilians, and every single one of them is either afraid or furious. Usually a mixture of both.

If there is some greater tactical advantage to this that I simply cannot see, then I leave it to the military strategists. I will sum up this situation as best I can by providing a general overview of the buildings which were attacked, the deceased and abducted, and their means of death. Speculation seems pointless as it is clear alien meddling, so I will not go into this area.

 **Overview – Locations** : All the buildings were high-end hotels [Names are not disclosed by request of ADVENT Military Command], and these specific ones had been converted to house civilians who had fled the south due to the threat of alien invasion. While they are not military buildings, each one had no fewer than fifty security and peacekeeping personnel, as well as security systems personally installed.

Rooms were fairly large, with two to three beds, working bathrooms, as well as having a view over various parts of Seoul. All occupants were issued ID cards to enter and leave the building, there was heavy civilian traffic at all times of the day and night, and the hotels were on the route of regular ADVENT patrols.

All of the attacked buildings were filled to capacity, the numbers are the following:

Hotel 1 [Redacted]: 3,509 Civilians, 60 ADVENT Personnel

Hotel 2 [Redacted]: 3,122 Civilians, 50 ADVENT Personnel

Hotel 3 [Redacted]: 3,411 Civilians, 55 ADVENT Personnel

 **Overview – Civilians** _:_ As stated earlier, the vast majority of occupants had come from southern Korea, specifically due to the danger of an alien attack. They were settled at these hotels until further notice, and all of them have been used as transfer points to newer settlements in North Korea. Furthermore, many of the occupants also had some connection to ADVENT military personnel – usually a spouse, child, or other family member.

At the moment, the casualties are as follows:

 **Deceased** : 7,022

 _Additional Breakdown_ : 3,002 Women; 2,018 Children, 2,002 Men

 _Additional Notes_ : Women were usually accompanied by children, men were usually alone or accompanying other family members. Approximately zero had no connection to ADVENT whatsoever. Patterns of killing can be further broken down by location (See further down), but specific targeting appears to be random.

 **Abducted** : 3,020

 _Additional Breakdown_ : 1,502 Women, 1,008 Children, 510 Men

 _Additional Notes_ : Abductions seem completely random and odd. Hotel 3 alone had over half of the recorded abducted, but sometimes there were entire floors that were abducted for no reason. No obvious pattern or criteria, but considering that the number is odd, and the number of abductees from each location is different, there _has_ to be some internal criteria for this.

 **Causes of Death** : I will break this down by location, as the causes of death differed _severely_ from each other, which indicates that this was a small operation or had very few actual actors who carried it out. I would almost call it personalized, but I feel it questionable to ascribe this word to killing.

Hotel 1 – The following causes of death were the most common:

 _Cuts or lacerations_ – usually through vital organs or veins. The neck, heart, lungs, and brain were all common targets, and very few wounds were on non-critical organs or areas. I will note that not all of these are quick deaths, even though they would be called by some as 'clean'. Trust me when I say bleeding out is unlikely to be a pleasant experience.

 _Hand to Hand Trauma_ – This is more commonly explained as snapped necks, broken spines, and broken bones. This became more prevalent on the lower floors, which indicates that the individual(s) in question were perhaps becoming…bored? A morbid thought, but it would make some sense.

 _Decapitations/Dismemberment_ – The most common were clean decapitations, which do appear to have come from a physical blade, as none of the wounds were cauterized. The fact that this weapon was durable and sharp enough to cut through bone is a point of note and a concern. Dismemberment at the elbows was another prominent spot, where the victims usually died from blood loss. A point of interest is that the majority of children killed here were found decapitated.

Hotel 2 – The following causes of death were the most common:

 _Psionic Scorching and Burns_ – The wounds that were found on many of the victims in this hotel matched observed damage from psionic abilities. Almost all the victims of this were found with their faces contorted in pain, or in other states of agony. As far as ways to die, this is perhaps one of the most painful.

 _Self-Inflicted_ – In keeping with the likely psionic abilities of the individual who carried this out, there appear to be a significant number who killed themselves, usually with kitchen utensils such as knives and cleaning chemicals. Very few of these forced suicides were well-executed, and the victims likely died in pain. Surprisingly little was done to make the suicides look genuine, and every single sign points to all the victims being under telepathic influence.

 _Telekinesis_ – Broken necks, bones snapped at odd angles, blunt trauma to the head and body, and crushed body parts and organs – all without evidence that they were physically touched, all point to death by telekinesis. Most of the non-lethal attacks appear to be in coordination with another attack, though I will also note that the majority of victims of lethal telekinetic attacks were found on the lower floors. An indication of the lack of challenge or to finish up quickly?

Hotel 3 – The following causes of death were the most common:

 _Firearms_ – Highly-powered magnetic weapons at minimum. The bodies who were shot were severely damaged, and headshots destroyed the head entirely. The level of marksmanship displayed is highly unusual. Most victims were killed with one shot, but each shot hit either a vital organ or was a headshot. Most died either instantly or very shortly afterwards.

 _Hand to Hand Trauma_ – Like some of the bodies in Hotel 1, some here displayed wounds which matched up with known physical attacks. Interestingly many of the victims here appeared to be fighting back to a degree, holding makeshift weapons or objects to defend themselves. A morbid case of the killer seeking a challenge, most likely.

 _Blunt and Random Instruments_ – The rest of the wounds for the occupants here can only be described as seemingly whatever the killer could get his hands on. Chairs, bug spray, tables, hangers, forks, each were used at least once against an occupant. The deaths are highly…creative…if such a word can be applied. Most victims of this likely did not die slowly, and there is evidence showing that many were left to die after sustaining mortal damage.

 **Identification** : The bodies have so far all been able to be identified, as no explosives or destructive agents were used. Names have been cross-checked with lists provided by the hotels, and sent to ADVENT to distribute as they see fit. Bodies were identified via DNA and physical samples or facial recognition. Reconstruction of several bodies due to missing body parts was also required in some instances.

 **Conclusion and Recommendation** : The good news is that we know who was lost, killed, and likely who was behind it. At the moment I cannot speculate on the perpetrators themselves, but if I had to make an assessment, there were three distinct individuals who attacked each location. They must have had help to disable security, but the majority of the operation was carried out by them.

However, this is not another day on the job. It is, at best, a traumatic experience for all personnel involved, especially with the high number of child victims. I strongly recommend that all personnel involved in this cleanup are offered psychiatric help. I would also recommend that images not be shared with the public. We know the details already; some images do not need to be seen to emphasize the point.

I would also treat the bodies as the families desire them. They will be held at the morgue until this point. I would recommend ADVENT not use their bodies as props, or the surviving family members as propaganda (They are likely suffering enough), and treat breaking the news to soldiers who have lost loved ones carefully.

Suicides will likely spike because of this. I am not a psychiatrist, but this is obvious. ADVENT needs to have a response in place before sharing any details with soldiers who are affected.

* * *

 _Transcript of the address by Chancellor Saudia Vyandar following the Seoul Massacre._

Citizens of ADVENT and those present today, welcome.

I wish I could say that I called this address to refute or deny the attack which has been reported on for several hours now. I am forced to say that I can confirm that three locations in Seoul have come under attack. As of now there are no known survivors, and a currently unknown number have been marked as missing. At this point we do not know if they have been abducted or have simply not been found yet.

ADVENT Peacekeepers have determined that nearly all of the victims were civilians, and those who are related or are close to many serving in our fight against the alien threat. The attackers did not discriminate in their slaughter. Men, women, and children were killed in their beds in a cowardly attack on our citizens.

ADVENT Intelligence and the Peacekeepers have confirmed that this was the result of alien perpetrators, though at this point cannot say for certain the goal of this operation. But I can offer initial possibilities. This was an act of terror, one designed to break our will and spirit to fight. The aliens seem to believe that we can be intimidated into surrender, or will break under their cowardly attacks in the night.

That will not happen.

As I speak, the alien base in Sacramento has been reduced to dust. The aliens are aware they are failing to match us in combat, and feel they must resort to such barbarism. But we will adapt, and we will overcome this horror. Let this serve as a reminder as to what the true face of the Ethereal Collective is.

It is not honor, it is not mercy, it is not fairness. It is the ugly face of terrorism and slaughter. This is another example of their true goals. Not assimilation, not peace, but pure and unadulterated conquest. We, and the species under the Ethereals, are seen as little more than pawns to fulfill their agendas. This attack can be laid directly at the feet of the Imperator himself, and the Battlemaster who shows his true face today.

There can be no peace with the Ethereal Collective. Those who say otherwise delude themselves and others, and will simply lead to more needless deaths. The aliens have been taking our people for months, and we can only speculate as to what happens. To those who believe that the aliens have our best interests in mind, or are only interested in a war against ADVENT, and no others, ask yourself where the ones they have captured are?

It is important to know who our true enemy is, and who deserves the blame for this atrocity. The anger and hate many feel must be directed at those deserving. That is the Ethereal Collective. It is against the Battlemaster. It is against the Imperator. It is against Isomnum. It is against the aliens who occupy our cities and leech off our lands. It is _not_ the aliens in ADVENT custody or defectors.

There will be, and has been, retaliation for this atrocity, but it will be delivered against the deserving. And I promise you, justice will be delivered.

[End transcript]

* * *

 _Transcript of the transmission sent by the Battlemaster of the Ethereal Collective. The Battlemaster is wearing his traditional armor, though is weaponless in the video with a solid purple background._

I am the Battlemaster of the Ethereal Collective.

While I am aware that few will believe what I have to say, I will do so nonetheless. While ADVENT is our enemy, and one we will continue to fight until our victory, there are lines I do not cross, nor will have my forces cross. Those include the unprovoked and unnecessary attacks on civilians and children.

The Ethereal Collective was not behind the attacks in Seoul. Nor were such operations approved by the Zararch, Andromedon Federation, Greater Hive Commanders, or the Aui'Vitakar. I cannot say that this did not come from alien hands, but those are not those of the Collective. Both myself and the Zararch are working to determine the ones who are truly behind this attack.

I can offer you nothing which would be considered proof, but ask yourself what we have to _gain_ from such an attack. Ask yourselves what goals were in mind in such an operation. It is not to needlessly murder civilians, but it is about creating division between Humans and aliens. I have no love for the traitors to our cause, but I do not wish them treated as lesser because of the actions of others.

Consider carefully your actions, for you may be playing directly into the hands of those who orchestrated this.

In the shared interest of finding those responsible, upon their capture and after the Collective has extracted everything useful, I will turn them over to ADVENT to do with as you wish. They mean nothing to us, and should be punished for their crimes. There will be no retaliation for the attack on Sacramento.

Be warned: A second attack will elicit a similarly lethal response.

* * *

 _Recorded conversation between Runi'dalian'intha and Runi'colliar'borelia in the alien-controlled city of Sacramento._

 _Part of data package sent to all nearby Collective bases during ADVENT attack._

[Dalian]: "Do you ever wonder why we're here?"

[Colliar]: "We were assigned here. That is why we are here."

[D]: _sigh_ "I know that, but why are we _here_? Just to suffer in this cold? Why are we needed on Earth at all?"

[C]: "It is not cold. And because the Humans are enemies of the Ethereals-"

[D]: "Humans who also have an Elder fighting for them."

[C]: "…an admittedly unexpected development, I agree."

[D]: "I'm just not sure I fully believe the reason why we're here at all. I mean, they didn't tell us about this Aegis."

[C]: "If the Elders withheld information, I am sure it was for a good reason."

[D]: "Really. Like what?"

[C]: "…I never said that I thought of one."

[D]: "So you've wondered too!"

[C]: "…No…"

[D]: "Extremely convincing. Borelians don't ever admit they are wrong, do they?"

[C]: "I fail to see where I am wrong. Nor what your point is. At best I have insinuated that our reasons for occupying Earth are more complex than originally intended."

[D]: "I mean, I can't really blame them for fighting. Not after all those people were killed. Do you think the Battlemaster really authorized that?"

[C]: "No. That I do not believe."

[D]: "Neither do I, honestly. He never seemed like that type of person. But if not him, then who?"

[C]: "I suspect you will tell me."

[D]: "The Zar'Chon, obviously. This is totally a Zararch operation. Trust me, I know an agent. They are trained to do stuff like this. You met the Zar'Chon? Scary man, trust me, he would be perfectly fine with killing a bunch of civilians."

[C]: "But why?"

[D]: "How should I know. But if I had to put money on this, it would be him."

[C]: "It is disturbing that you are adopting Human customs like this. How did you learn about… _gambling_?"

[D]: "One of the Humans taught it to me before I was moved out of LA. I was bad at it though. Lost a lot of things to him."

[C]: "You _gave him things?_ You were his _guard_!"

[D]: "I lost! What was I supposed to do? I don't cheat!"

[C]: "You are an idiot."

[D]: "It was fun though. I like these card games Humans have."

[C]: "I don't suppose this Human is still around?"

[D]: "No, I think he managed to escape. Strange, I didn't think he could do that. Seemed like an improvised explosive to break free. Don't know where he could have gotten the components…"

[C]: "…"

[D]: "Oh."

[C]: "You are an idiot."

[D]: "In retrospect…hey, what's that?"

 _Explosion echoes in the distance, shaking the ground._

[C]: "That is a nuclear weapon!"

 _Second round of explosions hit, noticeably much closer._

[D]: "It appears we are on this planet to get blown up by a nuclear bomb. Of course it would be that."

[C]: "I hate this planet so much."

 _Third wave of explosions hits, and feed is ended. Unknown if either participant survived._

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 2600**

 _Operation_ : Blinding Vengeance

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes, Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan, Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka, XCOM Central Officer Ariel Jackson

At the command of Chancellor Vyandar upon the confirmation of aliens behind the attack in Seoul, a retaliatory strike was authorized using extreme force against a known stronghold of the Ethereal Collective. All measures were authorized to see this completed, and at this point the city of Sacramento no longer stands.

This attack was designed to send a message to the Collective that such attacks on our citizens would not be tolerated, and to demonstrate the capabilities of our ballistic missile systems and coordination between launches. The operation was put together within six hours, and was successfully completed with no casualties.

This consisted of several phases:

 **PHASE 1** : This consisted to the launching of a low-yield nuclear weapon to disable any electronic devices and systems. Their AA defenses were unknown, but likely not able to resist the EMP from the nuclear device. This was accomplished successfully, and the city was disabled. During this time local artillery were moved towards attack positions, and began attacking the city with high-explosive, white phosphorous, and gas shells. This successfully weakened their structural integrity, ruined defenses, and caused chaos in the alien ranks. Artillery naval craft were also moved into position.

 **PHASE 2** : This consisted of first missiles fired from multiple locations, including naval and land. These were initially conventional warheads designed for structural damage. Airstrikes immediately followed, with the intended purpose of surgical removal of certain buildings and structures. Shelling continued, as did missile strikes.

 **PHASE 3** : This consisted of carpet bombings by all local bomber forces, with payloads dropped over a five minute period. With the elimination of anti-air defenses, this was a safe maneuver. The amount of ordinance dropped was in waves. Conventional bombs at first, then a wave of white phosphorus-laced bombs, and finally bombs filled with chlorine trifluoride, to ensure that anything left in the city would burn to the ground.

Upon the last bomb dropped, all ADVENT forces retreated, and I have confirmation that the alien base which once occupied Sacramento has been reduced to nothing. While it is unfortunate that the city had to be destroyed, it was necessary to send a message to the Collective and complete a full barrage operation, which has not been conducted in this war until now.

Thanks to this operation we know that the aliens are still vulnerable to EMP weapons to an extent, and we can, if necessary, destroy their bases in a short amount of time. The most recent reports also note that the chemical fires are still raging in the city, and there is a possibility of it spreading beyond it. However, it is likely it will burn out before then.

I would highly suggest we refrain from further action at this time. Let us see how the Collective responds first.


	107. Ethereals - Dossier: The Creator

Ethereals: Dossier

Amareoux, Creator of the Ethereal Collective, and Artist of Paradise

* * *

" _My child, you will always be my Artist even long after the stars themselves die."_

\- The Bringer of Paradise

* * *

 **XCOM File 3367**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: The Creators of the Ethereal Empire

Threat Level: None [Organization no longer exists]

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved By: The Commander

SECTION 1: Overview

As this relates to the Creator herself, some additional information which might be useful would be the organization from which she came from, and would likely provide additional context in understanding her mindset and outlook. The Creators were an organization within the Empire, developed under Imperial Civil Command, who were in charge of all major genetic research projects, and the development of next generation Ethereals.

These were the Ethereals who determined what genetic aspects of each Ethereal template to keep, remove, alter, or add. While they produced the Ethereals of the modern Empire, it should be noted that they experimented to what was arguably a dangerous degree in the design of each Ethereal template. It wasn't unexpected for four to five hundred prototypes to die before the design was approved and sent for final review to Civil Command or the Military.

The Creators were arguably the most amoral Ethereals the Empire ever produced. It should be no surprise that they were designed this way.

SECTION 2: Function in the Ethereal Empire

The ultimate foundation of the Creators was to continuously improve and develop the Ethereal genome and utilize it to the fullest potential. The initial scientists behind the organization had grand dreams of producing the smartest, strongest, and most powerful Ethereals in one simple package. They soon figured out that it would not be that easy.

After several decades of experimentation they eventually determined that, in theory, they could reach their original goal. But the road to get there would be long and arduous. So they first established a baseline of what would be acceptable. High intelligence, moderate physical strength, basic psionic power, no smaller than seven feet (In your measurements), and baseline physical features (Eyesight, disease resistance, etc.).

Then each of these could be modified to produce different types of Ethereals.

The majority of experimentation played with these limits. Increasing strength and size at the cost of psionic power. Reducing physical attributes while significantly boosting psionic power. The genome was completely at their disposal and the Creators spent two decades designing the first Ethereal soldier template.

At the success of this template, they continued experimenting, always continuously gathering data from living Imperial citizens. Certain individuals who displayed unusual or atypical characteristics were paid visits by the Creators to gather physical samples and DNA, either to use in future iterations, or to scrap from the genome entirely.

Natural children were subjected to several extensive tests through their lives, usually once in childhood, and then once again as an adult, which may be repeated several times afterwards. As the genome of natural children is always more developed and better than any grown Ethereal, the Creators naturally wanted to incorporate their genome into the species.

Natural children were how the species itself primarily progressed, though that is not to say that the Creators accomplished nothing. Indeed, they were the foremost genetic experts in the galaxy, and alien genetics were almost triflingly simple compared to the complexities of the Ethereal genome. It is unfortunate that they reached their peak when the Synthesized attacked.

I do wonder what the Empire could have been like had the Imperators been developed even a century previous. I suppose that is something we will never know.

SECTION 3: Specializations and Breakthroughs

The Creators specialized in genetic manipulation, and the senior members were often experts in other fields of science, particularly biology and chemistry. In the galaxy there were none who were their equal, and even among Ethereals they were a class unto themselves. Although many of the Creators were designed (By themselves) differently in some aspects to other Ethereals.

They were more amoral than other Ethereals, they had different views on life, or at least what was considered such. Of the many experiments they ran, they did not consider them to be 'true' Ethereals, but experiments which they used and disposed of. This did extend to even successful test subjects, something which was sometimes raised as an issue, but the prevailing argument against it was that the prototype 'wasn't complete and was not fit to be released into society'. Since this was technically true, it was allowed.

Creators were also more…what I would describe as _obsessive_. They retained a laser focus on their work which could not be broken, and they would become irritated with any who interrupted this work. Many of them had their own sets of goals and objectives they would aggressively pursue until completion. All of them were among the most intelligent produced by the Empire, though that did come at the cost of them being slightly more difficult to interact with socially.

It is not surprising that they were even more picky about their mates than other Ethereals. It was not uncommon for them to, instead of finding a living Ethereal, put in a request for the design of a personal project, and then design their own ideal mate with the entirety of the Ethereal genome at their disposal.

It was sometimes humorous when these perfect mates awoke and were not interested in this relationship. Sometimes it worked, but there were other instances where it didn't.

The Creators in question were…displeased to say the least.

If there is something else the Creators specialized in, it was in the manipulation of genetic traits. Aggression, temperance, patience, curiosity, they managed to harness the innate characteristics of the genome and manipulate them to various degrees. This was how they were able to temper the emotions of our species, and deaden themselves to feeling empathy or sorrow.

More abstract concepts like loyalty, and likes or dislikes, they continued to struggle with, and there was speculation that some things were not genetic. The Creators never truly gave up on the idea of predicting and designing the personality of every single Ethereal, but they recognized that it was perhaps something even they had no control over.

They did find it continuously irritating that almost all natural children, especially twins (rare as they were), were less emotionally restricted, implying that greater emotional capacity was superior to the opposite. They never quite accepted this as a valid theory until they were faced with the Synthesized and they were exploring every possibility.

The Synthesized War was the shot in the arm needed to kick the Creators into a rapid improvement of the genome. Developments which would have previously took years or decades took months. Fear was a powerful motivator, and their first major breakthrough was the development of the Reaper template, which they grew in massive numbers, and culminated in the Imperator template, their last hope and culmination of the entirety of the organizations experience and experimentation.

I am not sure what the Creators would have done if we had emerged victorious.

But I suspect even they would have believed they could improve on the Imperators.

They were never ones to settle for anything less than perfection, and I can easily say that perfection is something that in their eyes, would never be achieved.

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 100111100101

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 09 ("THE CREATOR")

KNOWN ALIASES: "CREATOR", "THE ARTIST"

CURRENT POSITION: ETHEREAL BLACKSITE IDENTIFIED AS "PARADISE"

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY SECLUDED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

INFORMATION OF NOTE: REPEATED SHIPMENTS OF ALIENS SENT TO HER BLACKSITE FOR UNKNOWN PURPOSES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: ACCESS TO BLACKSITE HEAVILY RESTRICTED AND ONE-WAY

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONTROLS LARGEST KNOWN BLACKSITE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PENETRATION OF BLACKSITE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: THIRTEEN ATTEMPTED PENETRATIONS. LIMITED INTEL ACQUIRED

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED WEAK PSION DUE TO APPARENT SCIENTIFIC FOCUS

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Ethereal who has been tentatively identified as the "Creator" is an enigmatic figure within the Collective who has yet to make any public appearance. To date we do not even know if she has met with the leadership of any other species, or is even in contact with other Ethereals.

We have some means of keeping track of her due to her Blacksite being heavily restricted, with scans revealing the singular Gateway leading to the space rigged to detonate and no fewer than _two_ Ethereal Dreadnought segments guarding it in a remote area of space well outside normal investigation lanes. It should also be noted that this system can only be accessed through _another_ singular Gateway protected by Vitakarian Carriers.

We have yet to determine if this is to keep threats to the Creator _out_ – or keep her _in_.

From what we have learned it could be either.

The Blacksite of the Creator is of considerable interest, as it is unlike nearly every known Blacksite – and after multiple attempts, is somehow immune to penetration. We have acquired full scans of the exterior – a moon-shaped space station orbiting a barren planet (Also make special note to investigate this planet at a future date – _three_ Operatives were somehow lost while investigating it with no explanation), and appears to be composed of a hardened black alloy.

Penetrating scans are useless. Data received is inconclusive, showing anything from biological lifesigns in the trillions, and insisting that entire portions of the station are organic. It's impossible to map, and data continuously fluctuates between the number of lifesigns, psionic sensitivity, and literally everything else.

The Blacksite is rather infamous, at least among the Ethereals. There are rumors that the Creator uses the test subjects for bizarre and cruel experiments, and sets the abominations loose as her personal army who butcher anyone they see. While most of the rumors are undoubtedly fake, there _is_ something happening there.

The Blacksite was unnamed for a long time, and was given the name _"Sash Etharian"_ by Quisilia, which roughly translates to _"A place where you want to die_ ". In the past decade the Creator has given the Blacksite the designation of _"Paradise"_. There is no information on why this word was chosen, though speculation is that it is either intended to be a mockery or parody of the true meaning of the word.

What we have learned of the Creator herself is also incomplete, due to her not interacting with anyone outside her Blacksite. However, rumors and intercepted audio paint the picture of an Ethereal who is slowly going insane. We do not know how biased this is, but there have been multiple references to the Creator's deteriorating mental state, and coming from Ethereals, it cannot be ignored.

How this is being caused is unknown, nor why it cannot be stopped. The Creator _does_ appear to be highly intelligent and proficient in her field of study, which appears to be related to genetics and biology, but not necessarily a powerful psion. In this instance she is close to the Ethereal Revelean, though with her own interests not necessarily known.

In our attempts to penetrate Paradise, there _was_ data that was able to be extracted. The Creator does appear to use aliens as a personal guard of sorts, though these aliens appear to be highly degraded and wear robes. Combat capabilities are likely limited, and due to their designations as "Caretakers" it is suspected they maintain the facilities themselves.

The architecture was noted to be a significant deviation from standard Ethereal designs, though this does not necessarily mean much. Triangles and angles appeared prominently, and all facilities were up to modern standards. Blurry images of holding cells appear to be of similar quality, and we have confirmation that the Creator indeed experiments on them.

What exactly she _does_ is still unknown, as every single Operator was somehow terminated within ten minutes after penetrating the Blacksite.

The Chosen appear to have been created by her, and are highly unique specimens who do appear to have characteristic of multiple species. However the small number implies she has had limited success at best.

With that said, penetration of Paradise appears to be near-impossible. Multiple vectors of entrance have been attempted, from infiltration of supply ships, exterior penetration, nano infestation, frontal assault, to remote observation. Every single one has provided limited intelligence at best, and only on what is likely the first floor.

Whatever is happening on Paradise is likely not good, and is a mystery which should be solved sooner rather than later, as Andromedons are always among the victims. It is unknown if the Creator is acquiring them from other Unions or growing them herself in another location (Possibly overseen by another Ethereal). The good news is that she is likely a minor player in the Collective, and her influence and power is limited at best.

She is one to watch, and a mystery to solve, but she does not appear to pose a significant threat. This will be updated should it change.

RECOMMENDATION: INVESTIGATION OF WORLD PARADISE ORBITS; INVESTIGATE CONTENTS OF TEST SUBJECTS FOR CORRELATIONS IN GENETIC STRUCTURE; ABDUCT "CARETAKER" FOR ANALYSIS, EXPERIMENTATION, AND INTERROGATION; DETERMINE EXTENT AS TO CREATOR'S MENTAL DETERIORATION; DETERMINE POSITION WITHIN ETHEREAL HIERARCHY; DETERMINE GOALS OF CREATOR; POSSIBLY UTILIZE BUGGED ANDROMEDONS FOR INFILTRATION OF PARADISE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 20; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

CONTINUING OBSERVATION

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 267**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Amareoux – "The Creator"

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 8'10"

 _Weight_ : 201 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : She has more recently begun wearing robes which I assume she wears when not pursuing her scientific interests. She does not dress for combat, and does not possess a helmet.

 _Physical Condition_ : Moderately fit for an Ethereal. She is not a fighter, nor designed for sustained combat or physical activity. The physical threat she poses is minimal, but she would be considered healthy.

SECTION 2: Assessment

The Creator. Amaeroux. As with many in the Collective who are the last of their position, she has adopted the title as her own name and as such I will refer to her as it for the duration of this document. Truthfully, I believe that whatever part of the Creator that was Amaeroux has long since been killed or banished. The Ethereal that exists today is _not_ the one the Imperator recruited.

The Creator was originally one of the foremost experts in genetic engineering, and personally worked on both the Reaper and Imperator templates, and if the Imperator is to be believed, was instrumental in their success. Not even Revelean can claim to have as much proficiency in genetic engineering as the Creator.

She was always someone who considered herself superior and arrogant, even for an Ethereal. Her skills allowed her some leniency, and it took surprisingly little to convince her to work with the Imperator, who I believe promised her unlimited restrictions on her own experiments and the promise of designing the next generation of Ethereals.

A tempting offer for the Creator, and one she took.

She was…not one I would consider unpleasant. She was no psion, but in the beginning I was able to hold a cordial conversation with her. However, she did suffer from the same perspective issues as other Ethereals. The belief in the superiority of Ethereals and the inferiority of all other alien species. With that said, the Creator was unique in that she was one of the few to take a direct interest in alien genetics.

It was likely another lure the Imperator used. Obviously the Empire could not be connected to the kidnapping and experimentation of alien species, so she had to become creative in how she pursued this hobby. Much of her work regarding alien genomes was theory, instead of actual and practical experiments. This immediately changed when she was allowed to do as she wished.

And once her Blacksite was established, she essentially ceased contact with everyone. The Imperator has likely kept a watch on her, but to everyone else she is almost non-existent. But that did not stop us from hearing about what she was reportedly doing. Creators are amoral, but even they had professional standards.

From the rumors it seemed like the Creator was somehow losing her mind. Test subjects were shipped to her in bulk, the Imperator established two cloning facilities for Sectoids and Andromedons just to send a steady supply to her. Vitakara troublemakers and captives were kidnapped and sent to her, and now with Humanity a significant portion are being shipped to her.

The stories that emerge are almost unbelievable. Crossing genetics between species, strange ritual combat, and sacrifices. Ceremonies of executions of test subjects to brainwashed followers, forced cannibalism, live vivisections. It is a hell I have little incentive to question, especially when the primary source of these rumors is Quisilia.

He is known to embellish, and all he said to me was "I do quite hope the Imperator knows what he is doing."

While Revelean considers aliens inferior, and Fectorian cannot be said to treat them with gentleness, there is a certain professional standard they hold themselves to. They use what they have access to, make it efficient, and no more than necessary. None of them would even consider doing what the Creator has.

Revelean himself has grown more and more hostile towards her, especially since she refused to let him enter her Blacksite. Sana similarly despises her and refuses to communicate whatsoever. The Imperator has likely allowed her too much freedom in her actions, and I suspect that he will not curb it unless absolutely necessary.

I do not know what has happened to the Creator. She was, and clearly still is, brilliant. But the tempered Ethereal recruited by the Imperator is not the mad being which exists today.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Now? I suspect she is obsessed with…something. Creators were always obsessed with certain goals or subjects, and I suspect she is no different. At one point she was somewhat reasonable, and held her positions well. Now though she apparently only cares about her own subjects at the exclusion of all else.

She does not care about the opinions of others, even other Ethereals, as she has shunned contact and even barred certain Ethereals from entering her Blacksite, and at times has become openly hostile in her insults, once calling Revelean's work "That of an amateur striving towards something he can never achieve" and Fectorian "A failure of the species who relies on lifeless metal as he cannot comprehend the versatility of life".

Needless to say this did not go over well.

All social niceties appear to have been forgotten, and as a result no one speaks to her unless necessary. The Imperator probably still does, but no one else would willingly subject themselves to it. She is not acting normal, even for a Creator, and with the rumors surrounding her work, I fear that she will soon snap completely.

It would perhaps be a mercy.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

This is perhaps the one piece of good news here. The Creator is, as far as Ethereals go, easily beatable. She is a brilliant geneticist and scientist, but as a warrior and combatant, she is…lacking. Even a trained and powerful telepath would be able to overpower her.

Curiously, she has high psionic potential, and would classify as a telepath, but she has eschewed these abilities in favor of research. I suspect she would not be a difficult opponent, even if she utilized her telepathy. She simply lacks the experience and discipline required for sustained protection.

Your greater challenge will be penetrating her Blacksite, which undoubtedly has a small army inside, likely composed of her own abominations and perhaps some forces loaned by the Imperator. The vast majority of it is for research and experimentation. Even her Blacksite is likely a limited threat, as long as the ones assaulting it realize that they will be facing uncatalogued dangers.

At this point, I doubt even the Imperator would mourn the death of the Creator. She has forfeited her right to live, and I will not stop you from delivering the killing blow. It is for the good of all that she never be allowed to touch another living being again.

* * *

 **Log BP002 – CODEX Archive System**

 **Category: Debriefing**

 **Type: Audio Log**

 **Participants: The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective; the Creator**

 **Begin playback:**

[The Imperator]: "I did not expect to speak to you for some time. I trust the facilities have proven adequate?"

[The Creator]: "They…are."

[I]: "You are disturbed. Shaken. Unusual for you."

[C]: "I've…found something. Something that should not be possible."

[I]: "Explain."

[C]: "I…contacted something. On the station, I was…investigating the Psionosphere around the Dead World. It is…strange. Atypical. I was curious. And then…it spoke to me."

[I]: "You must have made contact with another alien. Perhaps one in stasis on a nearby world."

[C]: "No! This came from beyond the curtain of the Psionosphere! It could _not_ be anything else."

[I]: "You are certain? How?"

[C]: "It said to walk on the Dead World. I…obeyed it. The voice was fractured, broken; it was an overwhelming gestalt of minds. I could not let this opportunity pass!"

[I]: "I see. And yet you live and retain your mind."

[C]: "I…was able to speak more clearly. It should not be possible, but it is. It…or he…calls himself the Bringer. A bringer of paradise."

[I]: "An interesting choice of words. Especially from a being within the Psionosphere."

[C]: "He said he was…betrayed. Attacked as he tried to bring his vision to fruition. Destroyed and banished to the realm he inhabits. He wishes to cross back to reality…but needs help. But he knows _everything_. He sees _everything_. He _showed_ me."

[I]: _Long pause_. "Allow me to see."

[C]: "I…I cannot do that. He said that sharing such was a risk and I am already going against it by telling you-"

[I]: "I do not care for the wishes of a creature such as this. If you will not allow me, I will take it."

[C]: _Scream of pain._

 _Several minutes pass._

[I]: "Curious…and concerning. A creature trapped in a realm where none should exist. A splintered consciousness wishing to be reforged. Go back to this creature. Contact it again. Follow its…instructions."

[C]: "I…will…Imperator."

[I]: "And you will inform me of every step of the process. I will not take the risk of this creature posing a threat to us. Do not subvert me, or there will be consequences. Ensure this "Bringer" knows of this. _Am I understood_?"

[C]: "Yes…Imperator."

[I]: "Go then. I will be waiting for what you learn."


	108. Ethereals - Dossier: Sana'Ligna

Ethereals: Dossier

Sana'Ligna, Savant of the Empire

* * *

" _She does not belong with us."_

\- Isomnum, Dread Lord of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

The day the Elder Sana'Ligna graced our species with her presence was one of the most important of our species, and without a doubt the most memorable for myself. All of us knew it the moment she entered the hospital. We did not know it was her, of course, but we immediately became more relaxed, more at ease.

Content and assured that we would be alright.

We all knew the stories; the days when our species was dying and Sana herself visited our worlds and healed who she could, even as she toiled over creating the cure which saved us. Days when those near death were healed as if they had never been sick. An Elder capable of working miracles, yet one who is modest about her accomplishments.

The feeling of calm and contentment became stronger. For perhaps the first time I felt no pain, even though I could still see that the wounds the Humans had dealt me still existed. It would not be strange to say that I could sense as she arrived, as she made her way to the end of the bed and laid a hand on the wounded, healing them.

Of course everyone rational scoffs when we say what happened. Such abilities simply do not exist. Telepathy, they say, or illusions. Medicine or nanites. Anything but the truth. The Elders are worthy of our respect and admiration, but even they are subject to rules of the universe. Even the Gift they wield is not limitless.

Yet I wonder. The Oyariah have recognized the Elders as a higher power since the beginning. Fanaticism, we believe. An odd religious belief that we accepted and moved on. Yet after seeing and experiencing Elder Sana'Ligna personally, perhaps they are the ones who are correct.

Who else can lay a hand on my body and have all my wounds and damaged organs heal as if they had never been touched? I _saw_ the skin heal before my eyes. It is no illusion, no manipulation of telepathy. It is real, and it is a miracle. Her voice was beautiful and calming, one that dispelled any doubts or concerns I had left.

I was apprehensive of what to do, how to act before an Elder. But she did not seem to care. 'Rest, soldier' she said. 'You have already done enough for us. It is only right we repay your sacrifices'. Then I was healed. I consider myself to have been a rational individual, one who is not swayed by tricks and superstition, but I cannot deny what I saw with my own eyes.

The Elders have turned their gaze back to our species. They have turned them toward our enemies; the butchers on Earth. Now I know that we will win, and I am ready to fight in their name.

 _Notes of Runi'Siara'vitiary, shortly before being redeployed to Earth after suffering severe shrapnel damage and white phosphorus poisoning._

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 111101000111

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 12 (SANA'LIGNA)

KNOWN ALIASES: "SANA" "SAVANT" "SANA'LIGNA" "HEALER"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: DEVELOPED REPUTATION WITHIN ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXTENSIVELY ADMIRED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: COMMANDS UNKNOWN PSIONIC ABILITIES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VITAKARIAN PLAGUE CURE

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED TELEPATHIC ABILITIES

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): UNKNOWN

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Ethereal Sana'Ligna appears to be, at first glance, odd. It will only take a few days of observation to learn that she is _not_ like any other Ethereal who is alive today. She is far more emotional, empathetic, and if I may say so, naïve, than any Ethereal has any right to be. It is as if this Ethereal has a more realized emotional capacity than others.

This seems…at odds with literally every other example of this species.

It is suspicious just how flawless she appears to be. I have yet to discover a single negative or bad word about her. She is practically worshipped by the Vitakara, the Mutons that encounter her are docile and almost child-like as they look upon her, the Hive Commanders speak of her with the utmost respect, and the Federation itself cannot find fault with her.

Nor can I, admittedly. There is nothing I can find which is objectionable. Or at least objectively objectionable. She is kind, respectful to aliens, goes out of her way to heal those she encounters, is a pleasant conversationalist, intelligent, and as close to the perfect Ethereal as one could probably hope for. I am certain telepathy is involved to a degree, but I do not think this is an act. She _is_ exactly who she appears to be.

Which makes her stand out like an inferno in this Collective.

She appears to dislike violence, yet is party to working with the Battlemaster, who commands the most dangerous army in this galaxy. She treats aliens with respect and consideration, but appears ignorant to the treatment of the Mutons, the various castes within the Sectoids, and the glass cage the Vitakar inhabit watched by the Zararch.

Calling her a hypocrite is easy, but I am not convinced it is…accurate. It is entirely possible that she has no choice under the Imperator, and is doing what she can. I will also note that she has become more and more withdrawn from the public, especially once the Vitakara were cured. She is still spoken of with reverence, which is another indication of just how well-liked she was.

But this does beg the question of _why_ she is with these Ethereals, who are opposite her in nearly all aspects. She does not _belong_ here. She has the wrong mindset for this galaxy; one that is idealistic and almost naïve. But after reading some of her own documents and listening to recordings, I believe she _knows_ that.

She knows the values she holds are unrealistic, but they are something she will strive towards even when the galaxy pushes against her.

She will obviously fail, but the drive is interesting to observe.

It still does not explain why the Imperator kept her around. Someone who is opposed to the difficult actions taken does not seem like an ideal partner. Based on what I have learned, it very likely has to do with her own psionic abilities.

Sana'Ligna is not an ordinary psion. This much can be said for certain. The most prominent examples of her abilities were during the Vitakara Plague. There is an extraordinary amount of documented evidence that this Ethereal somehow has the ability to control living matter. Bodies mended, minds healed, aliens who were dying restored to full health in minutes. This is not speculation, this actually _happened_. The documents are restricted by the Zararch, but the people remember.

I suspect those who read will come to a similar conclusion. If Sana'Ligna does not know Biomanipulation, she has learned something very close.

Unfortunately, we have no more instances of her utilizing her abilities. Outside of her Blacksite, she hasn't been seen in public in years. I do not know what it will take for her to reemerge, but for now we should classify her as a potential threat and learn as much as we can about _why_ she is here at all.

I suspect that will give us more insight than the Healer herself.

RECOMMENDATION: INVESTIGATION INTO ETHEREAL EXPERIENCE WITH BIOMANIPULATION; BEGIN SUBVERSION OF BLACKSITE OCCUPIED BY SANA'LIGNA; REVIEW AND DOCUMENT ALL INSTANCES OF SANA'LIGNA'S ACTIVITY WITHIN COLLECTIVE SPACE; REQUEST PUBLIC VISITS FROM SANA'LIGNA BY THE FEDERATION

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 109; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

* * *

From the beginning everyone knew she was special. Not simply due to her psionic potential, intelligence, and drive, but because she was a twin. The rarest gift a family could receive in the Empire. From the moment she and her brother took their first breaths all knew that they would be destined for greatness in the Empire.

Both were, though perhaps not in the way they intended.

Despite growing up together, both developed distinct and contrary personalities. Sana'Ligna was a mediator, diligent student, and always willing to help those she could. She was always supportive of the Empire and the leadership, but grew into a proponent of increased alien integration – a move which allowed that idea to take firmer hold.

Sana eventually grew to be a powerful telepath, and a pioneer in the rare and developing discipline of Biopathy. Scientists never determined if the circumstances of her birth played a significant role in the ease of which she mastered this difficult field, but regardless, she grew to become a master of the discipline of Biopathy, and used if for the sole purpose of healing and protection.

The arrival of the Synthesized and the start of their attacks shook the Empire, but shook Sana far more deeply than others. Both she and Mortis were among the first to volunteer to strike back against this enemy, and both joined forces as they melded their own skills of Biopathy to be used against the hybrids.

The worlds and fronts they visited ranged from the pristine lines of the Division of Battlemasters, to the ruins of the outlying colony worlds. Both were divided on where to go, with Sana wanting to support the colonies and civilians, while Mortis wanted to act in accordance with the Grandmaster and greater Ethereal legions.

Compromise was reached, with both agreeing to participate in the larger attacks and defenses, but the rest of the time supporting nearly-overrun strongholds. Many worlds were held by nothing more than the twins supporting what remained of the defenses against an encroaching Synthesized horde. The wounded were healed and the defenders became invincible under Sana, while the legions arrayed against them melted before the sheer power of Mortis.

Their legend grew over time, and they became known to both ally and enemy alike. The twins shortly became targets; ambushed and facing overwhelming numbers wherever they went. Yet they believed they could persist; invincible in their manipulation of the Gift. A hubris they paid for dearly.

When the Synthesized ambushed the world of Decamias, and subjected the planet to continuous orbital bombardment, Mortis suffered substantial wounds. Wounds which would have killed him if not for Sana, who even with her skills could not bring him back to life as he had lived. Yet Mortis was not truly dead, but in a state where he knew nothing. All that remained was the bond with his sister.

A bond which she exploited and used against the Synthesized; puppeting her brother to fight as he had previously. The Dead Ethereal; invincible in the hands of the Savant of the Empire. A weapon in her hands which she wielded with growing skill and power as the war progressed.

She soon realized that the war would be lost, even with the arrival of the Imperators. But she has seen what awaits if measures are not taken, and no matter her personal disagreements with those above her, she will remain loyal to her species and the ideals of the Empire.

She will wield the Dead Ethereal once more in battle, and this time she will bring our species to victory.

 _\- Sana'Ligna, Savant of the Empire (Excerpt) by Archivist Cogitian_

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 193**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Sana'Ligna

Threat Level: Low

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 9'1"

 _Weight_ : 208 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : Sana'Ligna does not wear a helmet, and prefers to wear either robes or light shawls or pieces of clothing which offer little physical protection but are suited for her work in either scientific pursuits or medical procedures.

 _Physical Condition_ : She is physically fit for an Ethereal, although she would not compare to an Ethereal designed for physical activity and combat. She has a surprising amount of stamina, and is capable of working at full capacity without sleep for a full day. Do not let her lack of physical strength fool you, she is more durable than you would assume, and her mastery of Biopathy allows her body to work even faster if necessary. She can transform herself into an athlete at nearly a moment's notice.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Sana'Ligna is one of the most considerate and kind beings you will ever meet in this galaxy.

She was not brought along because of it.

I am convinced that the Imperator only preserved Sana'Ligna solely because of her bond with her brother, Mortis'Ligna, known to us as the Dead Ethereal. I will not speak of this in great detail, as there is another file on Mortis himself. But it is important to realize that she was not brought along because of her personality, but because she has the sole power to control one of the most dangerous beings this galaxy has ever seen.

Sana is an Ethereal twin. To understand _why_ this is significant, during the entire history of the Empire, there were only four sets of twins born. Children were rare already, and to have two at one time is a concept that is difficult to grasp for us. It was certainly a shock when I first saw the sextuplets of Mutons born, as well as learning that twins and even triplets are not atypical for Humans and most races of Vitakara.

Twins are _always_ different. They are atypical. I do not mean their abilities; every single twin born was among the most powerful psions in history, and paved the way for new understandings and discoveries of psionics. They are atypical in that their personalities highly differ from the standard Ethereals. I would almost class some as 'rebels', as each one attempted to subvert or break convention in some way. None were successful the way they wished, but it made our species reexamine certain topics we thought settled.

Sana for a while appeared to not be afflicted by this deviancy. She was a rule-follower, obedient to authority, and a model student. This only lasted until she became a full adult and the Empire realized that her empathy, respect, and kindness did _not_ stop at the Ethereal species, but extended to others as well. She was the one to begin pushing for greater cooperation and unity with other species, which to most Ethereals came out of nowhere, especially in comparison to her brother.

As a twin, she immediately gained support (She was the equivalent of a celebrity, if you wish to use Human terms), and this was considered…problematic. She had a significant amount of influence, and when Mortis backed her up, the situation called for distraction. Imperial Civil Command, instead of directly contradicting them, put them in charge of important psionic programs on Biopathy, out of the public spotlight, while they determined the best way to handle the Ethereals who had technically done nothing wrong.

It was easy to convince Sana of the benefits of this program. Biopathy is perhaps the most difficult discipline of psionics, but arguably one of the most useful – and dangerous. Appealing to her desire to help others, she was told that her pioneering this new field could wipe out disease and sickness. Not – I will note – an inaccurate claim. Technically.

The amount of Biopaths in the Empire measured in the dozens, and within a week Sana and Mortis had surpassed all of them. But through her experimentation and decades of long study, Sana eventually mastered the art and became a healer without equal. With this done, she planned to leave the Empire and travel to the wider galaxy, as Ethereals were not an unhealthy species, or one which regularly required healing.

I do wonder what would have happened if the Empire had allowed her to travel to the aliens instead of distracting her for decades. It could not have hurt us, in retrospect. But before she could, the Synthesized attacked and she was called upon to defend the Empire. Armed with her new mastered abilities she and Mortis began working together as the Synthesized attacked.

I do not know how many lives she saved, or how many in total they spared together, but it had to have been millions. Often it was just her and Mortis holding a small colony against thousands of the Synthesized, and when they participated in actual conflicts ordered by the Grandmaster, rarely was there a casualty.

More and more they were needed for strikes and on the front lines, and it soon culminated in the near-death of Mortis. Sana _was_ able to keep him from death, but could not restore him fully to life. She and her brother had shared a bond through their lives, and I believe this is what allowed her to prevent him from dying altogether.

She soon realized that as Mortis was effectively brain-dead, it allowed her almost full control over him. Once the Grandmaster realized this, he ordered her to exploit it. She refused at first, not wanting to use him in such a way, but after being pressed by nearly every influential Ethereal, she relented for the good of the Empire and began utilizing Mortis as a weapon against the Synthesized.

I half-wonder if the reason she accepted the Imperator's offer was because she would not have to continue using Mortis in such a way.

I do not know how she will react when ordered to use him again. The Imperator did not bring him along to store with the Creator.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

Sana is a highly empathetic individual. She is considerate and caring, is impossible to offend, and views the galaxy with an almost childlike naivety. This mindset was atypical among our species, although not strictly _impossible_. But these views were always tempered by a pragmatism instilled from an early age. Sana never seemed affected by this.

Emotionally she is more…expressive than most Ethereals. Freer and more intense with her emotions, which is something that is usually repressed in Ethereal children. Passionate is a good word to describe her, and a usual characteristic of an Ethereal twin. In fact, I would compare her emotional capacity closer to a Human than to another Ethereal.

Humans are an interestingly emotional species already, more so than even the Vitakara. I have not decided if this is an advantage or a liability.

Returning to Sana, while she can be easily seen as naïve, I do not believe she actually is. She has a…bright outlook on the galaxy, but is not ignorant as to the darkness that permeates it. She shields herself from it, and works to bring what light she can when she can do so. Willful ignorance is unfortunately the best description.

She is, I believe, someone you would call a coward. She had her beliefs and ideals, but will not push them if there is significant difficulty. She opposes the worst practices of the Ethereals, but forgoes speaking up if given the opportunity. When she does raise her voice, strong opposition and influence will make her easily relent. At heart she is too passive and doesn't understand her reluctance only makes what she despises worse.

If this could be broken, she could change the Collective. She is highly critical of how your species was handled, but did little more than express her displeasure. Displeasure which first the Imperator, and then the rest of the Ethereals, ignored.

Even still she does not hate or despise any of her kind (With perhaps the exception of Isomnum), and indeed those words do not seem to be exercised by her. She does not _have_ enemies. She is universally liked, and likely sees that as the only thing she can do. But as long as she remains the way she is, she will never act against the Imperator or Battlemaster, even if she has the power to do so.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Sana is a biopath, which is the telepathic manipulation of cells and simple organisms. The details will be covered in a separate file, suffice to say that having control on a level so small is nearly impossible to detect and block, and gives unprecedented power over an opponent – or ally. Sana herself originally mastered the art of using Biopathy to heal, influencing cells to multiply and join together, allowing wounds to be healed in minutes and the body itself to reset or reform at her command.

Biopathy can, of course, do the opposite, and Sana controlled Mortis for long enough that if pressed, she _has_ the capability to cause significant harm through Biopathy.

However, for now she uses her abilities for healing and recovery. She is also a powerful telepath in the traditional sense, and has mastered an ability which combines traditional telepathy and Biopathy, making allies stronger, focused, and nearly invincible, while at the same time weakening, disrupting, and otherwise wounding enemies.

Sana is also a combat veteran, though she would never call herself such. She would prefer pacifism and non-violence, but that should not fool you into believing she would be an easy opponent. Her experience during the Synthesized War makes her vigilant on the battlefield, and a dangerous opponent, especially if reinforced.

But as a threat, she is almost not one at all. She will not fight us, and almost certainly not another Ethereal. With that said, she may be forced by the Imperator to support other Ethereals and units. This will make them essentially invincible unless hit with high explosives, large-scale psionics, fast-acting nanotech, or similar large-scale attacks.

An opponent supported by Sana will not die, and she will heal herself similarly. While she does not pose a _direct_ threat, she would nearly be impossible to actually kill. Attacking her telepathically is also not likely, as she is proficient in telepathic defense, and overwhelming her would be of questionable effectiveness or feasibility.

She is however weak to ambushes, and due to her non-Ethereal personality she could possibly be manipulated and influenced more easily than most others.


	109. Ethereals - Dossier: Mortis'Ligna

Ethereals: Dossier

Mortis'Ligna, Revenant of the Empire

* * *

" _The greatest failing of our species is our belief that we were infallible."_

\- Mortis'Ligna

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 111000100001

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 14 (NAME UNKNOWN)

KNOWN ALIASES: "THE DEAD ETHEREAL" "REVENANT"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN – SUSPECTED REMOTE BLACKSITE OR THE TEMPLE SHIP

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY RELATED TO ETHEREAL SANA'LIGNA

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY IN STASIS OR SIMILAR RESTRAINTS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: NO PUBLIC APPEARENCES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: LIKELY PSIONIC

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: UNKNOWN – IF RELATION TO SANA'LIGA IS ACCURATE, POSSIBLY ADVANCED OR UNKNOWN PSIONIC ABILITIES OR SKILLS

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED LOW TO MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): UNKNOWN

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Had it not been for the interception of several Ethereal correspondences, we quite likely would not have known this Ethereal actually existed. All references to this Ethereal are either indirect, or use titles or words which are not typically ascribed to _any_ being, let alone an Ethereal. It is worth taking some time and analyzing these as they are our strongest indication as to who and what this Ethereal is.

The first was a simple referral to the "Dead Ethereal", which caught our attention, as the wording implied that this individual was very much alive – or at least an active asset. I suspect that this is little more than a nickname or shorthand for how Ethereals refer to him. The Imperator would not waste time on anything dead, and I fail to see why this Ethereal would be referenced in this particular event.

The second identifying name, "Revenant" is a far better one. The word, translated, equates to something that was once dead, or appears dead, but is nonetheless alive. There are several possible meanings to this, the first being that this is an Ethereal who has survived many dangerous situations that would have killed others of their own kind. This would imply a highly skilled and dangerous Ethereal, one talented enough to be christened with such a unique title – something most Ethereals don't have to begin with.

However, this particular interpretation has one flaw – namely that this Ethereal has never been seen in public, and we have not intercepted more messages that imply he is active in the Collective. If this Ethereal is alive, wouldn't he be heavily involved, even if he restricts public appearances?

Another interpretation is that the name refers to his psionic abilities – possibly telepathy – which have some kind of lethal effect but he would still manage to retain some measure of control – the source of the 'Revenants' if an illustration is required. While we have never seen any kind of indication that this kind of psionic ability is possible, in theory such an effect could be produced. But again, this raises a question as to where this Ethereal has been – something that remains a problem for any proposed answer.

The final, and arguably the most far-fetched, is that this Ethereal was _actually_ killed, and has subsequently been reanimated. How this would be possible is unknown, but it would fit with the "Dead Ethereal" identifier in addition to this, and might explain both why he is not involved in the Empire, or mentioned often elsewhere.

At the moment the evidence fits the third proposal best – but this is under the assumption that there is not a plausible reason for this Ethereal not being involved. He could very well be acting outside the Collective, we could have simply not acquired more intercepted messages, or this silence is a deliberate misdirection. There are simply too many unknown factors to definitively state the status of this Ethereal.

However, there is a point of further interest. It does appear that, based on the intercepted messages, this Ethereal is related in some way to Sana'Ligna. If this can be confirmed, it is possible that she would know more about him and thus is our best lead. The penetration of her Blacksite may yield potential answers, and could likely be pulled off without significant difficulty.

However, if there _is_ some relation, his potential threat level should be raised, as we have identified Sana'Ligna's unknown psionic abilities, and those could be similarly shared by a relative. We should not take chances until we know more about what we are investigating.

RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN PENETRATION OF ETHEREAL BLACKSITE MANAGED BY SANA'LIGNA FOR INFORMATION ON ETHEREAL CORRESPONDENCES; REVIEW ALL INTERCEPTED CORRESPONDENCES TO ALL BLACKSITES FOR REFERENCES TO THIS ETHEREAL

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 133; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT

* * *

 _Transcript of Mortis'Ligna's presentation to Imperial Institute of Telepathy Research and Experimentation_

 _Greetings and introductions are omitted._

When I was growing up, there was, as you would imagine, a high amount of scrutiny on myself and my sister. Prodigies, gifts, every complimentary word possible was thrown to us, and expectations were at a level neither of us comprehended until far later. I didn't especially care, of course; in retrospect I was certainly not the model child.

Traditional subjects failed to interest me, not because I didn't have the capability, but I simply hadn't the time or motivation for the sciences and writing as a child. That was not where I spent my time. There were two things which fascinated me – the unknown and the gift we call psionics. I was not interested in what everyone else had already done, the tired formulas and incremental experiments.

As I grew, I of course developed into somewhat less of a troublemaker, much to the relief of my parents and instructors, I suspect. But those two interests never left, but further refined themselves. The unknown developed into an interest in alien life, something we in the Empire shun for reasons I have yet to satisfactorily determine, but that is a subject for another time.

Psionics was something I had a natural talent for. If there was something I could claim to excel at, it is this. Telepathy was identified as a strength, and like many of you at that age, I was given a series of experiments and exercises to perform and begin developing this talent. I did them of course, but I was not…satisfied with them. I had been exploring this on my own, and what the teachers had given as a supposed challenge was something I had figured out days ago.

So instead, I began expanding outside the scope of traditional telepathy. I read every book and watched every video on sub-sentient telepathy, but there was surprisingly little to go through. This was a field which everyone had either given up on, or simply didn't know how to proceed.

But I did, and I went smaller and smaller, until I was able to manipulate the gift on a cellular level, something I'm sure many of you cannot comprehend. Impossible, some might say; and indeed many told me my theories and ideas were impractical and born of an unsound mind. Now of course I am hailed as a visionary, along with my sister, but you may be surprised to know this is not due to raw skill or anything such as this.

In my own studies on alien cultures, there was one particular legend I had always found interesting. In the developing days of the Dash-Rakka, they were highly religious, and the story of their own creation by the hand of the God Rakka described, and I quote "Cell by cell he created them from the cauldron of the land and inhabitants; reforging and remaking them into his own people".

Fanciful and likely something that never happened. But what is interesting were his highest Prophets, those who claimed to have the Gift of Rakka, the ability to heal the flesh with magic powers, and kill similarly. A legend, some may say, but I suspect that these individuals were the first ones to develop the skills I have now.

Shocking as it may be to think that an alien species could have accomplished something we are only learning now, it highlights what I believe allowed me to learn this before anyone else aside from my sister. To wield this power demands a certain _mindset_ , as well as a desire to break norms and conventions. This desire is something stamped out in the rigid schooling we all participated in; certain subjects are censored or forbidden because there is supposedly nothing the rest of the galaxy can offer us.

That is a false assumption.

The Empire is the greatest power in this galaxy, but we must also realize that we don't understand everything about it. I suspect there are more developments that we have not even thought of, masters of psionics for fields we do not know yet. But we do not develop these in isolation, but through collaboration and exploration.

I am well aware that there are those, perhaps some here right now, who consider what myself and sister can do as 'unnatural'. To which I contest that something is only unnatural if there is no explanation for it. I mastered Biopathy through years of practice and experimentation until it is just as solid a school of Psionics as every other one.

'Unnatural' is a word of fear. Of the unknown and inexplicable. It is tempting to close yourself off to new possibilities; to stay within the comfortable confines of the Empire and the laboratories; indeed, even this institution we are in now. Every single being comes to a place of higher learning with dreams of the greatest breakthrough; with dreams of becoming the next figure of history.

Some do, but I will say _why_ they became such. It was not because they came here, it is because they were not constrained. They did not follow convention. They broke the rules and pushed boundaries; they faced opposition and questioning, yet nonetheless persisted. Being a figure of history requires pain and hardship.

You may be wondering right now, if it is possible to learn this power I have. I will answer this by asking this question: How willing are you to change and expand your mindsets and worldviews? One needs to have a certain mindset to use Biopathy. Attempting to master it conventionally will lead to limited results at best, as many scientists here can attest. A rigid mind cannot be a Biopath. One that is flexible is the first step down this road.

Yes, you can learn this power. But not from an Ethereal, not even just from the Dash-Rakka or other aliens. It requires you to change how you view this galaxy. It requires understanding that things you have understood your entire life may be wrong.

That decision of if you want to take that step is up to you.

 _Following this address, Mortis'Ligna was never again able to speak at educational institutions due to many scheduling conflicts and requests from Imperial Civil Command._

* * *

The first time Mortis'Ligna died, he did not go down without a fight. In conjunction with an assault by the Division of the Battlemasters, Mortis and the soldiers accompanying him launched an attack deep within Synthesized territory, an unnamed planet covered in snow in frost. The defending hordes melted before the hand of Mortis, and the world was taken.

The intention was to take the world, and recover as much information as they could regarding other Synthesized command bases and factories, for the Empire had determined the Synthesized had developed them some time ago, and then left before retaliation struck. The first mission was successful, as was the second, and there was hope that perhaps the offensive would be slowed.

The third time, it was a disaster.

Machines the Empire had never seen were present, including many which were completely synthetic, negating the greatest strength the armies had through Mortis. But these Synthesized forces that Mortis also encountered possessed something none previously had – the gift of psionics. It was only one, but the recounting by the two survivors speaks of a being which summoned rifts and storms equivalent to those of the greatest of the Maelstrom.

Nonetheless the soldiers fought, as well as killed many of the defenders, but in the process one of the Director Flagships appeared, and with a blast from the sky annihilated the majority of the strike force. It was only through the quick thinking of several brave soldiers in the Division that the dying form of Mortis was dragged away, and teleported to a safe world.

His sister was already waiting, as through her bond she knew her brother was dying. But even her command of the rare talent of Biopathy was not enough to ultimately save him. Yet she persisted, and healed every injury and ailment, while maintaining a constant telepathic connection to him. She does not know what happened those long and dark days, but Mortis'Ligna's mind perished that day.

His body, however, persisted.

His organs functioned, his heart pumped blood, his lungs breathed air in and out. But his mind was silent, even if his brain was active. He was labeled as brain dead soon afterward, but a remarkable discovery was made soon afterwards – the bond Sana and forged through Mortis allowed her to command him.

No Ethereal was able to reproduce this, leaving Sana the sole Ethereal who could bring the power of Mortis to bear against the Synthesized once more. An act she initially rejected, but as the Empire began crumbing further she swallowed her reservations and the Revenant of the Empire was born.

Rumors began circling that Mortis'Ligna was actually not dead, but had survived the mission which had been said to have been his death. Morale was immediately boosted, and the first time Mortis reappeared, Sana by his side, there was clear hope once more in the Empire as the hordes melted before his outstretched hand.

Yet everyone knew that something was wrong. The Revenant no longer spoke to anyone, or even acknowledged the presence of anyone other than Sana'Ligna. Others noticed that he never went anywhere without his sister close by, and indeed seemed only to act as she directed. No one truly knew what had happened to Mortis, but they did know that he was not the same Ethereal that had fought with and for them thus far.

But his power was unabated, and the combined abilities of Sana'Ligna, and the Dead Ethereal were the downfalls of many a Synthesized invading army. By the end the two siblings were believed to be so coordinated as to be a singular entity. Yet through the end of the war, Mortis never once uttered one word or sound as he melted the enemies of the Empire.

I wonder if he would have made the decision, had he been able. I personally suspect he would have. No matter what issues he had with the Empire, he would have done anything to save his species from annihilation.

His legacy will be the sacrifice he made to rise as the undying wrath of a fallen empire.

 _\- Mortis'Ligna, Revenant of the Empire by Archivist Cogitian_

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 194**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Mortis'Ligna

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Dark Purple

 _Height_ : 9'1"

 _Weight_ : 210 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : At the moment I suspect Mortis, should he be utilized, will have more than repurposed Overmind robes. Physically there is very little that makes him stand out. The black aesthetic he had during the war might be preserved by the Imperator and Sana.

 _Physical Condition_ : As Mortis will likely be always supported by Sana should he take the field, you are facing an Ethereal in prime condition, and potentially inexhaustible. The body of Mortis does not require sleep, food and drink can be injected, and environmental conditions will not be an issue. The body of Mortis is stronger than the average Human, but not exceptionally strong by Ethereal standards.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Before we begin, I would like to clarify that the majority of this document will be…historical, as for all intents and purposes the Ethereal who was Mortis'Ligna is dead, even if his body is preserved and kept as a weapon by the Imperator. You should assume that nothing of Mortis exists should he be deployed against us.

But here I will begin.

Mortis'Ligna was the closest thing to an Ethereal rebel that existed. I have already explained the value and rarity of twins, so I will not repeat it again here, suffice to say that this is what I believe had a large part to do in some way with the atypical mindset of Mortis. Even as a child he was one of the few who would not dutifully follow the instructions of his teachers in parents in favor of his own activities.

While I understand that this is not uncommon for Human children, it is highly atypical for Ethereals. Even when young we are serious and follow the instructions of those above us. Rebellion or disobedience is a rarity, one which implies a failing of parenting or a serious transgression even a child can know is wrong.

Mortis simply disobeyed and questioned authority because he could. If something did not interest him, he would either refuse, or do it begrudgingly. In contrast, he _immediately_ developed a talent for psionics, and within a few years was at the level of one twice his age. As he grew older, his vices became less prevalent, and he took a serious interest in aliens, obscure and fringe theories of psionics, and the art of debate.

Mortis had a desire to prove himself and his ideas right, and he was a natural debater. Debate, serious debate of a difference of opinion, was rare in the Empire. It was highly unlikely that there would be dissent in the higher levels of the Empire, and such disagreements would be minor. There was simply no reason to challenge those when there were no obvious problems with the Empire or how it was run. Every part of the Empire was tailored to ensure that there _wouldn't_ be a need to challenge this.

As Mortis began developing his skills in Biopathy, along with his sister, both of them took different routes of doing this. Sana developed hers 'conventionally', as in she performed experiments and worked with scientists in pursuit of this goal. Mortis eschewed all of this and was one of the few Ethereals to venture beyond the Empire and speak directly with other alien civilizations.

While the Empire would of course not mention this, Mortis came back with a solid understanding of how Biopathy could work, far more than his sister could develop, and both of them together forged a path to establishing it as a discipline of psionics. Mortis insisted that he would not have learned how best to do this without his journey beyond the Empire, but this was not given much exposure.

It was during this time that Mortis and Sana both began campaigning for revisiting the Imperial stance on aliens and communication, and of course as I explained in Sana's document, each of them were immediately distracted by Civil Command through assignments, research, and more that was designed not to simply help them achieve their academic goals, but to prevent them from questioning the Empire too publicly.

For better or worse, it succeeded, or would have for a little while. When the Synthesized arrived, as I said, both Mortis and Sana immediately lent their services to Military Command, and were utilized together in many operations, assaults, and defenses. Their battles are no longer important in this particular retelling, until the day when Mortis was assisting a strike on a Synthesized base which was trapped. I do not know the exact details of it, but all but two were killed, and Mortis was dying.

Sana, as you know, saved him, or at least his body. You know of her own struggle here, so I will not repeat it. But Mortis'Ligna died that day, and what exists today is an empty shell which was a weapon to use against the Synthesized. And used it was; and in the hands of Sana, Mortis's own legend grew beyond what it had been in the days before his death.

Of course it was not Mortis then, but Sana who used him so skillfully, but from what Sana has told me she simply used what Mortis already possessed in his head. I do wonder if everything Sana has done is being registered, in the sadly unlikely event he miraculously recovers.

When Sana joined the Imperator, Mortis was similarly brought along in a stasis pod to reduce his own dangerous aura. I suspect the Imperator means to use Mortis as a weapon against the Synthesized again, as I cannot see him justifying his deployment on anything other than a catastrophic threat. I do not like the idea that he would be deployed against us, but as the war progresses, this looks more and more likely.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

When alive, Mortis was, as I said…difficult.

Mortis never liked complacency and, for better or worse, always had opinions. Some opinions I agreed with, others I did not. The point was that he had them, and more importantly, was not quiet with them. This led to some unfortunate incidents, and in childhood it was assumed he would grow out of them, but as an adult he instead became very skilled at arguing his point.

Ethereals were not debaters, something Mortis exploited, and as a result, very few Ethereals of importance actually listened to his ideas. Mortis did not especially care that much, but he did quite enjoy proving others wrong. He enjoys the conflict, from what I see, though I even wonder if it is as simple as that.

I feel Mortis was frustrated by the Empire. He wasn't like everyone else, and didn't understand why they did not see the galaxy from his perspective. He did not consider that he was the one who was atypical, and that there were reasons for the mindset of the Empire. If he had been slightly more diplomatic, I suspect Civil Command may have listened to him.

But he is not subtle, or even especially polite. You would call him sarcastic, something most Ethereals did not know how to handle. But they knew insults, and they knew when they were being made fun of. If Mortis did not like a particular idea or individual, he would ensure both they, and everyone else, knew that they were of questionable intelligence or their idea was bad.

He was always unwavering in his own beliefs, and shared them where he could. The Empire may have tried to keep him quiet, but they didn't come close to damaging his actual opinions or making him rethink his own positions. He has very strict opinions on aliens, Ethereals, the galaxy, and even military tactics and strategy.

He also had, interestingly, something of a moral compass. He had clear definitions of right and wrong, more so than what was established by the Empire. More importantly he was as unwavering in those beliefs as his political ones. A fact that caused the Creators some grief, as well as certain Ethereals pushing the boundaries of experimentation.

He would not have approved what the Imperator has done to your species, I know that much. Indeed, I suspect that were Mortis himself, he would get along well with your species. Certainly more than he ever got along with his own.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

This is perhaps the most relevant section of this document.

Engaging Mortis in any kind of close range combat is suicide. His aura was developed to specifically kill anything that enters the radius. Any unshielded minds will simply cease to function. Even non-sentient life or simple organisms will slowly cease functioning if they are within his aura for too long.

It also does not improve the odds that Mortis was, and through Sana, is, an exceptionally skilled and powerful telepath, certainly a match for even the best of XCOM and ADVENT psions. However, I do not believe you need to fear this ability as much, as through Sana he will usually use Biopathy.

Biopathy is the greatest threat, and his power is great enough that if he is ever deployed you need to pull back any soldiers you have _immediately_. You cannot protect your armies against Biopathy. He will reduce them to an organic slurry in minutes if you allow him. This is not negotiable. Engaging him with any kind of organic force is suicide.

Because he is protected by Sana, he is almost impossible to kill. I suspect that your only options would be to use airstrikes or nanotech to try and destroy the body - both of which I know the Collective will be prepared for. If he must be engaged, it must be with completely synthetic forces. The ADVENT MDUs and SHIVs are ideal for this.

The other option, though I am loathe to suggest it, is to instead target Sana. I theorize that if she is killed, Mortis will cease to become a threat. I do not know if he will remain active, or if he will simply shut off like an organic machine, but the threat he poses will be ended. Multiple Ethereals tried to utilize Mortis, and only Sana could do it.

If Sana is removed, Mortis will not be a threat.

For what it is worth, I do not believe Sana would allow Mortis to be deployed on Earth. At least, I would like to think in this way. If the Imperator forced her…she might feel like there is no choice.

Let us hope we never have to find out. Mortis would be furious if he knew his legacy was being used as a weapon of terror on a species fighting an unjust war. But if he is…then we will need to ensure this war will be his last. His memory deserves better, but we do not choose where and when we die, nor how we will be remembered.


	110. ADVENT - History: Citizens and War

ADVENT: History

Citizens and War

* * *

" _No matter what you are doing, no matter where you are, you can't escape the reality that we are in a war."_

\- Jaylin Merro, ADVENT Citizen

* * *

Commander Christiaens,

While you've certainly been busy with putting together the largest global military in Human history, there is a certain reality that we will eventually have to face, namely that there will be a majority of citizens who will not want to take the necessary steps to join the military itself. While we can boost our numbers through recruitment and tapping into the fear and uncertainty of the future, I do not foresee an outcome that will leave us enough soldiers to properly wage our offensives against the alien forces, and adequately defend our own territory.

The amount of space we are talking about here is massive, and while we will obviously have enough soldiers to protect important cities and infrastructure, the fact is that there will be a majority that cannot be justified posting soldiers to. Practically, this is justifiable as there are many places on Earth which will never see combat, no matter the result.

With that said, the importance of _perception_ is also worth pointing out here. If people, even in small and remote towns know they are being protected, they will feel safer, more motivated, and grateful to ADVENT. Take this away, or never provide it in the first place, and there will be a surge in resentment and fear. After all, can ADVENT really say they protect us if they can't spare soldiers to ensure we're safe?

You see where I'm going with this. Not an ideal situation that could spread our forces thin for the sake of keeping the public calm and happy.

There is, however, a possible solution. That is the creation of militias. Civilian-managed defense forces which would operate within their own borders and protect themselves. There would, obviously, need to be an officer in charge, but eventually they would be able to take on an advisory role or not necessarily have to stay at all.

The key will be finding enough people in each city or town to support a militia. Then there will need to be training in both weaponry and ADVENT policy, but that can be done over a period of weeks. There would need to be standards established, and constructing it in the vein of a reserve force would make it easier for citizens to maintain their current jobs as well as holding a position in the local militia.

Militias would have to be paid for their time, and it would be worth further investing by giving families with militia participants bonuses or other perks. With that said, militias should ultimately not be equal to the main military force, but fortunately ADVENT has access to a large stockpile of conventional weaponry. The intent here is not necessarily to produce a force capable of fighting back the aliens, but give the illusion of protection for citizens. That they are protected by their own will only reinforce this, and they may feel more motivated to join since they have a personal stake in the well-being of their home.

It should be stressed that while non-military citizens are allowed, there are standards. We don't want drug addicts, mentally unstable individuals, and people with other issues or disruptive personalities being given weapons. And definitely no people who are completely out of shape, there needs to be _some_ physical standards. If aliens ever attack a militia, they should at least be able to put up _something_ of a fight.

Ultimately, Commander, I feel the implementation of this would be a comfort to many citizens, and maybe put some of those gun hoarders in the States to actual use. Maybe they'd view it as an apology for requisitioning their weapons away the first time. I've attached additional documentation outlining this in more technical detail.

\- Major Endo Inäbnit, First Legion of Switzerland

* * *

Hello, Commander.

A question that we need to solve as soon as possible is involving the civilians in the war effort. Yes, we can rely on our military and our factories, but if we want to leverage the millions of civilians who are going to benefit from protection, we need to be proactive about it. We can rely on at least some who will take the initiative and try and help, but we need to reach beyond it.

It's difficult enough to rouse an entire nation for one specific cause, so the idea of doing it worldwide is understandably a daunting task. I suspect that getting civilians to participate in the same level as World War II will not be repeated naturally. War is and has been for many, a far-off concern that ultimately won't affect them. Naively or not, there will be enough who believe that we will prevail due to our broadcasted messages, even if reality is more complex.

In truth we don't need people to man factories by hand; automation has solved a significant amount of issues there. What we _are_ facing is that we have thousands of cities all over the world and realistically, we're only going to focus on the ones that are going to matter. This presents pretty obvious weaknesses that the aliens may take advantage of if they look beyond the Busans, New Yorks, and Seouls of the world.

At the same time, we're also going to be limited in the amount of workers we can send to a certain location. Also of note, is that at least some may need to stay on to maintain it, which bleeds us further of personnel which could be put to better use on the front lines. Manpower is the concern here, since making sure towns and cities have some kind of fortifications is not exactly rocket science, especially if working off templates and blueprints.

The solution, then, is to leverage the civilians of their respective homes to participate. I don't think it would be extremely difficult to convince them that contributing to the fortification of their homes is a bad idea. Give them an opportunity to bond with their neighbors over their possible impending doom, and talk about how badly they'll stomp in the xeno's faces when they try to attack.

We know that they'll likely be beaten if the aliens decide to bother with them anyway, but they don't have to know that. They see their perimeters with outposts and barricades, and they'll think they have a chance. They'll have a _better_ chance, but without something like Flak Towers, it isn't going to work well. The point is to make them feel protected, to form some comradery with their neighbors, and have something so in the event that these towns _do_ become warzones, there is already a solid foundation.

What's important is that it can't be too disruptive to their own lives, or at least not make the disruption worse. We don't need every single citizen working every day, but several hundred every day, and double that on weekends? That's enough where things can come together reasonably fast, assuming there is a plan in place. Give them food, drinks (Alcohol after things are done), and payment, get them into a routine and you've got an entire workforce to leverage. Depending on how it goes, it can also eventually get to the point (Especially for larger cities) where you have enough where each citizen only works a few hours and gets well-compensated.

A few hours of work and in return you actively contribute to the defense of your home? I'm positive we can sell that, and ultimately make the aliens' jobs just a little bit harder. We shouldn't expect professional work (Kids can certainly help too), but there isn't especially anything complicated about digging trenches, running water around, using basic power tools, and heavier machinery can definitely be taught to some of the more dedicated.

I suggest incorporating this with the Militia idea I saw being sent around. Maybe call all of this the "ADVENT Civilian Defense Initiative" complete with whatever flashy video Public Relations wants to throw with it?

Just a thought.

\- Major Damon McCoy, Third Legion of the United States of America

* * *

"It was sort of a change everyone eventually adjusted to. One day we turned on the news and saw Australia was captured. Then ADVENT came out of nowhere and started running things. Then more alien attacks started happening. In all honesty, I think most of us spent the first weeks on autopilot. We just watched in numb disbelief at what was happening and trying to keep some sense of normalcy."

"Yeah, eventually it wore off. Obviously. We talked at work; minor things, stupid conspiracies about where ADVENT had come from, that sort of thing; trying to tell my kids everything was alright. But most of us just kept working on as if everything was normal. I mean, none of us knew if the contract for the work we'd gotten was still good or not."

"Eventually ADVENT did take something of an interest in us, yeah. Peacekeepers came first, the entire police department got a massive upgrade. We saw them everywhere, which we thought was sort of strange because we don't exactly live in a criminal area. We got used to it eventually, and it helped that I knew a few of the guys on the force."

"We follow news of the war, it's basically part of my routine now. Wake up, check the news to see what's happening, go to work, and wonder if this is the day we're attacked, or something else. It was nerve-wracking at first, but by now…I guess we've sort of gotten used to it."

"Well…a few weeks later ADVENT came around to get support for helping to fortify our town and recruiting for the militia. Not a military guy, and don't like weapons, but they were actually paying people to help with building fortifications, digging trenches, and so on. Took a day and did it."

"It was…I don't want to say 'fun', because it wasn't. But it felt good to do something that might be important to the war. Even if it really isn't important, it felt good to do, and pretty much everyone else felt the same way. ADVENT treats their people well, I'll give them that. My wife is also pitching in about half the week, and our company basically said if we want to take a day in the week, we can do that. It's not like there's a large amount of demand for apps at the moment. In fact last I heard ADVENT was negotiating with my boss for helping with the town's automated systems."

"Not all happy, no, we've had to train for drills in the event of an attack. From what they've been telling us about the aliens, it's…disturbing. I think it might be better to die than be captured by them. Which is…yeah…"

"Can't say I would want to end up in a Sectoid lab. Hopefully it never comes to making any kind of decision like that. Big reason why I'm helping ADVENT out when I can."

 _Audible sniff_. "Oh, trust me, they'll never run out of things for us to do. You have any idea how much space any kind of defenses take up? Trust me, it's a lot bigger than you think, even if a lot of us are helping. That said, we're in pretty good shape now. There's talk of possibly installing one of those Flak Towers. I guess to get that there must be a certain percentage of the town fortified. Motivation if I've ever heard it."

"I guess if you're asking if I feel better than I did a few months ago, the answer is yes. Don't know how much of that is real or stuff ADVENT wants us to think, but having a hand in making it safer makes me a lot more confident in it. Plus if we're attacked, I'm sure ADVENT would come and help us. I don't want to say I'm not worried anymore, I am, but I also think we might be able to pull through this."

"I hope, anyway."

 _\- Interview with ADVENT Citizen Charlie Lords, by Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

 _Memo distributed to personnel of the Division of Public Relations_

Concerning the distribution of information, it is important to realize how best to accomplish sharing crucial and stabilizing information to a civilian population which may or may not handle the realities of war with a clear and objective eye. No matter the ultimate result of the incident, the people will often focus on body counts, civilian casualties, and datapoints which are ultimately unimportant to the objective at hand.

Handling this must be done carefully, but with the express goal in mind which is the following: Do not lie.

Lies are easy prey for any enemies and skeptics, they can be shared and attract more neutral defenders of their views. More importantly, legally this will lead to negative coverage of ADVENT as such reporting is perfectly legal. Lies serve no one, and ultimately contribute to the stereotypical fascist image that detractors of ADVENT constantly portray us as.

So make this the first priority. Do not lie.

This does not mean that the flow of information cannot be controlled. In the end, we are the source of what is being shared. We have complete control over what the outcome will be, and any mistakes are fully on us. Not the media, not the citizens of ADVENT, not the soldiers, _us_. You. There are no excuses for failing to achieve our objectives here.

If we wish to consider statements a weapon, facts are the ammunition which it uses. Raw data, numbers, indisputable and independent proof. These are powerful tools, and like bullets, must be shot with express purpose and precision. We do not fire bullets randomly, so neither will we splatter our statements with a deluge of facts if it ultimately works against us.

Facts must be used to ultimately support the perception we wish to create. Every datapoint is one we can utilize to our advantage. If, for example, our soldiers have finished conducting an operation into enemy territory, we do not include how many soldiers and citizens died in pursuit of this goal. What facts do we use in this instance?

There are many to choose from. The area of operations, resources collected, aliens killed, citizens saved. To further punctuate our point, we include additional commentary from the commander of the operation, or a civilian who was rescued. Each and every one of these is factual and easily verifiable, and we tie this together with positive and complimentary wording.

I must emphasize that _this is not a lie_. The outcome we wished was achieved, thus we need to convey that the outcome was acceptable. Words written for the sole intent to manipulate are never as convincing as the ones born from truth. Consider this akin to persuasion, rather than manipulation. You are not trying to deceive someone into accepting what you say is truth, but convincing them that what they are reading is ultimately positive and beneficial using common sense and facts.

And this is where restraint comes in. The citizens do not need to know that half of the soldiers were lost in this operation, nor that several hostages were butchered by chryssalids. Sad as this is, does it ultimately matter? The outcome was successful, and focusing on what was lost to achieve this moment is a disservice to those who gave their lives.

We dwell on what is achieved, not what was lost. Reflection can come after the war, not during it.

Those who lost loved ones will be informed privately, without media or ceremony. It serves no one for the public to become concerned on the behalf of those they are more interested in using to push their own agendas, no matter which way they lean. If something must be said about the cost of our operations, simply inform them that the families have been notified, or simply have a supervisor handle it.

The management of public relations is a fine line between telling the truth, and telling what they want to hear. Humans as a species have a tendency to focus on the negative regardless of the overall situation. The fostering of negative emotions such as fear, anger, and despair are powerful, and fosters a cycle of people who gradually lose hope in the world and the people within it, at the exclusion of all else.

This serves no one. The maintenance of morale during this war, where the stakes are our species, is crucial. Give the people hope, let them see what ADVENT is accomplishing every day. Let them see the corpses of aliens and criminals. Let them hear the impassioned speeches of our Chancellor and Commanders condemning the aliens and rallying our species together.

Hope is what we provide to the people, and hope is what we will maintain. To go against this is to weaken our species as a whole. One day our citizens may understand the necessary costs to achieve these goals, but until that day comes we must keep them focused on what is important. This is one of the most important positions in ADVENT, as we are the line between the state and the people.

A responsibility to take seriously for each and every one of you.

Make no mistake. You _will_ be hounded on details of little bearing to the information we release. Do not bend or submit to them. Protocols are in place for a reason. Follow them.

But in many cases, it will come down to your judgement. A gauge on what you believe the public will accept, _how_ they will react, _what_ they may do next. As is said, first impressions are everything. We should not simply rely on retractions or revisions. Get it right the first time, because by the time a second chance comes around, no one will care.

Take your time to do it right. Do not waste time, but do not rush for the sake of the story. As a soldier would not go into battle with a half-filled rifle, do not prepare to share information until you have all of the facts at your disposal.

Use them well.

You are not soldiers, but you are in a battlefield nonetheless. The information sphere is vast, and those opposed to us will attack wherever they can. Their weapons are lies, misinformation, logical fallacies, and fearmongering. Your mandate is to eliminate them before they have a chance to fire.

That is your order. Execute it well.

\- Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations


	111. ADVENT-Organizations: The AEGIS Division

ADVENT: Organizations

The Alien Emissarial and General Integration Service (AEGIS) Division

* * *

" _We are in a galaxy inhabited by aliens. Like it or not, we need to be able to manage the ones who aren't interested in invading our world. At the moment."_

\- Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations

* * *

 **Division Proposal 0109**

 _Latest Revision_ : 1/14/2017

 _Program Type_ : Diplomatic; Alien Outreach and Management

 _Authors_ : Kamar Dennis, Chief Ambassador of the AEGIS Division; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; the Commander of XCOM; Aegis, Ethereal Representative; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Runi'sirasis'vitianis, Vitakara Representative

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : The question of if we are alone in the universe has been sufficiently answered, and our species now finds itself in a conflict with multiple alien species allied through a tenuous Collective. While ADVENT continues to fight against this unprovoked and unjustified invasion of our world, it is important to examine the larger ramifications of this event.

It is extremely likely that there are other aliens beyond the Ethereal Collective, and they will not be as aggressive as the Ethereals have been towards our species. Furthermore, the defections of certain high-profile aliens in protest of the invasion have shown that even members of the offending species are capable of reflection and reconciliation.

The Alien Emissarial and General Integration Service (AEGIS) is established to handle all diplomatic relations with extraterrestrial organizations and powers, friendly and antagonistic. The AEGIS Division will convey the will and words of ADVENT to others across this galaxy, and negotiate, discuss, and interact with other diplomatic bodies to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

The AEGIS Division will also be responsible for communications during wartime between ADVENT and a hostile alien species, and will facilitate surrenders and ceasefires with amenable parties if necessary. The AEGIS Division will also handle all prisoners of war and alien defectors, and will provide protection to, and work with, aliens who wish to assist ADVENT.

In addition to diplomatic services, the AEGIS Division will also facilitate integration into ADVENT and Human society in general for aliens interested in emigration. While ADVENT is and will remain the face of Humanity, ADVENT will not turn away aliens interested in assisting Humanity as it expands across the stars and will do what is necessary to help establish themselves within ADVENT, through the AEGIS Division.

This will be expanded upon in the following branches of the AEGIS Division.

 **THE ALIEN DIPLOMATIC SERVICE BRANCH** : The mission of the Alien Diplomatic Service (ADS) Branch of the AEGIS Division is the facilitation of communications between ADVENT and alien organizations. All diplomatic options relating to alien governments and parties will be handled exclusively by the ADS, and this cannot be overridden by the ADVENT Diplomatic Service, which manages interspecies diplomacy.

The ADS will manage agreements between ADVENT and alien parties, and work to come to arrangements which serve all sides in the interest of continued peace. At any time ADS will call upon the necessary experts to consult for any potential questions which arise during negotiation between ADVENT and alien parties.

The ADS will work to clearly convey the will of ADVENT, and present it in an unbiased and factual manner, with the understanding that such actions will be reciprocated. ADVENT and the ADS have no interest in engaging in duplicitous talks with alien parties, and will take appropriate action against those who wish to threaten, mislead, or manipulate ADS and AEGIS personnel.

The ADS will also engage in all negotiations for prisoners of war captured by ADVENT, Humans captured by alien parties, negotiations for ceasefires, surrenders, or other peace agreements. The ADS and the AEGIS Division are completely willing to help all parties come to an agreement which leads to a stable future for both alien and ADVENT parties with no risk of such unfortunate incidents arising in the future.

The ADS will also employ alien ADVENT citizens interested in work for the ADS, for both advisory and diplomatic positions. The ADS will also make efforts to ensure that there are no cultural misunderstandings or incidents, with the assumption that the same will be provided in return. ADVENT is ultimately not interested in the conquest and assimilation of alien species, and the ADS will be the arm by which the galaxy sees this.

Embassies for both ADVENT and other alien governments are maintained, run, and protected by the ADS, and for foreign embassies, ADVENT will allow them to conduct business as they see fit, but as ADVENT does not recognize diplomatic immunity, are fully expected to comply with all ADVENT laws and regulations. For embassies on alien soil, ADVENT will similarly comply with alien laws and regulations.

 **THE ALIEN IMMIGRATION SERVICE BRANCH** : The Alien Immigration Service (AIS) is the branch of AEGIS responsible for processing, approving, and transferring citizenship or asylum requests from aliens. The AIS is committed to ensuring that applications are reviewed and responded to in a reasonable amount of time.

Applications for citizenship will be created by, and maintained, by the AIS and they are authorized to ask whatever questions are necessary to give a complete picture of the applicant being reviewed. While ADVENT is open to alien citizens, there are certain standards and profiles which need to be met to facilitate a smooth integration into ADVENT society. This is a Human government, and one must willingly integrate themselves to be approved for citizenship.

Questions which will be on the application will include the following:

\- Name

\- Age

\- Species

\- Race (If applicable)

\- Reason for application

\- Skills/Education

\- Relatives employed by an alien government or organization

\- Prior criminal history

\- Prior military service

Should the questions to the initial application be completed in a complete and satisfactory manner, the applicant will be moved to the next stage, where AIS personnel will conduct a short in-person interview to build a further detailed psychological profile of the applicant in question to determine if they would integrate well with Human society. The AIS has the right to employ psionic personnel when conducting interviews, and the applicant beforehand will consent to this. If they do not consent, they will be escorted off the premises and extradited to their place of origin.

If the applicant is approved by the interviewer, there will be a brief period of internal review, and the applicant will be given a final piece of documentation, which will simply state that the applicant renounces the government and species from which they come from, and from this point forward will be a citizen of ADVENT. Upon the signing of this document, the AIS will ensure that all documentation is in order, and will transfer the applicant to the Alien Integration Service to prepare and establish them for life in ADVENT.

 **THE ALIEN INTEGRATION SERVICE BRANCH** : The Alien Integration Service (IS to avoid confusion with the AIS) is the branch of AEGIS which is devoted to assisting newly approved alien ADVENT citizens prepare for life within ADVENT. Each new citizen will be assigned an IS Handler who will help answer any questions the new citizen may have, as well as initially establish them in a place of residence. If possible, same-species IS personnel will be assigned to make new citizens feel more at ease.

New citizens, who are not immediately taking positions within ADVENT, will be transferred to specific cities approved and watched by the AEGIS Division to ensure that the first months of life within ADVENT are not disruptive or unreasonably xenophobic. Here the new citizen will be able to interact with human citizens, businesses, and government officials and form a more comprehensive understanding of ADVENT and Human society.

Throughout this transitionary period the IS handler will still be available to answer questions or concerns had, and after a period of three months the citizen will be free to move anywhere in ADVENT with almost all the rights and privileges of an ADVENT citizen (Running for specific governmental positions is not permitted for alien citizens, and other high-ranking Peacekeeper and Military positions are not open to alien citizens).

After a period of one year, the citizen will not have access to their IS handler for integration matters, and the process will be formally marked as complete and a successful integration. Alien citizens are encouraged to keep in contact with their IS handlers if they wish, and if there are any additional questions after a successful integration, the Integration Service will be happy to answer them.

 **THE ALIEN EDUCATION AND MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION BRANCH** : The Alien Education and Material Distribution (AEMD) branch of the AEGIS Division is to gather all notable information on alien languages, histories, psychology, and culture, then compile them into easily understandable and comprehensive material for Humans within ADVENT. They will primarily work to educate ADVENT through schools, public service announcements, and social media usage on aliens they may eventually be interacting with as well as working with other ADVENT and alien parties to further spread their message.

AEMD will also be responsible for monitoring and countering anti-alien propaganda, xenophobia, and misinformation regarding alien species or cultures. The AEMD will not comment on military or political action of alien governments, as that will fall under the purview of Public Relations, but will continue to work to ensure that the wider individuals of the species are not necessarily painted as something they are not through the actions of the alien government in power.

When applicable, the AEMD will also employ and retain aliens to more accurately represent themselves, all of whom will be cleared and approved by AEGIS, ADVENT Intelligence, and the Oversight Division. While AEMD will remain apolitical as far as gathering information on aliens, there will be no removal or censoring of events or persons which paint the species in a negative light.

 **THE AEGIS INTERNAL MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH** : The AEGIS Internal Management and Communications (IMC) branch of ADVENT is responsible for ensuring that all branches are coordinating when necessary with each other, and that the AEGIS Division itself is also in constant communication with all divisions of ADVENT to accurately and efficiently carry out what is best for ADVENT. Hiring and application processing is also handled by this branch.

Each branch will have a team of IMC coordinators, and each major division, section, branch, and agency of ADVENT will also have IMC coordinators. Highly placed individuals (Such as the Chancellor of ADVENT or Chief of Peacekeeper Operations) will also have an IMC handler to fully account for any major decisions made which may affect alien immigration and interspecies diplomacy.

IMC coordinators will communicate between each other, and the coordinators of a specific area will then convey the necessary information to the ADVENT personnel who need it. The IMC is an extremely crucial element of the AEGIS Division, one which affects the efficiency and accuracy of the entire Division itself.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Recruitment will be a mixture of proactive and passive actions. Applications for employment will be available online and in AEGIS embassies and Alien Immigration Centers, and physical applications are also available on demand. ADVENT Citizens are encouraged to apply if they feel their skills would suit the Division, and ADVENT will advertise and promote the AEGIS Division regularly on their social media platforms and select television advertisements.

The AEGIS Division will also make a concerted effort to find outstanding individuals to recruit through monitoring of online communities, high school and college graduates, and alien records acquired. Individuals with high oral and written skills, debate and moderation experience, or high analytic skills are ideally suited for the AEGIS Division, and potential candidates will be approached by IMC representatives about possible employment.

Depending on the position, the newly employed member of the AEGIS Division will receive training as befits their position, in a period which will be determined by their trainer, which is normally left up to discretion.

 **SECURITY AND DEFENSE** : All security for ADVENT embassies within ADVENT territory will be provided by the Peacekeepers of the city the embassy resides in. The Peacekeepers are charged with the protection of the AEGIS embassy and personnel within from external threats or disturbances. They do not answer to any AEGIS personnel, but to their respective Captain, who will also coordinate with the embassy in question.

Security for any alien embassies is similarly provided, though protection will be provided by the ADVENT Army, and will be decided in an agreement with the alien body in question, which may include shared guard with alien protectors. Due to ADVENT regulations, constant monitoring is required for all foreign representatives. It must be noted that ADVENT personnel must acquire permission from either the Oversight Division or ADVENT Peacekeepers before taking action against foreign representatives.

Security for AEGIS Embassies on alien soil will consist of personnel from ADVENT Special Forces Divisions, the ADVENT Army, and ADVENT Intelligence. All ADVENT personnel _must_ comply with alien laws and regulations, and may be required to work with alien law enforcement or military personnel. ADVENT Intelligence personnel will regularly perform sweeps of the embassy to remove, alter, or subvert any monitoring software or equipment unless agreed upon by ADVENT and the alien party in question.

All diplomats performing domestic negotiations will be provided with protection in the form of ADVENT Intelligence Agents and ADVENT Army soldiers, of a number agreed upon by the diplomat. Visibility or lack thereof will also be determined, but the diplomat will be protected at all times. Diplomats performing foreign negotiations will be provided with protection in the form of ADVENT Intelligence Agents, as well as personnel from the Lancer Corps and other Special Forces Divisions, of a number agreed upon by the diplomat, AEGIS Division, and ADVENT Intelligence.

All alien diplomats in ADVENT territory will also receive protection in the form of soldiers or Peacekeepers, at a number agreed upon beforehand, or none at all should they choose. If an alien diplomat is accompanied by a personal guard, ADVENT will also be required to have at least two ADVENT soldiers accompany the diplomat where they go.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The AEGIS Division has full control over all negotiations between alien bodies, powers, and organizations and ADVENT. This cannot be overridden by any ADVENT party except in the case of the Oversight Division countermanding a directive, a joint action by the Executive Branch together with the Congress of Nations, or a joint resolution between the Executive Branch, ADVENT Intelligence, and ADVENT Military on a specific action.

The AEGIS Division also has full control over alien immigration and integration, as well as the authority to request resources from any organization, division, or branch within ADVENT. The AEGIS Division does _not_ have any authority over any Peacekeeper or Military personnel, and must comply with any commands issued by the Peacekeepers or Oversight Division.

The AEGIS Division has no influence or authority over any operations ADVENT Intelligence may conduct, and must turn over all information regarding alien citizens or notable alien figures upon acquisition, including any information on alien diplomats and additional compliments. The AEGIS Division is not authorized to investigate anything relating to the security or monitoring of alien embassies, nor open inquiries into any operations taking place on domestic or foreign soil.

The AEGIS Division has partial authority over the usage of alien prisoners of war, and any negotiations which take place must be done with the approval of the ADVENT Military and ADVENT Intelligence.

 **CONCLUSION** : As humanity enters a new era, it must be fully prepared to embrace and stand up to the realities of the galaxy. ADVENT will learn from the mistakes of other species, and seek to be better than those who have come before them and work to represent what our species is capable of and who we really are to the galaxy.

ADVENT will welcome those who wish to join us, or simply seek peace or an alliance. We are committed to ensuring a future free of unnecessary conflict between species, and are the first line of contact for those who wish to meet us. Our mission is to represent ADVENT to the wider galaxy, and this will be done to the best of our ability.

* * *

The first public acknowledgement of an agreement between ADVENT and the previously acquired Vitakara defectors from the Ethereal Collective took place earlier today, in the headquarters of the new Alien Emissarial and General Integration Services Division, which is more commonly referred to as the AEGIS Division, which while not confirmed, is almost certain to be inspired by the Ethereal Aegis, who defected at some point to XCOM.

This agreement appears to give a glimpse of how ADVENT will be handling aliens moving forward, at least for aliens whose motives are either peace or non-aggression. Further information provided on the AEGIS Division shows that they will also be responsible for integrating aliens into ADVENT, confirming that aliens _will_ have a path to citizenship should they wish to pursue it.

When asked if opening ADVENT to aliens would risk infiltration or subversion of human power or culture, Chancellor Vyandar gave the following answer: "The AEGIS Division is committed to ensuring that only those aliens actually interested in complete and successful integration will be allowed. There is a strict vetting and background process, complete with interviews and temporary handlers. Aliens will also not be able to hold prominent positions within ADVENT. There is no fear of a concerted effort by an alien body to undermine our species. ADVENT is and will remain the central power of Humanity, but we will not limit ourselves unnecessarily out of fear of the alien."

Public Relations Minister Kyong also had this to say: "I would wish to say to those who are fearing a sudden influx of aliens that there is nothing to be concerned about. At this point it is to lay the groundwork for the future, when ADVENT is no longer at war, and provide the option to aliens should they wish to follow it. Integration is something that will be handled carefully, and ADVENT citizens should not expect a major disruption or influx of aliens for a long time."

ADVENT has faced some criticism for unveiling this mere weeks after the Seoul Massacre which saw thousands of civilians and dozens of ADVENT personnel murdered or abducted. However, the Chancellor was adamant that this was previously planned, and pushing it back out of a fear of public backlash was succumbing to an outrage mentality over a more objective perspective. ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka also had a statement to make:

"Regardless of what the Collective denies, the attack on Seoul was despicable and dealt with accordingly. With that said, we have to keep in mind that this may have had more of a goal in mind than mindless terror. It is in the Collective's best interest that blanket xenophobia spreads as it disincentivizes further defections from the Collective, which we take as confirmation that the recent defections of Vitakara soldiers of the Collective are something they are legitimately worried about. An act to discredit all aliens in the eyes of Humans in a devious attempt to manipulate our species, but we will not succumb to it. Collective propaganda comes in all forms, and I encourage all citizens to take several moments to consider if their reactions ultimately benefit our species, or the Ethereal Collective."

The actual agreement signed by Chief Ambassador Kamar Dennis of the AEGIS Division, and Representative Runi'sirasis'vitianis, a Vitakarian defector who was appointed to represent the remainder of the defectors, simply outlines that the defectors will be housed and protected within ADVENT territory until further notice, a joint condemnation of the Ethereal Collective, and additional agreements designed to leverage the knowledge and skills of the defectors for ADVENT operations.

Chief Ambassador Dennis hinted that the AEGIS Division will be working with the defectors further, though did not disclose details at this point. Representative Sirasis was similarly tight-lipped about the future of agreements with ADVENT, but did express thanks and appreciation for ADVENT in her own brief statement:

"It is not an easy thing to realize that you are fighting on the wrong side of a war; it is difficult to describe the feeling of seeing the carefully constructed reality around you come crumbling down when the truth is revealed. But that is where I, and many others, found ourselves the day the Elder Aegis revealed himself, and similarly revealed the full deception of the Ethereal Collective.

Unfortunately, it was only the first of many revelations we learned as we were interviewed and debriefed by ADVENT. Our species lives in a society which is a shining illusion that masks the ultimate control the Ethereals wield over our species. The Aui'Vitakar are controlled by the firm hand of the Zararch, and any dissent within our homeworld and colonies is crushed before it can see the light of day.

Our species, despite what some have claimed, is not inherently warlike. The reality within Collective space is that many do not even know the full details of this war, if they know it at all. They do not know why the Ethereals ordered the invasion of your world, but assume it is justified because we have trusted the Elders were our allies for decades. I can only speculate, but I assume that any who pressed for more details have been dealt with by the Zararch to keep the Vitakara in a perpetual state of ignorance.

I would like to express my own thanks for ADVENT for treating us well, and working with us further to take action against the deceptive Ethereal Collective. I hope that this is the beginning of a mutually prosperous relationship between our species, and would also state for any members of the Collective who watch this, that there is another way. You know this invasion is wrong, but you do not need to continue to carry it out. Follow our example, and you will be protected and welcomed."

We reached out to known Ethereal Collective bases for comment and did not receive a response.

 _\- Article: ADVENT and Alien Defectors sign joint statement establishing working relationship and condemning Ethereal Collective operations – by Xin Suong_

* * *

To the Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna

It appears that ADVENT is going to be more difficult that we expect in regards to the traitors who fled to them when Aegis first appeared on the battlefield. While that was bad enough, there was some good news, namely that there were a few Zararch plants which took the opportunity when it presented itself, and none of the defectors have any crippling information, or at least nothing more than what Aegis has already provided.

This good news was severely blunted by the fact that ADVENT now has entire psionic divisions, and I do not think that we can rely on any informants within ADVENT since they would not risk taking in defectors without actually checking them first. We should consider anything received from any informants within ADVENT as compromised until proven otherwise.

We also expected ADVENT to interrogate and hold the defectors indefinitely, until either they were sent to whatever experimentation labs ADVENT has (We have confirmation they exist – ADVENT is not hiding them) or used in theoretical prisoner exchanges. As ADVENT has shown itself to be an extremely practical organization, at best we assumed they would be pumped for information and killed.

This does not appear to be the case.

Instead ADVENT has taken the surprising step of unveiling the "Alien Emissarial and General Integration Service" Division.

Yes, this spells AEGIS.

We heard several rumors that ADVENT was developing a division to handle alien defectors in diplomacy, though did not know anything more substantial beyond that it was moving extremely fast and ADVENT was recruiting a high number of diplomats and linguists for unknown reasons. As it turns out, many of them are likely employed within the AEGIS Division now.

It is perhaps not surprising that ADVENT has created a branch specifically to deal with alien diplomacy. While they could have handled it through the ADVENT Diplomatic Division, they appear to want to only keep that for intraspecies matters. From the information released, ADVENT is actually planning for _legitimate_ negotiations between themselves and theoretical alien bodies.

It certainly speaks to their confidence that they have gone to the effort of establishing this, and interestingly there are few references to the Ethereal Collective, aside from a slight jab of "Being better than other similar institutions". It appears that the AEGIS Division will handle _all_ diplomatic relations between aliens and ADVENT, which, if they were not engaged in a war with us, would make the division a significantly influential one.

What is _extremely_ interesting is that ADVENT is actually allowing aliens to _join_ itself. The "General Integration Service" part of the acronym is not for show. There are entire branches dedicated to immigration and integration into ADVENT, and in multiple places it states that they will employ aliens when possible for a variety of functions.

Granted, the regulations regarding alien immigration are fairly strict, and I can safely say that ADVENT isn't going to be allowing just anyone into it, so sending any infiltrators is most likely not going to work at this stage, especially since the only ones this would apply to are traitors who have nowhere else to go. Yet the fact that this exists at all is slightly baffling, and does not match up with what I have seen of Human psychology.

 _Why_ is ADVENT so open to aliens within their territory?

This is merely taking into account that Humans historically have a documented history of shunning or sabotaging anything which does not fit into their preconceived notions of what the world should be. _Skin color_ was enough to cause major divides and wars within Human cultures and nations, but now they are fine with completely different species?

How?

It goes beyond a notable psychological oddity when you consider that ADVENT is _actively_ countering and suppressing direct xenophobia on social media, media statements, and pretty much everywhere they can. Note that this is strictly anti-alien sentiment, not necessarily anti-Collective. Still, the fact that they are going out of their way to do this is extremely odd, and I cannot come to a reasonable explanation for this sudden psychological shift.

I find it extremely difficult to believe that every single high-ranking member of ADVENT feels this way, especially when you taking into account that they are in a _war_ against aliens. There are possible ulterior motives, such as that they want to specifically appeal to other possible defectors, or they will use AEGIS as a vessel to create alien agents, but even still that would not necessarily warrant this amount of fanfare and figures such as the Chancellor of ADVENT, Director of ADVENT Intelligence, Minister of Public Relations, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations, and pretty much every other major figure of ADVENT coming forward in support and recognition of the AEGIS Division.

I feel there is something missing here. This is the action of a species that is not in a war, who is rationally planning for encountering alien life in the future, and who has naturally evolved to be more united. This is _not_ the action of a species that has a history of prejudice based on exterior or ideological factors, and who is at war with multiple alien species.

It does not add up. I would almost suspect that Aegis is affecting them somehow, if I didn't know that ADVENT has their own psions, and XCOM likely wouldn't allow that.

This is not mentioning the current batch of traitors, who have quite clearly been compromised by ADVENT, likely through manipulation of both psionic and verbal techniques. I suspect ADVENT has twisted every institution on Vitakar into some major conspiracy to keep the Vitakara complacent, without once considering the measures are in place to achieve stability, reduce criminal or terrorist activity, and neglect the significant amount of scientific and societal progress which has taken place under the Ethereal Collective.

These traitors would likely sympathize with the Nulorian if asked now. Sickening. The problem is that while we can keep their lies away from the Vitakara away from Earth, there _are_ a number of Vitakara soldiers deployed to the planet and in system, which we will not be able to fully rotate out without having questions being asked.

What is slightly more concerning about all of this is that this level of professionalism and weaponization of alien traitors _will_ definitely appeal to certain Vitakara, and possibly Andromedon Unions. We need to be careful with how this is distributed and handled, because while the Vitakara can be isolated, the Andromedons are much more persistent.

However, the question of why the Humans have suddenly decided to embrace aliens, regardless of stated reasons, is one which warrants some kind of investigation. It is too strange to dismiss.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

 _Addendum: Sana'Ligna – Could this attitude towards aliens have possibly arisen as a consequence of the handling of their species from the beginning, and they wish not to repeat what they view are mistakes with species they might encounter in the future? Or that they merely possess some foresight and empathy for those not of their own species?_

 _Not everything is a conspiracy, Zar'Chon, remember that._


	112. ADVENT - History: ADVENT and Education

ADVENT: History

ADVENT and Education

* * *

" _Ensuring we continue on the correct path requires investing in future generations. We made ADVENT, and the children will preserve what we have started."_

\- Myong Hwa-Young, Director of the Bureau of Education

* * *

 **Department Proposal 0013**

 _Latest Revision_ : 12/27/2016

 _Program Type_ : Executive Administration; Education

 _Authors_ : Professor Myong Hwa-Young; Professor Bruce Wilcox; Professor Vavilov Svyatoslav; Chief Overseer Keith Watkins; Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : The overall function for the Bureau of Education is ensuring that future generations grow up within ADVENT with access to the highest quality of education possible to equip them to face the challenges that ADVENT will face both now and in the future. The Bureau will establish guidelines, regulations, and standards for all levels of education within ADVENT, and equip the academic facilities to meet the instructions put forth.

The Bureau will also be responsible for regulating all education within ADVENT, both public and private. All educational material utilized within ADVENT will be curated and produced by the Bureau utilizing experts and professionals both domestic and foreign. The Bureau will take appropriate steps to ensure that participants of all ages receive the highest possible attention without concern for financial cost, safety, or intimidation.

The Bureau will also exercise authority to only teach to participants materials with evidence and facts accompanying them, and will act against all bodies within ADVENT which spread misinformation about ADVENT or historical events. Persons or organizations in violation of this, be they inhabiting physical locations or Internet bodies, are subject to fines, arrest, and prosecution.

 **BUREAU DIVISIONS** : The Bureau of Education will be organized by multiple Divisions, each one maintaining control over a certain part of the Bureau. Divisions will coordinate with each other when required, and the leader of each Division will hold a seat on the Administrative Council of Education, chaired by the Director of the Bureau of Education.

Division of Arts and Creativity: This division will be responsible for the development and creation of all creative and art courses at all levels of education, utilizing a variety of methods including digital and physical tools. The goal will be to provide a diverse range of options and opportunities for students to exercise their skills in a way that reflects themselves. Responsibilities will also include the incorporation of music through theory classes, bands, specialty groups, or choirs.

Division of History and Culture: This division will be responsible for developing and producing curriculum and standards for all historical and cultural courses, as well as ensuring historical information in other courses is similarly accurate. This division will strive to provide a clear understanding of histories and cultures through an objective lens, not through a specific nation or culture. This division will recognize all verifiable aspects of history, both the positive and negative, and train students to refute misinformation spread about certain historical events.

Division of Mathematics: This division is responsible for the creation of all curriculum relating to mathematics, and to provide students a solid foundational base, and gradually introduce more complex concepts as their understanding of mathematics increases. A priority of this division is to ensure that all mathematical concepts and problems are explained and presented in a way for the majority of students to easily follow, provided there is an acceptable foundational base.

Division of Science and Experimentation: This division is responsible for the creation of all curriculum and designated experiments in the areas of physics, biological science, and chemistry. A priority will be a focus on hands-on experimentation in addition to classroom lessons to more firmly illustrate and demonstrate various scientific concepts.

Division of Computation and Programming: This division is responsible for ensuring that all students graduate their respective level with an increasingly complex understanding of computation and programming. This is intended to be started at a young age and built upon in following years to ensure that future citizens are computationally literate in an increasingly automated society.

Division of Civic Development and Maintenance: This division is responsible for ensuring that all students have a firm and comprehensive understanding of ADVENT and how it functions, free of misinformation spread outside of educational facilities. The goal is to have students understand the truth of how ADVENT operates and be able to refute misinformation spread by the uninformed and underlying enemies of the state.

Division of Engineering and Architecture: This division will develop and produce curriculum for all engineering and architecture classes and educational materials, utilizing continually updated techniques and information. This will include instruction on the use of useful and developmental technology utilized in engineering and architecture beyond theoretical concepts.

Division of Linguistics and Language: This division is responsible for the development of curriculum for languages to teach to students from youth to adulthood. Primary languages will be English, Spanish, and Mandarin; others available upon request and demand.

Division of Sports and Athletics: This division is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of sports and athletics programs across ADVENT, encouraging and maintaining a diverse variety to ensure a majority of students are healthy and/or active. Sports will additionally comprise mentally demanding activities in addition to physical activities, as well as the establishment of select groups who are eligible to receive genetic modification.

Division of Alien Education: This division is responsible for ensuring that students are properly educated about alien physiology, their cultures, their technology and how to properly consider and act towards them. Preferably taught by, or assisted by an alien (Ideally Vitakarian) in order to reduce xenophobia further.

Division of Psionics: This division is responsible for ensuring that all students have a thorough and accurate understanding of psionics, the treatment of psions, and determining if students are capable of, or eligible for psionic awakening.

Division of Early Childhood Education: This division is responsible for managing the curriculums, events, staff, and organization of education of children ages four to ten.

Division of Teen Education: This division is responsible for managing the curriculums, events, staff, and organization of education of teens ages eleven to eighteen.

Division of Higher Education: This division is responsible for the management of all higher education requiring completion of general ADVENT education. There is no set age range this falls into.

Division of Trade Education: This division is responsible for the management of all trade schools, which do not necessarily require completion of general ADVENT education. This division is also responsible for the promotion and increasing interest in the trade school programs, as well as student recruitment.

Division of Disability Education: This division is responsible for managing all matters, schools, and needs for physically and mentally disabled students, and provide them access to possible treatments, gene therapy, cybernetics, and educational opportunities. This division will work closely with the Cybernetics Division of the Bureau of Engineering and Advanced Technology, as well as the Genetic Modification Division of the Bureau of Research and Development.

Division of Campus Peacekeeping: This division is responsible for ensuring that all academic facilities are completely safe and secure from outside threats, as well as handling internal facility matters and student or administrative disputes. Peacekeepers have full authority to intervene or open investigations into all criminal activity, social media or physical abuse, and corruption within the facility they operate in.

Division of Psychology and Mental Health: This division is responsible for ensuring that all students have access to needed mental health treatments and counseling if necessary, as well as the promotion and education of students regarding these subjects.

Division of Medical Services: This division is responsible for handling any injuries within their facility of operation. All information and classes related to sexual education and health, as well as reproductive services will also be handled by this division. All prescribed medicine must only be given out with student consent and with parental knowledge. Parental consent is also required for all students under the ages of sixteen.

Division of Private School Oversight: This division is responsible for ensuring that all private schools are complying with ADVENT regulations and guidelines, and has authority to take action if private schools are in violation of these, from monetary fines up to the administrative takeover of the school in question.

Division of Homeschool Oversight: This division is responsible for ensuring that all homeschooling families and coop organizations are complying with ADVENT regulations and guidelines, and has the authority to take action from monetary fines, up to removal of parental custody of children and disbanding of groups with arrest of parents or leaders.

Division of Academic Recruitment and Retainment: This division is responsible for recruiting and retaining staff for the Bureau of Education, and will handle all complaints, suggestions, and concerns from staff and handle them in a prompt and decisive manner.

 **BUREAU HIERARCHY** : The hierarchy within the Bureau of Education will be twofold. There will be the official Administrative Council of the Bureau of Education, comprised of the Head of the Divisions and the Director of the Bureau of Education, and there will be established administrative hierarchies for Introductory-Level Schools, Advanced-Level Schools, and College-Level Schools. Divisions will be managed internally and established by the Head of the division.

INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL (AGES 4-10) ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY:

Principal: Manages all activities within the school, and has authority to recruit the majority of advisors. Speaks for the school, and handles internal and external issues related to it. Candidates for this position must have a minimum of 3-5 years experience, and should be up to date on ADVENT curriculum (Educational materials will be provided upon request on applying for the position) and ADVENT school policies. Preferably a local resident or held a position within the school itself for two or more years.

Chief Academic Advisor: Advisor to the Principal regarding issues about teaching, classroom environments, and students. Must be a currently practicing teacher from the school in question, preferably a veteran with 3-5 years of experience.

Chief Peacekeeper: Responsible for all criminal activity, arrests, and investigations on the campus grounds. Appointed by the ADVENT Peacekeepers, must be a resident of the location in question and able to handle children maturely. Appointment non-negotiable.

Chief Logistical Planner: Responsible for the planning of all school events, bookings, guests, and additional responsibilities. Candidates for this position should have 2-4 years of experience in administration, and be extremely familiar with relevant ADVENT policy and law.

Chief Financial Executive: Responsible for ensuring that the budget for the school is planned and balanced, and responsible for handling any unexpected financial emergencies or events. Candidates for this position should have 3-5 years of experience in administrative financial positions and be extremely familiar with ADVENT financial laws and regulations.

Chief Child Psychologist: Responsible for ensuring that the mental health of the students is acceptable, and developing methods and ideas to specifically appeal to them, as well as countering, encouraging, or creating trends which appeal to the demographic to utilize them for the ultimate benefit of ADVENT. Must have a Masters degree or higher, and 3-5 years documented experience.

Parental Advisor: An appointed parent of one or more students who will provide additional insight and ideas to benefit the school itself. Parent should have a high-performing student enrolled, be involved in school activities, and have no strong antagonistic feelings to ADVENT.

ADVANCED-LEVEL (AGES 11-18) ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY:

Principal: Manages all activities within the school, and has authority to recruit the majority of advisors. Speaks for the school, and handles internal and external issues related to it. Candidates for this position must have a minimum of 3-5 years experience, and should be up to date on ADVENT curriculum (Educational materials will be provided upon request on applying for the position) and ADVENT school policies. Preferably a local resident or held a position within the school itself for two or more years.

Chief Academic Advisor: Advisor to the Principal regarding issues about teaching, classroom environments, and students. Must be a currently practicing teacher from the school in question, preferably a veteran with 3-5 years of experience.

Chief Peacekeeper: Responsible for all criminal activity, arrests, and investigations on the campus grounds. Appointed by the ADVENT Peacekeepers, must be a resident of the location in question and able to handle young adults maturely. Appointment non-negotiable.

Chief ADVENT Representative: This individual is responsible for beginning recruitment efforts for ADVENT within the school and tailoring them to specifically gifted individuals and the needs of the current area. Appointment non-negotiable and chosen by either the Oversight Division or ADVENT Intelligence. Representative ideally a local resident, but not necessary to achieve position.

Chief Logistical Planner: Responsible for the planning of all school events, bookings, guests, and additional responsibilities. Candidates for this position should have 2-4 years of experience in administration, and be extremely familiar with relevant ADVENT policy and law.

Chief Financial Executive: Responsible for ensuring that the budget for the school is planned and balanced, and responsible for handling any unexpected financial emergencies or events. Candidates for this position should have 3-5 years of experience in administrative financial positions and be extremely familiar with ADVENT financial laws and regulations.

Chief Career Advisor: Responsible for helping students determine career choices, advising them on possible options and helping them with registration for higher education or speaking with professionals in a field of their interest. Works closely with the Chief ADVENT Representative, although also focuses on non-ADVENT careers to students. Candidates require 2-4 years of experience in a relevant field and must be able to maturely interact with indecisive teenagers.

Chief Psychologist: Responsible for ensuring that the mental health of the students is acceptable, and developing methods and ideas to specifically appeal to them, as well as countering, encouraging, or creating trends which appeal to the demographic to utilize them for the ultimate benefit of ADVENT. Also responsible for directly dealing with troublesome or dissident students. Appointed by the Principal, with recommendation from ADVENT Intelligence. Must have a Masters degree or higher, and 3-5 years documented experience.

Parental Advisor: An appointed parent of one or more students who will provide additional insight and ideas to benefit the school itself. Parent should have a high-performing student enrolled, be involved in school activities, and have no strong antagonistic feelings to ADVENT. Parent and Student Advisors must not be related in any way.

Student Advisor: An appointed high-performing student between the ages of fifteen to eighteen who will provide additional insight and ideas to benefit the school. Should ideally be popular and friendly with students to achieve accurate insight into school morale and opinion, willing to work with advisors to deal with incidents, and must not harbor antagonistic feelings to ADVENT. Appointment will be made based upon the recommendations of the Chief Psychologist, Chief ADVENT Representatives, and ADVENT Intelligence. Parent and student Advisors must not be related in any way.

COLLEGE-LEVEL ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY:

 _Note: The following also applies to all ADVENT Trade Schools_

President: Manages all activities within the college, and has authority to recruit the majority of advisors. Speaks for the school, and handles internal and external issues related to it. Directly manages research agreements between ADVENT and the college. Candidates for this position must have a minimum of 3-5 years experience, and should be up to date on ADVENT curriculum (Educational materials will be provided upon request on applying for the position) and ADVENT college policies. Preferably a local resident or held a position within the college itself for two or more years.

Chief Academic Advisor: Advisor to the President regarding issues about teaching, classroom environments, and students. Must be a currently practicing teacher from the college in question, with 3-5 years of experience, a Masters degree or higher, with the ability to manage large volumes of information outside field of expertise.

Chief Peacekeeper: Responsible for all criminal activity, arrests, and investigations on the campus grounds. Appointed by the ADVENT Peacekeepers, must be a resident of the location in question and able to handle delicate subjects and maturing adults. Appointment non-negotiable.

Chief ADVENT Representative: This individual is responsible for beginning recruitment efforts for ADVENT within the college and tailoring them to specifically gifted individuals and the needs of the current area. Appointment non-negotiable and chosen by either the Oversight Division or ADVENT Intelligence. Representative ideally a local resident, but not necessary to achieve position.

Chief Logistical Planner: Responsible for the planning of all school events, bookings, guests, and additional responsibilities. Candidates for this position should have 2-4 years of experience in administration, and be extremely familiar with relevant ADVENT policy and law.

Chief Financial Executive: Responsible for ensuring that the budget for the college is planned and balanced, and responsible for handling any unexpected financial emergencies or events. Candidates for this position should have 3-5 years of experience in administrative financial positions and be extremely familiar with ADVENT financial laws and regulations.

Chief Psychologist: Responsible for ensuring that the mental health of the students is acceptable, and developing methods and ideas to specifically appeal to them, as well as countering, encouraging, or creating trends which appeal to the demographic to utilize them for the ultimate benefit of ADVENT. Also responsible for directly dealing with troublesome or dissident students. Non-negotiable appointment by ADVENT Intelligence. Must have a doctorate degree, and 3-5 years documented experience.

Student Advisor: An appointed high-performing student who will provide additional insight and ideas to benefit the college. Should ideally be popular and friendly with students to achieve accurate insight into school morale and opinion, willing to work with advisors to deal with incidents, and must not harbor antagonistic feelings to ADVENT. Appointment will be made based upon the recommendations of the Chief Psychologist, Chief ADVENT Representatives, and ADVENT Intelligence.

 **CURRICULUM** : All curriculum curated and approved by the Bureau of Education will be developed with multiple experts in their respective fields across the world, and cross-checked to ensure that there are no major biases or agendas, especially in regards to historical, scientific, and cultures studies. This curriculum will be updated yearly for most subjects, and bi-annually for rapidly developing fields.

All educational material will be provided to students for free, with the understanding that it will be treated well and returned in usable condition. All online materials will similarly be provided free of charge and will be intermittently updated. If students wish to permanently keep textbooks, it can be arranged with the local ADVENT representative.

All curriculum is non-negotiable and _must_ be used regardless of the location of education. All private schools, homeschool families, and coop groups _must_ utilize approved ADVENT curriculum or action will be taken against them. There are _no_ exemptions to this, but be assured that the Bureau of Education will have curriculum for every subject necessary. In the unlikely event that there is not, there will be means by which to request it and development will begin, temporary utilization of non-ADVENT material will be allowed until approved curriculum is finished.

However, while the curriculum must be used by teachers, they are allowed some control over the pace and speed the material is taught. They are allowed to prioritize certain parts of the material, so long as they do include certain critical sections of the material as designated by the respective divisions. With this said, teachers must not focus on one element for excessive amounts of time or fall significantly behind schedule.

On the matter of testing, all ADVENT curriculum comes with standardized tests with multiple formats, including short answer, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and combinations of all three which can be customized by the instructor using the test designer toolkit, software provided to all instructors. Teachers _can_ create custom tests without drawing from the curriculum, but these custom tests must be submitted to the respective division for approval. Should they be approved, they will be saved and be added to the pool of options for customizing curriculum tests.

 **STANCE ON PRIVATE SCHOOLING** : It is important that parents and students have the option to choose where they will receive their education, and all private schools will be permitted provided they follow established ADVENT guidelines and use approved curriculum. The Bureau of Education will not interfere in how the private school is run, though we cannot make guarantees as to the quality of education the students will receive.

All private schools will be subject to an annual audit to ensure that they are using their money responsibly and legally. Private schools found to be in violation of any rules and regulations will have action taken against the appropriate parties and there will be no exceptions to this.

 **CONCLUSION** : To reiterate, the Bureau of Education has one simple goal – to provide an education to students which will allow them to solve the issues and problems we face in the present, and in the future. We will do everything in our power to ensure the ADVENT Education system is the most efficient, effective, and lasting academic body within the Human race.

This is our goal, and this is what we will achieve.

* * *

Education is, to the surprise of some, a more contentious subject than might be expected. On the surface, it is fairly innocent. It is the controlled distribution of knowledge with the intent of promoting learning and problem solving. A noble goal, one which most regular people wish to pursue in some form or another.

Humans are diverse, and each of us has our own interests and talents. Through education we learn about the options available to us and then eventually how to learn to achieve our dreams. Sometimes our dreams are not typical of society, but nonetheless fill a demand or void in the workforce. Creativity can make new professions materialize and start a drive for something most people didn't know they needed.

Ideally, this is how the system should work. But like all institutions, it attracts the attention of those who understand the immense power education has. It attracts the ones who wish to lure and trap well-meaning, but gullible people into financial debt. It attracts those who wish to leverage education to promote or spread agendas of all types.

No country or government is immune to this, and indeed, they perpetuate the problems of education for their own gain. This problem will likely never go away, and if it is meant to continue to exist, it should work to promote critical thinking, free thought, and logic. Children's minds are easily shaped and influenced when young, and it is extremely difficult to alter mindsets molded by years of repetition.

It is said that an educated citizen is one of the worst enemies of the government. To a certain extent this is true, but I do not believe it has to be, and there is little reason for a reasonable government in power to fear the educated. To imply otherwise speaks either to how incompetent and terrible the government is, or a lack of confidence in the decisions made which might be challenged.

This obviously depends on the government in question, but any reasonable person can see that lowering the quality of education will hurt the country in the long run. The party in power may maintain their hold through emotion, manipulation, and fear, but the quality of life will decline, enemies will be made, and it will eventually collapse to the angry mobs.

It is the short-term solution made by those who fail to understand history or logic.

An intelligent government would not look to education as merely a means of influence, but as a powerful tool. Children are special and unique in their own ways, each of them has, at the beginning a bright future with dozens of possibilities for how they could change the world. Over time this has been seen to collapse due to multiple factors, from apathetic teachers, to poor domestic situations, to debt, and lack of support networks.

It is the responsibility of the government to _help_ these struggling citizens. I should not have to state that productive and happy citizens are much less of a financial burden to the state than one homeless or shackled by debt. From a purely economic perspective, the initial cost to properly equip future adults with the help they need will more than pay for itself in the form of spending citizens, increased engineering and scientific output, greater global recognition from the achievements of these citizens, and ultimately a healthier economy.

But in order for a government to truly embrace the concept of an educated society, it itself must be built on a singular goal of betterment for the Human species, not merely driven by nationality and partisan agenda. A society that can fully appreciate citizens educated through logic and reason is one which employs it in every decision made. Every decision is sound and justifiable. Numbers and facts are used, not opinions and money. The value of education is understood, and not derided. People are placed in charge who hold a commitment to ensuring they produce intelligent citizens, not mere administrators motivated by money.

The proper education system requires sacrifice of the government; it requires relying on experts and professionals; it requires the right people. The current educational systems around the world are, and likely will continue to be, flawed. I fear such a system will not come so long as our species is divided and further antagonized by all sides of the political spectrums of the world.

But I can guarantee that the first nation to embrace this philosophy will ultimately be the new world power of the future.

 _\- Article: Repetition of Education (Excerpt) by Professor Myong Hwa-Yong_

* * *

There has been near-equal parts praise and skepticism from the public as ADVENT prepares to make sweeping changes to the education system across their territories, many of which have radically different education systems. It will take a long time for this to be fully implemented, of course, but by the end the entire education system of ADVENT will be fully standardized under the firm hand of the Bureau of Education.

Having been given the opportunity to interview multiple officials in the Bureau, as well as read several planning documents, it is important that everyone, parents especially, understand the changes that are going to be coming to education. There is some legitimately good news, and then there is news which is potential cause for concern. There will be concern regardless, but even the most neutral citizen will raise an eyebrow at some of what ADVENT is planning to implement.

 **Cost** : Here is the first good piece of news ADVENT released. All education, regardless of if you're just starting, or want to pursue a college degree, is completely free. No strings attached.

Most people reasonably think that there _is_ some kind of catch, but after spending a good deal of time on this question, I can confirm that there actually isn't. In fact, it is arguably _more_ than people will expect. It's not just tuition that is free, but any kind of educational material (such as textbooks, online codes, or field trips) are also free of charge. You will need to keep the materials in good condition and return them at the end of the semester, but that is certainly not too much to ask.

Furthermore, the Bureau also announced that all debt of current students would be waived, and those who are still under financial debt as the result of education, but no longer in classes, could apply to also have their debt cleared. This was universally praised, as it should be, and ADVENT has put this into effect immediately.

However, I should note that this is _only_ for public education. Free tuition sadly does not apply to private schools, though debt relief can be pursued even for graduates of non-public schools. Those still in colleges will not be affected, though ADVENT has said that they will work to make any kind of transition quick and efficient, as well as throwing in paying off currently owed tuition for good measure in an attempt to attract students to their own colleges.

It is somewhat amazing that ADVENT is not only waiving most costs associated with education, but also actively properly funding _all_ public education. From how one of the financial advisors explained it, what is most important is making sure everything is in order – it doesn't matter how much or how little – and sending it to the Bureau of the Treasury who will fund whatever you need.

This allows previous underfunded programs to be on the same level as traditionally more well-funded programs such as sports. While sports funding is not necessarily diminished, it now is no longer on another level of quality compared to programs deemed "less important". Furthermore, it causes a chain reaction where schools which were severely underfunded become almost modernized overnight.

Struggling schools and programs received the equivalent of a blank check, and all of them quickly pounced on it in the unlikely event that it was genuine. Indeed, it appears to be, and already there are places where it is having a positive impact on the students going there. I suppose it would make a difference to be working with tablets and electronics compared to using computers decades old previously.

For some personal commentary, it is very clear what ADVENT is trying to do here, and while _some_ of it is altruism, there is a massive practical component which will be elaborated on later. ADVENT wants the complete elimination of the private education sector, and they mean to accomplish this not by oppressive laws and intimidation, but by making it affordable, superior, and better in every measurable way to private schools so that the average citizen won't even consider an alternative.

If this method is acceptable or not as a way to kill competition is a matter of debate, but ADVENT does not seem to be hiding its intentions that well, if it cares at all.

 **Teachers** : ADVENT made a point to say that they will be working on recruiting and retaining the best teachers in the world for all levels, and they will do this by ensuring all schools are well-staffed and paid livable wages across the board. Looking at some of the figures (The average starting college salary was equivalent to $100,000), I would not be surprised if teaching becomes a much more highly competitive field in the coming years.

Furthermore, ADVENT has stated that they will be giving teachers a more prominent voice in schools, and have cited the "Academic Advisor" position as one with among the most influence in any school. Teachers are also informed about the Oversight Division, which will presumably assist in any administrative issues and abuses they may encounter.

What is slightly more controversial is that teachers, especially in lower levels, have been given far more authority in how to handle students, as well as limited control over the curriculum itself. ADVENT has said they want to instill respect in children for teachers, and other figures of authority. As such teachers will be given much more leeway in dealing with disobedient or abusive children up to and including requesting investigations into families such children come from to determine if it is a systemic household problem.

In cases of suspected (or blatant) bullying, the teacher also has the authority to directly intervene or bring in the school Peacekeeper to handle the situation, which can result in arrests. ADVENT has stated that they have no issues arresting and punishing children "Especially of ages who should know better" or similarly arresting parents of troublesome children for negligence, or in extreme cases, taking the children away.

If it isn't clear by now, ADVENT does not care about parent outcry if it isn't justified. I suspect that this will become apparent in the future once they complain to the Oversight Division and get promptly arrested when they end up wasting their time.

 **Disabled Students** : ADVENT made a special point to show what they would be doing to help students suffering from both physical and mental disabilities. They would be in separate schools to begin with, and the schools themselves will vary depending on the disability and cognitive level. Mentally functioning, but physically disabled students would have a fairly similar (though not quite as intense) curriculum and format.

The main differences would come from the extracurricular activities, which would likely be more mentally focused, or cybernetic limb adaption. Yes, ADVENT will be allowing disabled children access to the cutting edge of cybernetic enhancements. This would obviously not be applicable to all students, and would need the permission of the student and parents to go through with the surgery, but the option will be provided. However, ADVENT has said that they would likely only be able to perform any kind of surgery at this stage for patients which fit certain conditions. However, they did assure us that when the appropriate technology is developed, these children would be near the front of the line to receive it.

For children with mental disabilities, they are handled in a much more fluid manner. In the face of what ADVENT seems to pride itself in, very little of teaching for these particular students follows the exact same format. The curriculums are the same, but it's largely at the pace of the student and their own abilities.

Despite the far slower pace, ADVENT has made efforts to provide help when available to these students in the forms of experimental gene therapy and psionic treatment. These require parental permissions, as some – especially psionic treatment – are new and experimental fields or are otherwise not completely proven to work. But the option is always there, and ADVENT assured me that they would never go through with an operation if there was a major risk to the child. It might not work, they said, but the child will not be worse off than when they began.

 **Organization** : As with most organizations in ADVENT, the Bureau of Education is extremely well-organized, with a Division for essentially every part of the educational system from mathematics to psionics to athletics. Some divisions are to curate the subjects themselves and put together curriculum, while others are to manage various regulations and ensure they are enforced (Such as in the case of private schools).

Each school or college has an established leadership council, which includes some expected positions, such as a Financial Executive, or a Logistical Planner, as well as a Principal. We already have spoken about the Academic Advisor, and there are also Parental and Student Advisors depending on the educational level, which ADVENT says is to ensure that all relevant parties are represented to some capacity.

It also includes openings for more…unconventional positions, such as Psychology advisors who at a first glance are to make sure the mental health of students and personnel is acceptable, but knowing ADVENT there is an ulterior motive behind it. That there is a Peacekeeper as an advisor, appointed by the Peacekeepers, in a fairly influential position is also odd, but the more overt ADVENT control over the education system will be explained in the following section.

 **ADVENT Influence** : To say that ADVENT has influence over the ADVENT Bureau of Education is not exactly breaking news. They of course are funding and hiring the people running it. But even then there is a noticeable effort by ADVENT to utilize the schools for their own ends. There is a specific type of individual they want to produce, and they do appear to be using everything they can to have their schools turn out these individuals.

The first thing you may notice is that there is a noticeable Peacekeeper presence at schools. The Peacekeepers are friendly to the children, and will often interact with them during games or just answer questions from curious children. But there have already been reported instances of Peacekeepers intervening violently in schools.

When one hears of how one Peacekeeper broke the jaw of one student and tazed the rest, it would be a scandal. But outrage usually dies when the story is that the soldier was intervening on behalf of a bullied child. ADVENT has very little problem completely destroying the lives of those who do not live up to their standards, and there are several documented cases of parental custody being revoked by ADVENT Child Protective Services within days of similar incidents.

The Peacekeepers are to not just protect children, but quash any kind of unauthorized activity. Word travels fast, and public schools are, for better or worse, much safer, if more sterile, to be in than before. This is obviously not as extreme in some schools as others, but it is not unreasonable to say that Peacekeepers are the true authority in schools, not the administration.

The next thing people will notice is that there are several members of the Advisory Board that are appointed directly by ADVENT, one of whom is solely there to clearly pick out talent and recruit for ADVENT, as well as likely watching student morale and opinion. ADVENT, like it or not, is very clearly watching every single one of their schools for anything they don't like.

It is also expected that anti-ADVENT sentiments and attitudes won't exactly be tolerated, but ADVENT doesn't seem to handle this in crude ways. In several of the schools I visited – in places where anti-ADVENT sentiment was initially high – speaking with several students and officials made the situation clearer.

ADVENT seems to identify sources of issues, and then goes right to the source. So if there is a student saying something ADVENT disapproves of, they will usually call them in to talk about the issue, such as the school counselor or psychologist, and move from there. Usually the student will go back and give friends 'accurate' information, and then word will spread.

Other times, students said that even after ADVENT spoke to them, their parents received visits from men and women in suits. This can be explained as ADVENT wanting to make sure misinformation is stopped from spreading at the source, or for others it will be seen as an insidious method of control. Either way, ADVENT is very clearly not tolerating those who disparage them without reason.

If that isn't enough, the curriculums ADVENT has released involve civics courses on the history, organization, and structure of ADVENT itself. This would not necessarily be odd, except that these classes are mandatory and are in nearly _every_ single year of education. Supposedly these classes become more complex and can almost be consider a place for debate in higher levels, but the fact that there are such classes for children as young as six is…worthy of note.

Then there is the fact that ADVENT is monitoring your child's social media.

 **Social Media** : The Bureau of Education has instituted guidelines for social media for enrolled students. It is initially fairly innocent, namely that each student must register all social media accounts with ADVENT. No passwords or access needs to be shared, but ADVENT needs to be aware of it. There is a statement signed simply stating that their profiles can't be used to harass, attack, or spread misinformation about ADVENT through them.

The goal of this, ADVENT says, is to control internet bullying and harassment between students which may take place off-campus. Students who receive threats or harassment are encouraged to report it to their teacher along with incriminating messages.

More importantly, students who are found in violation of the social media guidelines will be punished in various ways. ADVENT can suspend their social media accounts, they can be expelled, or even arrested in serious cases. Regardless of what the child is using it for, ADVENT is logging and storing every post made and someone _is_ monitoring what is being put up.

There is no anonymity for students in schools any longer. Don't tell ADVENT about a new account you made, and you run the risk of paying the price.

 **Homeschooling** : This may be an interesting thing to bring up, and perhaps more surprising that ADVENT is actually still allowing this in the first place. Indeed, they are, which isn't majorly surprising as homeschool students typically perform similarly or better academically as students from public or private schools, but historically it has largely been an unregulated and unenforced grey area.

ADVENT, of course, has changed that.

First, students must use approved curriculum as chosen by the Bureau of Education. This is non-negotiable, and failure to do so will go badly. The larger change is that parents must pass certain competency tests to ensure that they are capable of properly teaching their children, and homeschooling students must take annual exams to document that they are on the correct academic level.

Parents with certain degrees, specifically teaching, can have the competency tests waived, but the student tests cannot be waived. These regulations also apply to any coop organizations or groups, and any academic body which is not a traditional private school.

 **Private Schools** : Private schools are both majorly affected by ADVENT regulations, and at the same time left to their own devices. They are required to only use ADVENT curriculum, regardless of what kind of school they are, as well as submit to yearly auditing, but otherwise they are fully capable of running the school themselves.

They are allowed to hire and fire at will, they are allowed to charge students as much as they deem necessary. They are allowed to set their own rules and guidelines to an extent. But it is also understood that ADVENT is watching extremely closely, and it was made very clear to me that ADVENT is perfectly happy with hitting them with multiple charges, and taking over the school for their own usage.

There were protests, especially from religious schools, regarding the curriculum which does not teach typically religious views of the origin of the galaxy and humanity. ADVENT largely ignored these complaints, saying something largely to the effect of "If you can prove it or show there is a factual basis for it in peer-reviewed scientific journals, then we'll reconsider".

While that didn't exactly go over well, most of those complaining realized that pushing ADVENT would only make things worse, not better, and have let it go for now.

 **Curriculum** : Speaking of ADVENT Curriculum, ADVENT has said that they will make every effort to ensure that everything taught in their schools is accurate, well-sourced, and factual. There is very little which is left to speculation, and ADVENT has made an effort to standardize every single subject to take subjectivity out of it.

This is certainly easy to do in the math and science subjects, but historical subjects become slightly more muddled. ADVENT has said that the standard history course will not intentionally focus on a specific country, but Humanity as a whole. Country and event-specific history courses will be offered (Such as American, British, Russian, or courses on World War II, the American Revolution, etc.), but those will be presented in a more objective manner.

Controversial subjects in various countries, such as the mistreatment of Native Americans, the Nanking Massacre, and similarly whitewashed subjects will be discussed in their historical accuracy, regardless of the country they take place in. ADVENT has said that these extra courses will not necessarily be taught everywhere, but specific histories of countries will be offered in the country of residence, and others can be requested if there is enough demand.

All in all, it will certainly be interesting to see how much this ADVENT curriculum shapes the minds of future generations. From excerpts I've read, it _appears_ largely unbiased, but as ADVENT is the one behind this, one can never been completely sure.

 _\- Article: ADVENT and Education – What to Know – by Professor Dylan Carita_


	113. Miscellaneous - ADVENT Animal Mascots

Miscellaneous

ADVENT Animal Mascots

* * *

" _It ultimately turned out that the most complicated, tense, and heated exchanges across the entirety of ADVENT didn't come from an important topic, but which mascot each of them wanted._

 _I am never doing this again."_

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

One of the more interesting developments during this lull in the conflict was the unexpected announcement by ADVENT concerning their animal mascots. This was surprising because no one had any idea that this was actually something ADVENT had been devoting time towards, though in true ADVENT fashion they performed the unveiling with completed seals and logos.

Needless to say there was a good deal of excitement and speculation on these, and in addition to the announcements, ADVENT also explained some of the meaning and process behind it. Supposedly the entire thing was something of an intense process, as the various departments had disagreements over which animal would fit best for them.

The way this was explained indicates that it was taken a bit more seriously than ADVENT was expecting.

Nonetheless, what everyone is interested in is what animals were actually chosen. That will be started now (Note that despite this being shared as "animal" mascots, there are a few insects also included):

The ADVENT Executive Branch: Out of all the branches, only the Executive Branch opted to adopt an animal mascot, which is the **Bald Eagle**. While not an especially original choice, the eagle has been a symbol of strength and authority for many years, and it is not surprising that ADVENT would similarly adopt it as their own.

The ADVENT Army Division: Another animal that seems like a clear choice, the **African Lion** , was chosen as the mascot for the Army, presumably through an internal vote, with the choices being proposed by the leadership. As lions are among the most dangerous and brave animals in nature, and the designated kings of the jungle and plains, it is easy to see why ADVENT would wish to adopt this as the mascot for their armed forces.

The ADVENT Navy Division: There are a great many sea creatures to choose from, but the one that was decided on was the **Octopus** , which is interestingly not a mascot that is usually chosen. But it is easy to see why ADVENT would wish to use it. Intelligent, adaptable, and mobile, this reflects the mission and strengths of the ADVENT Navy. This was chosen in a similar way to how the Army chose theirs.

The ADVENT Air and Space Division: Like the ocean, there are a massive amount of animals which can be chosen from the air. The ultimate decision was the **Hawk** , a clearly fitting animal which is focused, precise, and dangerous. Like the other similarly large divisions, this was decided via a vote.

The ADVENT Special Forces Division: The Special Forces division did things a little bit differently, as they did not only chose an animal for the entirety of the division, but each major unit also chose their own mascot internally. Regardless, the **Tiger** was the animal chosen for the Special Forces Division, which echoes many of the same strengths and values as the lion, but also compliments it in others.

The Lancer Corps: While some may scoff at this mascot initially, the **Honey Badger** is one of the most aggressive, dangerous, and intelligent predators that exists in nature. The attitude this animal exhibits is certainly one the Lancers wish to emulate. Honey Badgers are not invincible, but they will put up a deadly fight to the bitter end.

The Hussar Corps: As **Leopards** are agile predators which take out their prey quickly and decisively, so are the Hussars. Not the most dangerous or large predator, but it is a fitting one for such a unit within the Special Forces Division which performs a highly specialized role, even if they usually won't change the outcome.

The Dragoon Corps: **Crocodiles** are slow, but durable and dangerous when needed, which fits the Dragoon Corp fairly well. Although it is possible they just chose this because they couldn't think of anything better.

The Cuirassier Corps: In the similar vein of the Lancers, the **Mongoose** was chosen as the mascot for the Cuirassiers, and the reason given by one of them was "We like this animal, there isn't any deeper meaning than that." I choose to take this at face value.

The ADVENT Special Response Division: If you have never heard of this division before now, it is not surprising since it is perhaps the smallest and least advertised, and ADVENT hasn't provided much information on it, suffice to say that it seems to be designed for highly specialized situations that other divisions can't handle. Thus, the **Axolotl** seems an almost perfect fit. Bizarre, adaptable, intelligent, and an enigma, it seems to embody the division quite well.

The ADVENT Oversight Division: Very few will likely be surprised to learn that the **Praying Mantis** was chosen for the Oversight Division. The statue-like, striking, and always observant insect is an obvious reflection of the division itself, always watching and waiting to strike those who step out of line.

ADVENT Intelligence: There are a number of secretive, suspicious, or otherwise obvious animal metaphors ADVENT Intelligence could choose. The **Raven** was ultimately the one chosen, which is an interesting choice, even if fitting. Ravens are among the most intelligent birds, highly observant, trainable, and are often portrayed as watchers or spies in myths and stories. Hardly surprising such a creature would be chosen to embody the all-seeing nature of ADVENT Intelligence.

The ADVENT PRIEST Division: In a similar vein to the Special Forces Division, it has opted to have a mascot which embodies the entire division, with the various sub-branches choosing their own. The mascot chosen for the division as a whole was the **Owl** , an often-portrayed wise and knowing creature, if somewhat aloof and mysterious. A certainly intriguing choice, but a fitting one.

Military Branch: Some mascots are chosen for their subtlety, and make the viewer wonder the deeper meaning behind it. As the Military Branch of the PRIEST Division has shown here, they could care less about any subtlety. The **Deathstalker** , one of the world's most dangerous scorpions was chosen, and the message is clear: Fight us and we will kill you.

Peacekeeper Branch: The Peacekeeper branch has also opted for a mascot which is less than subtle, the **Cobra** , one of the most well-known and venomous snakes in nature. Since most psions involved in this division are only used in dangerous situations, it is perhaps more fitting than one might initially think.

Training Branch: This mascot is also clear, but thankfully is much less malicious than the previous two. The **German Shepherd** , or dog as a general mascot was chosen here, likely to symbolize the dedication and drive needed to master the illusive power and use it correctly.

Civil Service Branch: The **Beaver** is a hardworking, resourceful, and intelligent animal, and these characteristics are quite obviously reflected in the Civil Service branch. While not an obvious choice for a mascot, it is certainly one which fits the psions in question.

Research Branch: Very rarely do scientists themselves take a mascot, but not even this branch wanted to be left out it seems. A **Cat** is something of a generic animal, but in a certain way it fits. Cats are naturally intelligent and curious, both traits of those within the sciences. Although I do believe members of this branch are _probably_ more polite than your average housecat.

The ADVENT Peacekeeper Division: When one imagines a proper mascot for the primary law enforcement agency of ADVENT, the **Wolf** is probably not their first choice. It is something of a…curious choice, though the explanation provided makes some degree of sense. Wolves are loyal to the pack, are dangerous to their rivals, and as Stein said "We will hunt down and kill the criminals and lawbreakers with the tenacity and strength of the wolf." I believe that says a lot about the priorities of the Peacekeepers.

State Special Response: Keeping with the theme of sometimes obvious mascots, the **Grizzly Bear** perfectly embodies the average SSR operation. Massive, lethal, and a bear that you absolutely do _not_ want to poke. There was apparently some debate over _which_ bear would ultimately be chosen, but it finally came down to both lethality and recognition.

Otherwise I suspect a Polar Bear would have been chosen instead.

Overall this is certainly an interesting list which will no doubt be further used in ADVENT's marketing machine and development of the identities of these organizations. Regardless, it is good to see ADVENT using their time for something decidedly less malicious. Certainly a lighter subject to share than the heavy topics of war, religion, and justice.

 _Article: The Animal Mascots of ADVENT, by Sydney Sanders_

* * *

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Ariel Jackson [Verified]

 **Subject** : Mascots!

So, in light of ADVENT coming out with a whole bunch of animal mascots for themselves, I'm wondering if we should do something similar. Any comments?

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : The Commander [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Huh, interesting. Wasn't a massive fan of using animals for mascots. If we want symbolism, there are actually plenty of symbols to choose from. An animal seems limiting. Not to mention I don't have any ideas right now.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Moira Vahlen [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

It does seem like ADVENT took the majority of interesting animals. I would prefer not to copy them.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Ariel Jackson [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Hey now, ADVENT didn't take everything. Though you do have a point that I don't know what would be a good fit.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Shaojie Zhang [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Perhaps an Ethereal?

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : The Commander [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Yes Zhang, Aegis is going to become the mascot of the _Extraterrestrial Combat Unit_. I'm shocked no one thought of this earlier.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Raymond Shen [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Who says it has to be an animal? I am sure each division has something unique that they have created which could serve as an example of what we do. I can nominate a MEC soldier, or perhaps JULIAN once it is complete.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : The Commander [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Now this is a good idea. If everyone really wants to put forth an idea, then do it. Preferably one decided by the division itself. However, XCOM isn't getting a mascot. I'm fine with the current symbol as it stands. Encapsulates everything I want it to.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Moira Vahlen [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

May I propose a Shoggoth?

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Ariel Jackson [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

I knew she was going to say that, damn it.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Moira Vahlen [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

No one said the animal had to be natural.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Iosif Bronis [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

So my question now is what kills a Shoggoth.

As a psion, they are our natural predators.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Moira Vahlen [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

When I find something, I'll let you know.

 **To** : Internal Council [Tagged]

 **From** : Iosif Bronis [Verified]

 **Re: Subject** : Mascots!

Considerate as always, Vahlen, thank you very much.

* * *

 _Message to all Ethereals on the CODEX encrypted network_

Greetings to all my fellow (survivor!) Ethereals. I was thinking how much we don't really talk to each other as much as we probably should. Have a reunion or something where we are all in the same place; catch up, you know the drill. I know we have all have very important work, but a break is called for, you know?

Anyway, not the point of this message. I have just discovered a piece of Human culture which I find quite interesting. It is the art of them picking an animal which embodies them, or certain aspects they wish to emulate. Various organizations have this, and it is rather creative. Something which I believe we should also emulate, and as such I have taken the liberty of picking out an animal (or insect!) which best suits you!

Now, you may disagree with this, but I would stress that I know what I am doing, and I'm going to all this work so you don't have to! But as we Ethereals are a much more enlightened and intelligent species than Humans, I believe instead of using the so-called "Real" names of these animals, we will instead utilize their proper scientific names!

It will be a learning experience for everyone! So, without further ado:

Aegis: _Chelydra serpentine_ – While you may disagree with giving our resident traitor the glory of a mascot, I believe he is just as entitled to one as the rest of us. There is no better animal which illustrates his annoying tendencies, among which is "Biting the hand which feeds it". This is, I feel, an almost perfect animal embodiment of it.

The Battlemaster: _Rangifer tarandus_ – When one thinks of the Battlemaster, they think of grace, power, and nobility. They also imagine him in the crossfire of many rifles, and of course how quickly he can run. It was not easy finding an animal that fit these requirements, but I have managed to come exceptionally close. You may refer to him as this when speaking to him, as it is now his official mascot.

Caelior: _Canis lupus familiaris – Chihuahua_ – It is difficult finding an animal that even comes close to matching the wit, intelligence, bravery, strength, charisma, and even more traits that the Little Storm so wonderfully embodies, and at the same time embodies his temperament. But this one does all of that and more.

Cogitian: _Tytonidae_ – A wise and old creature which is often revered and well-liked for it's intelligence and curious quirks. Certainly an embodiment of our favorite Archivist!

The Creator: _Ambystoma mexicanum_ – I'll be honest and say that after typing a specific google phrase I saw this and knew it was you. I didn't even need to know anything more about it, I had no idea what the fuck it was, which is largely how I'm feeling about you these days. No better match I can see!

Deusian: _Schistocerca gregaria_ – Finding something with the blunt, destructive power wielded by our favorite Reaper is harder than it may seen, but in terms of destructive capability it was between this and _Mastotermes darwiniensis_ , I choose this because it was more generalized. Indiscriminate, if you would.

Fectorian: _Reduviidae_ – I bet you didn't expect this! Even Fectorian has a match in the animal kingdom! This one even makes armor (Like you!) – from the corpses of it's enemies, sure, but it's definitely more than most!

Isomnum: _Solenopsis_ – This is basically what you are, Isomnum. Believe me we feel the same about you as Humans feel about these things.

Guardian 1: _Carcharodon carcharias_ – Really, I had a whole bunch of options to choose from, and I'm not sure why I choose this one, but I'm sure you can make it fit.

Guardian 2: _Latrodectus_ – Now this is one of the more interesting of Earth's creatures, and it embodies your quickness and decisive striking. Its name also reflects a notable consequence of your actions, all in service to the Collective of course!

The Imperator: _Nominative draco_ – Now, what would be a fitting mascot for the most powerful Ethereal of all time? A difficult question, but one which I eventually found the answer for. There is no greater creature that has, or has not existed, that embodies the raw strength, power, and speed of this noble beast.

Nebulan: _Ctenizidae_ – Something that hides in the shadows and conceals themselves – through camouflage – is very reminiscent of our dear illusionist. Especially one which strikes without warning and lures their prey to them. On an unrelated note, I really dislike creatures like this.

Macula: _Medusozoa_ – This is a creature you would love, Macula, it has mastered time in a way that you have not yet. We may be functionally immortal, but this creature found the secret to immortality long before any of us did! Theoretically, anyway.

Mortis'Ligna: _Rattus_ – I genuinely don't mean this as an insult, Mortis, if you ever recover, but this is honestly the best thing I could find. Initially unassuming, but often kills or causes disease just by being around. Nothing evil about it, but such is its nature.

The Overmind: _Corvus corax_ – And here is a creature which I thinks reflects your intuitive and sometimes creepy nature of spying and watching over things. There is a certain Norse God I feel you would get along well with.

Quisilia (Me!): _Unus cornu_ – I agonized long and hard over what creature suited me best, and as if by magic stumbled upon this. There is no creature which is more sparkly, magical, and unreal than this one – a special creature which none can perfectly emulate. I am reminded of myself a lot by observing it.

The Ravaged One: _Priscacara liops_ – You may wonder why I bothered even giving our recently departed not-Reaper a mascot. It is because at this moment, both this mascot and him share certain similarities.

Revelean: _Mus_ – Like you, Revelean, these creatures are usually involved in science!

Sana'Ligna: _Phascolarctos cinereus_ – Everyone likes these animals, they are cute, cuddly, and liked by children! There are a lot of similarities between you and this, Sana, I believe that you will be able to determine them quickly. May I suggest you get some from Earth? With Australia under our control, I am sure we can arrange it.

Sicarius: _Phymatinae_ – Nebulan's mascot would work well for you as well, but there are a lot of things both you have in common. So it makes sense that both your mascots would be of similar skills and abilities!

Our Resident Sovereign Representative: _Crotalus atrox_ – This, I believe, sums you up quite well. Well, not quite how you _were_ , but as the result of your exalted position. The Humans have already made a flag with a similar creature on it with an excellent moral!

I hope all of you deeply appreciate the time and effort I put into this, and feel proud of your new mascots!

\- Quisilia

* * *

 _A/N: Timeline is a bit off on this one since it's actually been written for a while and I finally decided to post it._

 _\- Xabiar_


	114. ADVENT - History: The UK Referendum

ADVENT: History

The United Kingdom Referendum

* * *

" _If this isn't a wake-up call to the rest of Europe, then they aren't just ignorant, they are willfully refusing to see the direction the world is going."_

\- Political Analyst Lisa Gollop

* * *

 _News articles written several days after the results of the UK Referendum_

The conclusion of the UK Referendum marks a historic ending to a historic event. After several months of heated debate, discussion, campaigning and protesting, the United Kingdom has formally chosen to leave the European Union and join ADVENT as a full member state. The results showed overwhelming support for joining ADVENT, with 82% voting to join, and only 18% voting to remain in the European Union. Voter turnout broke records as just over 85% of the population turned out to vote, making this one of the most participated election events in history.

There were several major contributing factors to this record turnout, and ultimate decision. There have been demands for months by private citizens and members of both Tory and Labor parties for more involvement in the war against the aliens, either through military support or cooperation with ADVENT. All major political party leadership have mostly avoided these calls to action, and remained tight-lipped about their own stance on ADVENT, while refusing to back certain members who insisted more be done.

Labor Party Leader Caroline Duncan made headlines when she made the following statements: "ADVENT is a complex subject for everyone involved. It's not as simple a matter of 'joining' them or not. ADVENT is more than an alliance to fight against the aliens; it is a world power in its own right. What people have failed to understand is that joining ADVENT would mean major changes in their own lives. The freedoms which citizens enjoy now, the rights of assembly, protest, critique, would be reduced under ADVENT. While I can recognize that ADVENT has made commendable strides in healthcare, drug legalization, and minority rights, this does not offset their harsh criminal justice system, extensive militarization of law enforcement, and suppression of the media. Britain can contribute to the fight should it become necessary, but I would prefer it not be under an authority such as ADVENT."

This was largely condemned in the realm of public opinion, and the Labor party quickly released a statement saying "The views and opinions of Mrs. Duncan do not necessarily reflect the goals and views of the Labor party." Party Leader Duncan never issued a retraction, but since then never commented on ADVENT, even through the Referendum campaign.

British media itself likely contributed to the overall resentment towards Parliament over their inaction, as much of it was negatively slanted against ADVENT, in particular focusing on their crackdown of media and a focus on their criminal justice system. ADVENT, in response to their allegations, has publicly refuted, confirmed, or clarified them through social media and through appointed representatives as guests on programs. ADVENT has also turned over evidence during this period proving criminal activity within some large media networks, though it was never disclosed how they had acquired this evidence in the first place. This ultimately led to a rise of public sentiment against media corporations, and turning to foreign sources for updates on the war and ADVENT itself.

The announcement of a Referendum by Prime Minister Bennett was a move that caught Parliament and most everyone else off guard. The Prime Minister had previously made several public statements in support of the war effort, and had made it a priority to insist on greater involvement from the European Union, as well as British military forces. However, the reluctance of Parliament to allow major actions to be taken tied his hands.

There were and continue to be accusations of collusion between Bennett and ADVENT Chancellor Saudia Vyandar, as shortly after a meeting between the two, a referendum was announced. Political analysts almost universally believe that collusion is limited, and it was far more likely that the Prime Minister had been preparing this for some time, and used the meeting to inform her of his intentions and to give ADVENT time to prepare for the possibility.

Throughout the campaigns of the Referendum, ADVENT has notably refrained from giving support or commenting at all. When asked the reason for their silence, ADVENT Minister of Public Relations Kyong Suk-Chul said this: "We are, of course, watching the results of the Referendum very closely. We do not want to interfere or comment on this internal affair until it is voted upon. Should the results be in favor, we will be ready to work with Prime Minister Bennett to discuss the next stages. If not, we remain open and willing to having the support of the United Kingdom in our war against the aliens."

Despite these words, few can deny that ADVENT is subtly involved in the outcome, as they have been featured prominently in campaign materials supporting joining ADVENT. Through the work of Prime Minister Bennett, who has led the campaign, he has made sure to paint a picture of a Britain within ADVENT.

His campaign materials have included public ADVENT reports on the stamping out of criminal activity and corruption, military action against the aliens, a focus on the Peacekeepers and their tools and methods, as well as conducting interviews with citizens from France and Germany on life within ADVENT. His campaign was exceptionally well-coordinated and targeted various demographics and criticisms with extreme accuracy.

This has led to more accusations that he is receiving covert help from ADVENT, and when it was revealed that he was a friend of the current Director of ADVENT Intelligence, Elizabeth Falka, it further spurred the theories that ADVENT was meddling in the Referendum despite their supposed neutrality. The response to this was the Prime Minister asking for definitive proof of collusion, which was never fully proven.

What finally proved to be the deciding factor in support of the Referendum was the sudden backing of the Royal Family, who unexpectedly announced their support for joining ADVENT. Prince Mason in particular was a staunch supporter of the move, telling citizens that "It is time that we as a country join the rest of the world in stepping towards the future and uniting our species as one in the face of the alien threat against our entire species. We have stayed in the back while others have died to ensure that we retain our own lives in comforts. What happens at the end, should ADVENT be victorious? We will not be remembered as those who cowered away while others fought our battles, but the ones who fought at the front for not just our great country, but for Humanity as a whole."

The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the UK, and appeared to solidify the outcome. It is notable that in the final weeks the Prime Minister revealed a full and complete plan for transitioning the country to ADVENT over a period of six months. As he noted: "Only a fool would propose something like this and not have a concrete plan to go through with it. We have the best experts working together to make the transition as smooth and painless as possible, which will be started on day one."

Following the results, he has appeared to make good on this promise as while there are celebrations in the streets, Parliament voted in unison to join ADVENT. Hours later ADVENT began sending over Peacekeepers, the ADVENT Army, to begin the arming and enhancement of military and law enforcement officials. The Prime Minister also ordered a full investigation and review into Parliament, which is currently ongoing as a joint operation between the Peacekeepers, ADVENT Intelligence, and the Oversight Division.

The investigation is suspected to take a minimum of one month, with any possible elections to be begun shortly after it is concluded. In the meantime ADVENT is already working to overhaul the relevant organizations, buildings, and companies in the United Kingdom. It will not be an easy process by all estimations, but from what has been demonstrated so far, ADVENT is fully committed to bringing the United Kingdom into the fold.

What is not certain is if there will be challenges along the way, as well as how citizens will truly respond to life within ADVENT.

What _is_ certain is that this marks a definitive shift in Europe towards ADVENT, and what all experts say is the true end of the European Union.

* * *

 _Official statement of Chancellor Saudia Vyandar on the results of the United Kingdom Referendum_

On behalf of ADVENT, we would like to formally recognize and congratulate the United Kingdom on listening to the will of the people and officially voting to join ADVENT and the conflict against the Ethereal Collective. It is past time that the rest of the world recognizes the necessity of unification in light of the threat against our species, and the decision by the citizens of the United Kingdom shows that the majority understand this truth, and thanks to the work of Prime Minister Bennett and his government, have seen it come to fruition.

While we have not publicly made statements on the status of the Referendum to respect the right of the people to make this decision without outside interference, we have been working to prepare for the integration of the United Kingdom into ADVENT, to ensure that the transition is as smooth and efficient as possible.

We are already in contact with the Prime Minister and have begun the process of restructuring the government and related organizations and bringing the country up to ADVENT standards. Over the coming months citizens will be informed of the changes and laws that are to be implemented. ADVENT will also begin work to ensure that the elected officials of the United Kingdom are capable of fulfilling their jobs to our standards, and this will be done through investigations to purge any lingering corruption.

Our own military forces are already working to bring the British Armed Forces up to the standards of our own soldiers, and they are planned to be deployed over the coming months, joining our soldiers across the military. British Intelligence services are also at this moment being integrated into ADVENT Intelligence and the Oversight Division, while law enforcement is being sufficiently educated, armed, and trained by our Peacekeeper forces.

Finally, ADVENT will assist in all negotiations with the European Union to reach an exit deal which benefits all parties and can be easily and quickly resolved in a satisfactory manner. All paperwork and required information has been gathered and submitted to the European Union, and we are currently awaiting their response to continue negotiations.

Finally, I simply wish to welcome all citizens of the United Kingdom into ADVENT. We are proud to have your assistance in forging a future for Humanity and defending our world against the alien threat.

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

 _Address by Prime Minister Bennett following the Referendum results._

"As Prime Minister of Great Britain I am pleased to announce that the people have spoken. We _shall_ join ADVENT. For too long have we remained idle while our allies fought. For too long have we _watched_ as old friends faced this menace to our species and done nothing. Decades ago the British Isles were beset by invaders; we stood on the cusp of ruin, the final bastion of freedom against a wave of darkness, yet in our darkest hour the United States did not abandon us."

"It is disgraceful that we have waited so long to come to their aid against a foe far worse than any we have faced before, a foe that threatens not simply countries, but our entire species and everything we have worked to accomplish. Even now citizens of the Commonwealth live in terror within Australia and New Zealand, invaded as we sat by and did nothing."

"These invaders from the stars care nothing for human life, as they have shown time and time again, whether they be soldiers, women, or even children. They care not for our race or our nationality, nor even our religion. All they see is a species to be conquered, a world to be subjugated, test subjects for their experiments. To them we are all humans, we are all marked for conquest. Either now or later, it makes no difference. We must put aside our petty differences and unite as never before if we hope to survive this trial, this scourge that has visited us."

"As I stand here today in the House of Parliament I cannot help but hear the words of a predecessor, echoing from the past. Though the details may be changed from what they were before, the message still rings as sure and true as it did decades ago."

"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be."

"The enemy knows, they know that they must break our spirit if they wish to win the war. They _fear_ what a united humanity could do, they have seen all hopes of a quick and easy victory dashed by but a fraction of our world's nations, and the sacrifices of many brave men and women, in a conflict that shall be remembered as the greatest of our history for decades to come."

"If we should succeed, all humanity may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including Europe, South America, and yes, Africa, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science."

"Even though parts of our Commonwealth and our allies, and many of the world's countries have fallen or may fall into the grip of the invader and all the odious apparatus of alien rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the _end_. We shall fight in Canada; we shall fight on the seas and oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, and in space. We shall defend our world, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall _never_ surrender **.** This time, the old world shall come to the defense of the new, and hand in hand, with the rest of Humanity, we shall take our place among the stars such that no Human need ever fear them."

"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."

* * *

To the Battlemaster, Quisilia, and Sana'Ligna

The results of the United Kingdom Referendum have arrived, and as the Zararch speculated, it was overwhelmingly in favor joining ADVENT. While not an unexpected outcome, especially given recent events, ADVENT meddling, and general public sentiment shifting, this _will_ have ramifications throughout the war and the geopolitical sphere.

However before I discuss what this means for us, it's worth going through what led to this situation in the first place, how it was achieved, and if we can prevent it in the future, because due to the success of the referendum, I am certain ADVENT will try something like this again.

The first thing to note is that anti-ADVENT sentiment _does not work_. The British media in particular failed to recognize this, with running multiple opinion, editorial, and public news stories, exposes, and critique of ADVENT for a fairly long period (Which has still not fully stopped). The problem is that ADVENT is no ordinary Human government, and these are not ordinary circumstances.

ADVENT had no issue with hitting back equally hard, and at times seemed to enjoy the debate, sending figures such as Stein and even the Chancellor to go on media programs. There were no punches pulled by ADVENT, and they were more than capable of defending their decisions. Sometimes the mistake was made to bring morality and abstract concepts into critique, which ADVENT quite easily and dismissively shot down with logic and facts.

ADVENT is admirable in a way. One can only critique their methods, not their results.

But there was far less coverage devoted to the alien war, which is noted as being a lot more important to the average citizen than ADVENT itself – who was also _fighting_ this war, while the UK was seeming to sit out of it. This clearly did not sit right with the majority, and the media unwittingly sped the public closer to accepting this outcome.

The second piece of this puzzle is that the Prime Minister of the British Parliament is Killian Bennett, who is a former British special forces soldier, and has been notably vocal about the alien threat and his wish to do more to assist in the fight. Very anti-corruption and blunt, but intelligent enough to reach his position and hold onto it. He didn't have a high number of friends, leading to his ineffectiveness within his own party and government, but he emerged from it clean enough for ADVENT to do business with him.

Then we come to the most important part – ADVENT themselves taking notice. The meeting with Chancellor Vyandar and Bennett was without a doubt the catalyst, as days afterwards the Prime Minister announced the referendum. If this was planned all along, or if Saudia went to propose that to him is unknown, but we can take this as a sign that ADVENT is definitely interested in finding loopholes in governments that they can exploit.

During the course of the campaign, I don't think anyone can actually say with any measure of truth that ADVENT was not completely helping Bennett. Officially they maintained neutrality, but Bennett suddenly had a practically unlimited campaign budget, a campaign team who no one had seen or known before then, who managed every aspect of the campaign, access to high-quality campaign materials, videos, documents, which were distributed on all social media platforms, physically sent to citizens, or handed out at campaign events.

There is also clear evidence of botting and astroturfing on social media, almost certainly from ADVENT Intelligence, which bumped pretty much everything related to the referendum to the top, if it was in favor of joining ADVENT. Conversely, any sort of media published on the opposition was downvoted or flagged to the point where it was essentially invisible.

Our own analysis of the British government shows that there is no possible way that Bennett could have paid for all of these materials on his own, let alone utilized the notably effective British intelligence services to such a global degree. Financial statements show this. Campaign materials also appeared to originally be imported from foreign (Primarily American, French, and German sources) countries, and shuffled through several proxy companies so Bennett's campaign could buy them 'domestically' to avoid any broken laws.

We should also note that it was exceptionally easy for 'regular citizens' to appear on campaign videos, usually from France or Germany, who explained what life in ADVENT was like and the positives of this. More thorough background checks show that these so-called 'citizens', while they _do_ appear to be naturalized citizens, are not 'ordinary', and either have no background, or have a history in intelligence services. All fluent speakers of English.

What is potentially more damning is how fine-tuned the campaign was, as certain aspects of it were specifically targeted to certain demographics and groups. Men, women, children, veterans, military, law enforcement, Tories, Labor, right-leaning, left-leaning, activist, student; the sheer amount of sophistication cannot have been orchestrated by anyone other than ADVENT Intelligence, with access to the database of UK citizens.

You may be wondering now what the opposition to this was. To put it completely bluntly, there _was_ essentially no unified opposition. It is almost certain that there are teams of ADVENT Intelligence agents who worked hard to dispute all points by the opposition, and then used their astroturfing and botting teams to push those comments to the top, directly influencing the narrative.

The beauty of ADVENT is that it is diverse enough that they can have Americans, Russians, Mexicans, and Koreans all make similar comments and disputes and it's difficult to reliably call them out because there really is no central group which does this any longer. One cannot simply point to Russia, North Korea, or Israel anymore as the source of pushing propaganda.

The result is that the opposition was silenced, isolated, and anyone who expressed a different or opposing opinion online was condemned to the bottom. Affiliated websites for the opposition campaign were mysteriously hacked by 'unknown groups', and people within the campaign themselves had their personal information leaked online, although it usually only included their email address and phone number. Family members were surprisingly not targeted; further evidence that this was another ADVENT Intel operation.

With all of this meddling, you can see why there was almost no chance that the United Kingdom would _not_ vote to join ADVENT. In my personal opinion it is slightly amazing that the vote was as close as it ended up being. I have not mentioned the meeting the Chancellor had with Prince Mason either, as the support of the Royal Family, while unexpected and another boon for ADVENT, is ultimately unimportant. But it should highlight just how much ADVENT has worked to ensure the outcome of the referendum.

The question now is what happens next?

The United Kingdom is already being assimilated into ADVENT, and within weeks their own armed forces will be up to standard. A purge of their government has already begun, and once those ADVENT identifies as criminals have been dealt with, they will likely hold elections. In more general terms, this will mark the end of one of the last oppositional groups to ADVENT: The European Union.

With almost all major members gone, and with reliable intelligence that ADVENT is courting the few who are remaining, it would not be surprising to see the body formally dissolve before it is weakened further. It is unknown if this will lead more countries to join ADVENT, but the possibility is a high one, and we should expect it.

For future operations, should ADVENT attempt to manipulate a country into joining in this manner, we will need to be prepared to counter their online operations, and work on funneling resources into the opposition. It is far better that these nations be separate and against the Collective, as opposed to _part_ of ADVENT.

The complete unification of Humanity must be prevented wherever possible.

ADVENT will not cease this goal. Nor will XCOM. There is a reason they so zealously pursue this ideal, and it is time we recognize the danger it poses, and do something about it. We will be watching for similar actions across the world, and act accordingly.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 _A/N: Section with the Prime Minister was written by Thuzan117._


	115. Andromedons - History: The Union Wars

Andromedons: History

The Union Wars

* * *

 _"The Union Wars are not part of our history, they **are** our history."_

\- V'Thrask of Union Viarior

* * *

Operation: Backstabber Ascension

Division: Andromedon Counter-Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'poliala'dakka

Authorization: Zar'Chon

A lot of reports on the Andromedons recently. Zar'Chon, is something going on that I should be aware of? Believe me, I know quite a lot about the suited aliens, but so far haven't seen anything which would make you worried. Wouldn't say it's your sudden interest in their history either, since we would have gotten all of this way back when they first arrived.

Sure, got it, classified and all that. So, aftermath of the Union Wars, or as far as what you're interested in: "How much more dangerous were they at their peak before they stupidly antagonized a species more powerful than them?"

The answer is complicated from what I've found. Was able to talk with a few members of Union Oaila, which is the closest thing the Andromedons have to historians, or at least who make some kind of effort at all to document their history for non-Andromedons to understand. One thing you need to know about Andromedons and history is that it is viewed _strictly_ through the eyes of their own Union.

Let's take Viarior as an example. Andromedons are going to know a great deal about the history of the Union, the wars fought, the allies and enemies, the rivalries and friendships, and this _will_ extend back to the beginning because for all their faults, the Andromedons are thorough record keepers. But anything beyond that? They don't care. If history doesn't relate to their own Union, it's not important.

Wait. Viarior was a bad example. They're involved in everything. Irriaran is a better one.

This makes putting together any sort of history on the Andromedons, let alone the _aftermath_ of their wars, a difficult task. Not the least of which is because the Unions are very, very protective of their history since it was valuable intel back during the wars. The winding trail of alliances, betrayals, victories, defeats, and more were all things the Unions wanted to exploit over each other.

They still haven't dropped this habit, and even Union Oaila has only the most basic of knowledge that's common across all Unions.

So the question: Were the Unions more powerful during that period of history?

Yes and no, from what I can gather. Yes in that each Union was major, and ones like Viarior, Irriaran, and Apear were the size of the _modern_ Federation. The Unions individually controlled entire planets or systems, and had massive fleets and legions of soldiers. So in that sense they were more dangerous.

This was offset by the fact that the Andromedons were constantly at war with each other. Unions rose and fell with alarming frequency; Andromedons died by the millions; planets were destroyed and fortified every day in pursuit of victory over their rivals and directing the course of their species.

It must be made completely clear that the Andromedons never once negotiated a permanent ceasefire. The Andromedon Federation was strictly a means of survival, although one which they seem to have settled into at this point, and now it seems like it's gone on too long to be broken, especially with the Collective keeping their backstabbing tendencies in check.

But it is extremely clear that the Union Wars ultimately ensured that the Andromedons fell against the Kett'Tasira. The Union Wars claimed trillions of lives, destroyed multiple alien species encountered, and set a good portion of the Andromeda galaxy on fire. The Andromedons might have had the technology to fight the Kett'Tasira, even not taking into account this power they call Biomanipulation (Couldn't verify whether this was actually psionics or something else).

I have wondered at times what the Andromedons would look like if the Union Wars had never taken place at all. With how much progress they made in such a short amount of time, imagine what they could have accomplished pooling their resources together and _then_ waged war on the galaxy.

Perhaps it is better for all involved that this never happened.

The scars of the Union Wars haven't faded, and the War against the Kett'Tasira did little to endear the Unions towards each other. The spying, backstabbing, and plotting of the Unions has definitely not faded, especially in recent years. The rivalries you see and have me watch? Directly from the Union Wars.

I've wondered about this, because from other research, the Andromedons never really had issues reconciling or moving past their rivals and enemies before. In fact, they usually became allies at points. But not here. After thinking about it some more, the only conclusion I can come to is that the forced peace between them is making it impossible to move beyond.

For some Unions, the Federation is a purgatory for them, which they can't break for fear that everyone else will turn against them. So instead they have to keep plotting behind the scenes while Chernior tries to actually push the species forward and break these tribalistic mindsets. Will that actually happen?

I do not think so.

Telling the Andromedons to just 'move past' the Union Wars is close to telling the families who've been victims of Nulorian to 'just ignore' the terrorists walking down the street free. It's like you having to see an agent who's betrayed you walk free every single day. It's like telling the Cobrarians that the males leaving them is something they should just deal with.

Perhaps you could get past it, but in all seriousness I ask if you'd really want that? Would you move forward for the perceived good of the species or the Zararch? Can't answer for you, but I can't say I would be that restrained. The point is to illustrate _why_ going to Federation territory feels like stepping into a room rigged to blow.

I wish I had a solution to fix this and make the Union Wars suddenly disappear from their minds, but I don't. It's not the Sectoids we should be watching for problems, it's the Federation, because that _is_ a bomb that is ticking down. It _is_ going to explode one day, and the sooner we start preparing for that inevitability, the better.

* * *

The histories and stories of the Andromedons are shrouded in frustrating complexity. There is no one single compilation of Andromedon history, as the structure and cultures of the Unions exalt their own actions at the expense of all others. There is much of the species that will be forever lost or slanted from the perspective of one Union or another.

There have been hundreds of Unions that no longer exist, and despite my own extensive research, there are clear and obvious gaps from the beginnings of the species to the War against the Kett'Tasira, and the Exodus to this galaxy. Perhaps this is because the Andromedons refuse to give access, even to an Ethereal, but I suspect few care about the knowledge that others collect.

Yet through speaking with all Unions, I found enough to put together a proper collection on not simply the Unions themselves that shaped the Union Wars, but also the individuals who brought change, conflict, and victory. They are engineers, explorers, and soldiers. They are leaders and pariahs. They encompass the best of the Andromedons, and also their most ruthless.

Some are of Unions which no longer exist, but their names should nonetheless be recognized by history.

 **B'Salis, of Collective Buicah** : This was one of the first Unions to exist on the home planet of the Andromedons, then called Collectives, and this was when the majority of Andromedons were confined to small tribes, and there was an overall atmosphere of tense peace. While conflict between these Collectives was not uncommon, the Buicah were the first to specialize and master a certain craft or skill.

Curiously, this was in agriculture. B'Salis himself was the first Andromedon to successfully manage large-scale farming operations, as well as a primitive understanding of logistics to distribute harvests. More importantly, he kicked off what could be called the true start of the Union Wars. In addition to his vast understanding of agriculture, he also utilized this to the opposite effect.

Insects, diseases, and land poisoning were all understood by him and his Collective, and employed to devastating effect. They were first used against Collectives which were trying to emulate and learn from their methods, and then soon spread to those they considered their threats. Famines and diseases were spread through their land, with Collective Buicah remaining suspiciously unharmed while their rivals and enemies suffered.

This did unfortunately make many enemies, which eventually culminated in the combined efforts of then-Collectives Viarior and Hila to invade their lands, ultimately resulting in the execution of the vast majority of the Union, with their secrets of agriculture stolen. Viarior was content to acquire the knowledge, and allowed Collective Hila to decide the ultimate fate of the Collective.

Readers may find it interesting to note that Collective Hila spared many of the farmers and primitive biologists (Although not B'Salis), and eventually reformed into the Union known as Haruma.

 **R'Teslas, of Union Reinarm** : Andromedon physicists are not especially uncommon, but R'Teslas stands out even among the leaders and engineers of the Andromedons, for he was the pioneer of the first Andromedon atomic weapons, and did not hesitate whatsoever to utilize them against the other Unions. Most of the Unions destroyed were minor, and no records still remain of their names, but other larger ones such as Irriaran were severely damaged, and vast swaths of the world were irradiated by uncontrolled nuclear fallout.

This is notable as many different Unions state that was one point where the Union Wars were almost concluded, with Union Reinarm led by R'Teslas deciding the future of the Andromedon species. Unfortunately for him Viarior decided that having such technology just in their hands was an issue, and forged an agreement with the newly declared Union Zacarrim, covertly funding their own experiments which soon surpassed the technology of Union Reinarm and destroyed the nuclear projects of R'Teslas and stole the blueprints.

R'Teslas was also killed shortly after in what is now believed to be an assassination. How this was performed is still up for debate.

 **V'Rezzas, of Union Viarior** : The Viarior have at heart always been shrewd aliens of business, and have always worked to integrate themselves as a neutral and intricate source for all Unions. Too valuable to turn against, and too widespread to ever trust. From the beginning they developed contingency plans after seeing many smaller Collectives be wiped out in surprise raids or strikes, and even up to the nuclear strikes of R'Teslas.

V'Rezzas revolutionized the Viarior war machine during the industrial development of the Andromedons. Unique throughout history as one of the few female Andromedons to rise to prominence, before the unigender transition, she was a manipulator without equal, charismatic enough to convince dozens of Unions that they would forever be supported, and ambitious enough to make Viarior the most powerful Union in existence without firing a shot.

The Viarior before V'Rezzas were influential, but only in certain parts of their planet. She expanded their influence globally, and made agreements and deals with every Union that existed, big or small, regardless of if they had been ally or enemy. Her intent was to establish a clear hold over goods and services processed throughout the species, and from there would influence the direction of the species no matter who was in charge.

The Viarior have never, ever been permanently targeted or even close to driven to extinction. This is because of V'Rezzas, and all leaders of the Viarior emulate her strategies and philosophy.

 **I'Zuris, of Union Irriaran** : Perhaps the most infamous and sadistic Andromedon to ever exist, as even Andromedons have a very emotionally-charged reaction to hearing the name. I'Zuris was the leader of the Union, and without a doubt one of the most gifted geneticists, as well as having a surprisingly strategic mindset.

Union Irriaran soon stumbled onto the species which is now known as the Havarilians, and I'Zuris immediately saw a use for the primitive alien species. Without any hesitation, he ordered the species be captured and their genome sequenced for modification and uplift. There were no negotiations or initial contact. The ships and warriors of Irriaran covertly gathered information on the species, and then invaded en-masse.

Their leaders were publicly and brutally killed by I'Zuris himself to impress upon them the importance of submission to the Andromedons, and the military resistance of the Havarilians posed no threat to the gene-modified Andromedon soldiers who butchered them with ease. With the species pacified, I'Zuris began leading the project to modify them as a slave army to use in the Union Wars.

The sudden attack of Irriaran together with a genetically-modified race of aliens shook up the dynamics of the war completely, vaulting the Union to the top of the list of most powerful Unions. Many made alliances with the Union, while others then backed Union Apear, the other major Union at the time. Viarior as usual stayed neutral, and they _would_ have stayed neutral had I'Zuris not made the fatal mistake of refusing to trade specimens with them, knowing before long Viarior would be selling thousands of them to other interested parties.

As we know now, that was enough to force Viarior's direct hand, and their economic clout was enough to collapse the power base of the Irriaran, and ultimately led to the eradication of the Havarilians, and the sterilization of their world, as I'Zuris himself was supposedly killed in battle, or captured by Union Viarior and thrown into a sun.

The records are unclear.

 **S'Calus, of Union Stuirah** : This is another figure of Andromedon history which is often overshadowed. While not even the leader of Union Stuirah, S'Calus was the primary designer of the first Andromedon spacecraft, and changed the course of the Union Wars forever. Almost all Andromedon spacecraft are at least partially based on his first designs, and as well as thousands of more abstract concepts that he never lived to fulfill.

He was soon promoted to command of the flagship of Union Stuirah, and oversaw the expansion of his union and the bombardment of his enemies. A note of interest is that despite the inevitable downfall of Union Stuirah, S'Calus never lived to see it and died of natural causes, a rare peaceful death.

 **I'Himlas, of Union Irriaran** : Another one who revolutionized the Union Wars, this geneticist was the first to develop cloning technology as well as designing an Andromedon template for mass production. Originally simply researching a means to clone limbs and animals, a brief collaboration with Union Haruma led to the breakthrough of true cloning.

He also inadvertently led to the inevitable disappearance of female Andromedons, as once Unions adopted this technology they began modifying the gene sequences and producing exclusively males due to their biological advantages of size and strength. The slight intelligence advantage held by the female gender was considered irrelevant and was subsequently surpassed as the Andromedons became more and more proficient with the technology developed by I'Himlas.

 **Z'Mallis, of Union Zacarrim** : The Zacarrim are known for their extensive use of cybernetic modification, far beyond anything the modern Andromedon does to themselves, but they were far more than merely masters of cybernetics, implants, and augmentation, they also comprised some of the greatest of the Andromedon strategists and tacticians. Z'Mallis was perhaps their greatest.

He near-single-handedly brought the Union from a disastrous defeat into a force capable of challenging the major unions. Over the course of decades he attacked and assimilated smaller unions, reforged alliances with Union Viarior, and slowly began winning victory after victory, his scientists and engineers pioneering new and more intrusive technology which enhanced their physical and mental capabilities.

Union Zacarrim was engaged in high-profile conflicts for many decades after their return to the galactic stage, and despite their smaller power base, their technology allowed for punching far harder than comparable unions. Z'Mallis himself was capable of warding off, predicting, and executing attacks from Unions Reinarm, Irriaran, and Jamoiar at the same time, and it was only the intervention of Union Apear which finally broke the Zacarrim hold over the war, and Z'Mallis himself was killed in a battle while vastly outnumbered, his systems under siege by the machine intelligences of Apear, and still managed to destroy half of the fleets and took out even more as he overloaded the cores of his own ship and went out in a final defiant blast.

 _Figures of the Union Wars Part I – By Archivist Cogitian_

* * *

 **XCOM File 4988**

Subject: The Union Wars

Category: Historical

Assessment Authors: Andromedon V'Thrask of Union Viarior; Andromedon A'Darrah of Union Apear

OVERVIEW: Something quite curious I have come to realize about your species is your desire to know what came before you. An obsession and interest in history which, while understandable in certain instances, often seems to not be for a purpose other than the knowledge itself. It is understandable to query information on an enemy by looking to their past, or look back to a formula to see how it can be improved, but hunting the past for the sake of it is a curious expenditure of energy.

I say this because of being asked to write my own understanding of the Union Wars, and I do not entirely believe you understand how we view such an event. I have stated before that you should have simply asked for our history, for that is what the Union Wars were. The reasons they started are the same now as they were then: Because only one group can lead our species into the future, and to compromise on that vision is viewed as impossible.

But in truth very few of us care to learn the countless wars and battles which stretched over millennia. Constant war is something few species could tolerate, but for us it was how we evolved; how we developed; the Wars themselves ensured that our species spread far and wide throughout Andromeda. But a significant portion of this period is unimportant, and we do not care to remember outside of records. As a member of Union Viarior, I am in a more privileged position to know more about the Wars than many of my brethren, but I should caution you that my knowledge is still finite. I will summarize the important moments throughout the Wars, but this is by no means an exhaustive account.

THE COLLECTIVES: I will first go back to the very beginning. Our evolutionary background is a different subject entirely, and where the first beginnings of the Union Wars began was back when our tribes were known as Collectives. Unions were a name adopted during our industrial era, and Collectives were used until this point. Collectives were comprised of Andromedons, and early on the majority attempted to just do enough to survive and slowly expand.

But it was not long until Collectives began specializing in certain trades. Armorers, weapon smiths, pseudo-scientists, farmers, certain Collectives rose above the rest, and began exploiting that to their own advantages. Alliances were natural in the beginning, or tentative agreements at best. War had not broken out yet, not truly, but it was on the horizon.

Collective Buicah was known for their mastery over farming and agriculture, but had unfortunately made the mistake of using their knowledge to threaten, blackmail, cajole, and starve other Collectives, many of whom depended on them. This had the effect of turning all of the Collectives in the region against them, and Union Hila, who were specialists in medicine, together with the backing of then-Collective Viarior and several other Collectives stormed their farms and villages and executed many, took their own secrets, and employed the few survivors that remained.

This was the first major conflict of many, as the Collectives realized that they could not rely on outsiders to survive, and that only those who were masters of a craft or trade had a chance of surviving. And so the Collectives began expanding to swell their own numbers. Smaller, less skilled Collectives were assimilated or executed.

There are estimated to be thousands of Collectives which were assimilated or eradicated, no one knows the complete numbers, but almost all of the modern Unions can directly trace their history to these more primitive Collectives. However, these were largely isolated incidents on what I shall simply say is Andromeda Prime. The name of our homeworld is unknown to myself, and is truthfully no longer important as it has almost certainly been destroyed by the Kett'Tasira now.

THE CONTINENTAL WARS: Andromeda Prime had four distinct continents, each of which had a mass of land connecting them together. You can imagine that this inevitably led to the wars expanding beyond the confines of the local continent, but much further into intercontinental warfare. The shape the wars took during this period was typically several major Unions would have tentative alliances with other Unions on a continent, and they would be fighting against a similar group in another continent.

This was beset by its own problems and advantages. Very rarely did these conflicts ever result in the conquest of a continent, for there was a far higher chance that one or more continent alliances would dissolve due to betrayal and infighting. The stronger the alliance in question, and the more numerous their victories, the greater the chance that one or more of the Unions in the group was preparing for a coup.

This led to the conditioning of all Unions to pay just as much attention to their allies as their enemies, for they _would_ stab them in the back or sell them out if they saw an appropriate opportunity; assuming it was strategic of course. Betrayals did not happen in crucial periods where a defeat would harm the alliance as a whole, including the Union in question.

It was not uncommon for some Unions to merge to form a new one if they realized that their vision and ideals were the same, but there was a reason they never kept the original names. Doing so would imply that the other Union was lesser in some way, and carried a stigma and history which could have powerful enemies. The births of new Unions were seen as a blank slate, and new opportunities.

Basic technology and sciences were spread and propagated by Union Viarior during the industrial and nuclear eras of our history, even if Unions continued to specialize in one field or discipline. Alliances were more common, and the Union Wars had settled into a predictable exchange of victories and losses, yet it was stagnant.

Union Reinarm were the first to develop nuclear weapons, and they came fairly close to ending the war, though they were not thorough enough during their first launch of nuclear missiles, and as a result soon united the world itself against them momentarily. I believe it speaks to the practicality and our self-preservation that we have an unconscious tendency to work together if our very existence is threatened. Union Reinarm threatened the interests of all Unions on Andromeda Prime, therefore they needed to be removed. The Kett'Tasira threatened our entire species again, and therefore, they needed to be removed. Perhaps we failed against the Kett'Tasira, but the point I find interesting is that we appear to have an inclination to put the interests of our species, be it for selfish or unselfish reasons, above our conflicts when appropriate.

I am curious what will be seen as the next threat. But I shall continue with the story.

THE EXPANSION: There are a few periods that are actually important in the war. The first is the Expansion, which led to the Union Wars expanding beyond the confines of Andromeda Prime to the wider galaxy. Union Stuirah were the pioneers of the first Andromedon spacecraft, and this put them on a level Union Reinarm had been, as they now had a head start in colonizing and fortifying new worlds.

The Unions similarly began a unified campaign against this larger threat, and ultimately succeeded in acquiring and reverse-engineering the spacecraft of Union Stuirah, and soon the combined efforts of the Unions not only allowed their own to go beyond the planet, but Union Stuirah was effectively dismantled, with the survivors being assimilated into other Unions or killed.

As you can imagine, the initial conflict for the Prime system was one just as expansive and bloody. No longer were the Unions stuck on continents, now they had moons and planets as their warzones. There were a half-dozen major conflicts that raged across the entire system, with even more skirmishes and space battles above them, on the planets, for mineral resources, and even the sun was a source of conflict.

The fractured nature of the Union Wars means that there are conflicts only certain Unions have records of, as planets that were important to Unions Apear or Zacarrim were not important to Reinarm or Irriaran. There was no central battleground, there was no one single faction. There was no kind of order or organization. We did not have the entertainment and luxury your species has; each Andromedon contributed to their Union and helped achieve their goals. This would be their mission until the day they succeeded or they died.

The conflict would only escalate from there.

THE GALACTIC WARS: I struggle to put a more accurate label on this point, because once the Unions spread beyond our home system, the Union Wars had reached their final stage. The battlegrounds grew from planets within a system, to systems themselves. The fleet numbers grew in the thousands instead of hundreds. Casualties grew from millions to billions. The Wars had spread to the galaxy at large, and there was no going back, and it would not end.

The advent of certain technologies, such as standard gene engineering and cloning permanently changed how wars were fought, and ensured that no major Union would ever run out of soldiers, and each major Union soon settled comfortably into their niche, only growing more and more skilled in their chosen craft.

As strange as it may be to say, this was our own golden age. During this period we were unmatched in our technology and power. The dreadnoughts of our fleets dwarfed anything the Sectoids could dare to think up. Our genetic modification was not looked upon with the stigma that exists today, and I believe it would even rival the Ethereals in some areas. Our weapons silenced stars and could destroy planets. Apear themselves had fully working AIs which they used without mercy against us, and we needed to know at least some basics to combat them.

We lost more against the Kett'Tasira than just our galaxy and much of our species; we lost knowledge, schematics, blueprints, our best and brightest of the Unions, and the most advanced of our technology. What exists in the Unions now is some of what we had, but each Union is trying to reclaim what we had known during that time.

But we ultimately grew through conflict. Through the Union Wars. That conflict has been denied to us, and as a result we have stagnated.

UNION VIARIOR NOTES: A casual observer reading this may wonder how the Andromedons as a species managed to consistently advance at the steady rate despite the various Unions specializing in different fields and disciplines. There was always a certain standard of self-sufficiency and understanding required for any major Union to succeed, and this was not learned by accident.

This was a goal of Union Viarior. We did not just forge agreements with other Unions because it protected us and allowed for more influence, but also to gather information which could then be sold to other Unions to give them a greater chance of self-sufficiency, and in return, loyal and new clients for us. Union Viarior is responsible for ensuring that extremely important and useful technology and blueprints were propagated throughout the Unions, at reasonable prices of course.

Our enemies were not necessarily decided on the threat they posed to us, for all knew that we were too interconnected with the major and minor Unions to ever be threatened, but on how open they were with their knowledge. We respected that they had their own trade secrets, but when it is something which gives such an important and essential advantage, that is something that cannot be ignored.

The nuclear weapons were not necessarily important to share with us, Reinarm could have kept those without issue, but they refused to share any aspect of nuclear research or theory that we could sell to offset the disparity. So we helped destroy their power base. When Union Irriaran introduced the Havarilians into the war, we saw that it had the potential to affect the course of the war and merely wanted several specimens which others could clone and use, and it could become another advancement of our species. Sadly they refused, and unfortunately the Unions decided using aliens in such a way would cause more harm than good, and a repeated incident never happened.

Similarly, thanks to this mutual understanding between Viarior and other Unions, we are responsible for ensuring that basic AI theory was easily available, and the development of the cloning chambers was also spread by us. The transition to an unisex species was also helped brought to fruition, as the template in question was able to be more easily grown, capable of being mass produced, with a fully modifiable genome for the Unions to experiment at will.

It is fair to say that Union Viarior helped shape the course of the Union Wars, and the advancement of our species as a whole, a fact that we are proud of.

OUTCOMES AND CASUALTIES: There was no definitive ending to the Union Wars. The only acceptable ending would be the domination of one Union over all others. I suspect it would have inevitably been several major Unions forming a new Union, and this cycle would repeat until there were only two or three similar Unions left, and the winner would come from a pool such as that.

But at the point the Kett'Tasira arrived, we had not come close to the endgame.

For some Unions the outcome is defeat. I expect that thousands of Unions have been dismantled, dissolved, assimilated, or destroyed over the course of the Union Wars. Similarly hundreds more have arisen from the ashes or formed from alliances of similarly-minded Andromedons. It was a constant cycle of destruction, reformation, advancement, and ascension, that was the loop which pushed our species forward as a whole.

Speaking from the perspective of time, the Union Wars lasted more than six thousand years from roughly the first attack, to the incursion of the Kett'Tasira. It is perhaps a miracle that instead of destroying ourselves during this time, we instead grew stronger. The constant warfare during our history will nonetheless seem incomprehensible to your species, but for us it was a way of life, and as a result many find this so-called peace false and unsettling.

If you are curious about the number of casualties over the Union Wars, I suspect no such accurate number exists. However just from Viarior records, over seventeen trillion were killed in battle or related injuries, and even though our numbers are the closest, I do not believe they are even close to an accurate approximation of the true Andromedon cost extracted by the Wars.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS: I will attempt to be brief here, as I have addressed Andromedon psychology in other documents. The question that you will likely have is why we continued what to your kind appears to be a series of self-destructive and petty conflicts. It appears illogical and a waste of life when peace is instead supposedly more appealing.

It comes down to a matter of _vision_. Humans are short-sighted creatures, who think in decades at most. Even in our early days we had a vision of what we wished our species to be. The primitive ideals of a grand army, masters of the planet, or hunters without equal soon was refined into a species who had unrivaled military power, or gene-shaping without equal, or an independent state, or to subjugate the galaxy under our armies. Each Andromedon has a dream for their species, we do not think in terms, necessarily, of personal gain or selfishness. This vision can be imprinted on Andromedons at a young age, or arise naturally as they learn more about themselves and the world.

Ask yourself, would you be comfortable watching someone else lead your species in a way you viewed as fundamentally wrong? Would you go along with it, or would you contest their vision and prove your own superior? The Union Wars, contrary to what some may believe, were not fought for the personal power of the Unions; they were fought to determine the direction of our entire species.

 _Those_ were the stakes. Such cannot be higher than that, and I am well aware that in Human history, your own wars are fought for much, much less.

That our species is naturally suspicious of those they do not trust contributes to this. A Union is the rare collection of beings who can be trusted with your life. Everyone else can, will, and has betrayed you. It is not a flaw, it is simply a way of life for us, and one should not take offense over these kind of slights. Betrayal can be justified, it can be understood, because remember the stakes are the direction of our species.

I will highlight something important here. Unions _never_ have betrayed their own. They have betrayed each other, but no Union has ever fallen from betrayal within. For if one cannot trust a Union, then who can they possibly trust? This is not to say Andromedons do not leave Unions they grow up in, but they will leave of their own volition, and always under peaceful terms.

This is a line Andromedons have not, and never will cross.

CONCLUSION: While I said at the beginning that we are not necessarily concerned with irrelevant history, I believe that knowing the Union Wars provides other species an insight into who we are and what we think. I will not go as far as to say that one will understand our species if they know of the Union Wars, but they will know more than if they simply look at the Federation as it is now.

Peace is not our natural state. It was achieved artificially and only through necessity, and perpetuated by aliens who do not understand us. Little was resolved with the Federation, and that is because the Union Wars were similarly never resolved. With the threat of the Kett'Tasira gone, we wonder why we exist in this false peace, and only continue as such because the Ethereals are a power greater than us.

The Union Wars must continue, and then definitively end. Only then can our species continue moving forward.


	116. Vitakara - Dossier: Sorras

Vitakara: Dossier

Nul'sorras'haramoalian

* * *

" _If Miridian is the mastermind behind the Nulorian, Sorras is their most dangerous weapon."_

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

ZARARCH ADVISORY WARNING

MANDATORY PUBLIC POSTING

APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF DATH'HARAM

SANCTIONED BY THE AUI'VITAKAR

REMOVAL IS SUBJECT TO INVESTIGATION, ARREST, AND PROSECUTION OF ALL INVOLVED PARTIES

 **Subject** : Nul'sorras'haramoalian – "Sorras" | Former Name: Dath'sorras'dathyasith

 **Age** : 62

 **Race** : Dath'Haram

 **Skin Color** : Green

 **Physical Condition** : Excellent

 **Affiliation** : Nulorian

 **Relatives** :

\- Dath'sirraria'dathyasith (Mother)

\- Dath'kiaval'dathyasith (Father

\- Chief Hunter Dath'impara'dathyasith (Sister)

 **Associates** :

\- Miridian

\- Various Nulorian contacts and associates

 **Overview** : The Nulorian identified as Nul'sorras'haramoalian is wanted for his actions of terrorism, murder, and other major and minor disruptions and threats to well-being of the residents of the Haramoalian territory and the Vitakara species as a whole. This individual is extremely dangerous, and should not be approached by any civilians. Immediately report to your local Zararch outpost if you have information on his whereabouts, plans, and motives. Cooperation with this terrorist outside of duress and violent coercion will lead to interrogation and execution.

 **Criminal Overview** :

\- Responsible for the Great Fire of Haramoalian (14 lethal arson attempts on record, both successful and unsuccessful).

\- Responsible for eighteen counts of bombing with targets ranging from schools to chemical labs.

\- Responsible for over six hundred murders of adult Vitakara over the span of the past twenty years, including three Bladedancers, as well as multiple Zararch, Lurainian, and Runianarch soldiers and operatives.

\- Responsible for over three hundred murders of primarily Dath'Haram children, both consequential and deliberate.

\- Thirty-seven counts of distribution of anti-government and anti-alien propaganda.

\- Has provided Dath'Haram and Vitakara secrets to the Nulorian terrorist organization.

\- Four hundred and seven counts of producing extreme violent content and videos and attempted distribution to civilian and government officials.

\- Has provable links to other Nulorian terrorist activities resulting in multiple casualties.

\- Fifty-two confirmed counts of breaking and entering.

\- Eleven counts of state and local sabotage of equipment or projects.

\- Responsible for a minimum of one hundred and six counts of torture of both civilian, government, and military individuals.

\- Has a minimum of thirty counts of desecration of corpses, gravesites, or other kinds of burial activities.

 **Skill and capabilities** :

\- Normally seen wearing civilian or camouflaged clothing.

\- Skilled in Bladedancing.

\- Documented marksman.

\- Has extensive knowledge of government and military organizations of the Vitakara.

\- Has extensive knowledge of the Haramoalian Forest.

\- Has Nulorian support.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INTERACT WITH OR ENGAGE THIS INDIVIDUAL AS HE IS CONSIDERED HIGHLY DANGEROUS. IMMEDIATELY REPORT ALL SIGHTINGS AND INFORMATION ON THIS INDVIDUAL TO THE ZARARCH.

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BY ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

* * *

Operation: Green Death

Division: Nulorian Counter-Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'zaryas'dathyasith

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To the Zar'Chon,

I'm pleased we're finally deciding to address this threat. While in the grand scheme of things, one Nulorian isn't an existential threat, he is nonetheless a danger to our citizens and more importantly is a textbook example of someone who exists outside of all modern psychological models and predictions, and the danger one can pose as the result of radicalization.

Nul'sorras'haramoalian, or more commonly known as "Sorras" is one of the few public Nulorian and perhaps the most infamous terrorist post-plague and our subsequent union with the Ethereal Collective. I won't repeat a significant amount of common details. You know his reputation, and I will not give the very basic overview that is posted in the warning advisories.

 **Origin** : In a break for us, we actually know who Sorras was. He was born sixty-two years ago, to two parents who were perfectly normal and law-abiding citizens. His father was a teacher and his mother worked in the Hunting Parties. He has one older sister, and you will be interested to learn, if you didn't already know, that she is the Chief Hunter of the parties. What I will also note is that he had a twin sister, who he was very close to growing up.

From interviews with his family, he was not an atypical child. He was interested in weapons and the hunting parties, but that is normal for Dath'Haram children. Even as a child he was noted to have significantly above-average intelligence, and schooling posed no challenge for him. From what he told them and from his records, he was interested in physics-based weapons research.

There was a distinct catalyst, which happened when his twin sister – Dath'tessia'dathyasith – vanished. The official Zararch investigation found no leads, no suspects, and it was as if the child had vanished into thin air. Digging slightly deeper has not revealed any additional clues. Given what we know now, and the impact it had on Sorras, I have a theory as to what happened to the unfortunate twin.

It is not out of the question that the Nulorian are always looking for new and intelligent recruits. Sorras would be on a list, assuming they have one, and is it out of the question that they would plan the kidnapping and murder of a sibling for the sole purpose of twisting them to their own ideology? This is, admittedly, an extremely long-term operation, even by _our_ standards, and again, this is only a theory.

For what it is worth, the body was never recovered.

Sorras took the disappearance hard, and was noted as becoming more and more withdrawn from the family. He presumably threw himself into his studies and spent an extensive amount of time training with his older sister with various kinds of weapons and building himself towards peak physical condition. None of them knew anything else beyond this, and he was not communicating – which should have immediately been a massive warning sign. Dath'Haram have a psychological tendency to heal from mental trauma in groups or with family.

That Sorras was rejecting this is the first recorded instance of psychological abnormality.

From what was later described, Sorras just disappeared one day. He left a note and a datacube. The note is as follows.

 _To my family,_

 _I will be forward – I am leaving. My reasons for such have been the result of nearly a year of investigation and realization about the state of our species and those who are over us. Tessia was abducted and murdered, and I know who was responsible. I did not tell you because you would not believe me, and because it could quite possibly lead to the arrests and executions of all of us._

 _But if I am leaving, you deserve to know. The Zararch were behind her murder. If you immediately disbelieve this, then look into the datacube I've left behind. She was not the first person abducted and killed, and she will not be the last. I do not know why they considered her a target. Perhaps she found something she shouldn't have, or she started thinking the 'wrong' way._

 _Something I've learned to hide better than she could, apparently._

 _It's eye-opening when you realize just how trapped our species is. We live in supposed freedom under the generosity of the Elders. We focus on our small goals, our families, our own lives. But if anyone wants to make a difference – or merely has a different idea than tradition… that is not tolerated. We live in a glass prison under the control of the Zararch, who are in turn puppeteered by the Ethereals._

 _Our species has been under the control of aliens since the "intervention" of the Elders. They saved us and in return we became willing slaves under them. I will not be party to the continued enslavement of our species, and it is time that we as a species force change. Until I am killed I will ensure that people like Tessia are protected when they dare question or go against the accepted norms._

 _Be careful with whom you ally yourself with. This battle will not be won without blood. Our race must adapt if we want to thrive, and I will force that change by any means necessary._

 _Nul'sorras'haramoalian_

His family immediately forwarded the letter and the datacube to the local Zararch outpost and made efforts to tryand contact him. It didn't work, and it appeared Sorras had gone and joined the Nulorian. Reading this letter, Sorras seemed initially to start out for a supposed 'noble' cause, and had the style of one who could possibly be reasoned with.

During this time it is likely that he had been approached by a Nulorian agent, and been radicalized from there. Sorras was young and impressionable then, despite his intelligence. What was on the datacube _was_ indeed several reports of Zararch operations where we had to remove individuals for interrogation – individuals I will note were connected to Nulorian agents. These were no innocent people here, but Sorras likely overlooked that point. And a connection with a living, breathing Nulorian recruiter likely mellowed his opinion towards them.

As a side note, we should ensure that our schooling covers what to do if you suspect you are being approached by a Nulorian agent. Our species, and Dath'Haram in particular, are largely too trusting. We need to encourage a healthy skepticism of strangers.

Since then he has only become more radicalized and lethal. The Sorras that left in pursuit of vengeance has become a different individual entirely. A simple look at his criminal records will show this.

Terrorism Record: Sorras has, curiously, never bothered to hide himself when performing his actions. Maybe he seemed to think that it would galvanize the Dath'Haram in some way, but this has never seemed to completely work the way he wanted it to.

The first instance of Sorras's criminal activity was when he started the Great Fire in the Haramoalian forest. It grew to such large extent that help had to be called from other territories. A post-arson analysis showed that it was deliberately set in areas which had rarer species of plants and animals, and had been systematically poisoned and tamped with for months prior to actually setting it on fire. You shouldn't be able to set a fire this large, but given enough planning, it can be done.

Sorras claimed credit for this, and several Hunters began trying to track him down. He killed all of them, mutilated the corpses, and sent them back with mocking notes. He deliberately chopped off various pieces of them to give the impression that he took trophies (We are unsure if he actually does this, but the psychological effect it has on relatives can't be ignored).

To be completely honest, I am likely repeating events that you already know. You would not have commissioned this report otherwise. There is a significant amount of Sorras's crimes we could discuss. The random assassinations, kidnappings and murders of various Dath'Haram. The murder of three Bladedancers. The bombings of schools and hospitals. Poisoning wells and crops. The list goes on and on. Sorras is a monster, there is no question about that.

I will spend some time addressing his capabilities, though most of this you are aware of. He's an extremely dangerous soldier, marksman, and survivalist. He knows the Haramoalian Forest better than anyone alive with the possible exception of his sister. He's killed dozens of Runianarch, Lurainian, and our own agents over a period of decades.

He's an expert in Bladedancing, explosives, and weapons, with enough tactical experience to successfully plan multiple high-fatality terrorist attacks without being caught. He has enough foresight to plan attacks for months or years with deep contingency planning. He is not someone to be underestimated, and we do so at our own risk.

His own exploitation of our protocols should demonstrate this. I've seen more of his torture videos than I'd care to, and it's made me wonder how broken and warped this individual is. Sorras destroys the common Dath'Haram psychological model and seems driven to turn every single one of his kind into people just like him.

I would like to spend some time on the _why_ of Sorras. He has a motive and goal for his acts of terror. If it was originally the result of manipulation or not, it doesn't matter anymore. Sorras has willingly turned himself into a monster in pursuit of his higher goal – and the question is what that goal _is_? His actions show him as someone who does not care about life and is focused on spreading terror and suffering.

I do not think this is the case.

Sorras wants to _change_ the Dath'Haram. What this change looks like, I'm not sure if even he knows. But looking at his actions over the years, you can discern a very clear pattern. Children, wounded and sick, schools, the Bladedancers, communities, targets that would have the most emotional and psychological impact on the Dath'Haram.

For a near-universally empathetic race, such actions are nearly impossible to comprehend for them. They could not understand what would drive someone to do this. Sorras knows this, and he exploits it in his own way. Dath'Haram are mentally, very resilient. More so than you might expect given their pacifism and tolerance.

But they deal with death in their own way. They honor the victim or deceased and move on with their lives. They aren't interested in vengeance or revenge, or really even justice. They just want to be left alone to their own lives and for everyone to live in peace – even their enemies.

Sorras seems to hold a near-opposite mindset. He clearly despises the pacifism and complacency he sees in his race, and every action seems to be made with the explicit purpose of eliciting a reaction. Sorras _wants_ to be hated, feared, and hunted. He _wants_ the Dath'Haram calling for his head and taking matters into their own hands. He _wants_ them to wish he suffers and dies.

Why? Because those reactions are _not_ _supposed to happen_. A Dath'Haram who hates and calls for blood is looked upon with distaste and considered a deviant. Vengeance is not a call based on justice, it is a concept they never embrace in the first place. Sorras wants to break the Dath'Haram, and ensure the result is a race that is violent, vengeful, and dangerous. After that…I do not know what he wants. Perhaps that is all he wishes – to make the Dath'Haram turn into the exact opposite of what they are now.

I think the Dath'Haram know this is what he wants as well, and why they are so resistant to acknowledging him as anything more than a sad and pathetic Dath'Haram. They mourn the dead, cure the water, fix the damage, and move on. And I _know_ that drives Sorras mad. For someone who wants an army sent after him, the worst insult you can give is to just ignore him.

Granted, we are not the Dath'Haram, and there is an obvious need to remove this problem so they can live without worrying about the next terror attack from this deranged individual. But as we know, Sorras is almost impossible to track down, and has a worryingly effective habit of kidnapping Zararch and other military personnel and torturing them to death while recording the whole thing and sending it off.

Luckily we always intercept them before they can be distributed, but in return we get to watch his torture with the insufferable speech he always gives. Most of them, as you know, are addressed directly to you. Others are more of a one-sided conversation. Others are addressed to specific people. It is…an unpleasant experience, and I've only seen a fraction of the recordings.

He is fully intending to collapse Vitakara, and specifically, Dath'Haram society. I hope that what I've written here illustrates how he wants to achieve this. The question of why I don't think can be fully answered based on what we know. We know he answers to Miridian now, and whatever his original reasons, he is fully committed to the Nulorian and their ultimate goals.

Thus, he poses a threat to us and he must be eliminated.

* * *

 _Recorded video attempted to be sent to the Council of Dath'Haram. Intercepted by the Zararch Network Authority and forwarded for review._

 _Advisory: Graphic content_

 _Participants: Nul'sorras'haramoalian; victim identified as Dath'rasias'harasota_

 _Video description: Entire recording takes place in an unknown location with grey walls and floors. Lighting is excellent and clearly illuminates entire room. Likely multiple light fixtures on ceiling. No identifying markings on any attire, tools, or furniture with the exception of the victim who wore a Dath'Haram Council Advisor Uniform._

 _Victim is restrained against the wall by multiple metal binders which can be adjusted for height and size, and are placed around the joints of all limbs, as well as the waist and neck. Victim is in sub-par condition at the time of video commencement with symptoms of malnutrition, and the fingers of her right hand mangled, broken, or severed. Multiple incisions, cuts, and tears of skin and clothing are noted on the victim. Suspected that torture had been started before video was commenced._

 _Video is in ultra video and audio quality. It is likely that there are microphones throughout the room as neither Sorras nor the victim wore visible microphones. There is no additional visual post-production or audio additions that have been noted nor does the camera angle change._

 _Transcript is as follows:_

[Sorras]: "Break time's over. Ready to continue?"

[Rasias]: "You didn't even ask questions…"

[Sorras]: "No, I didn't. And I think you'd like to know why. Would you?"

 _Victim is silent._

[Sorras]: _Audible sigh._ "I like to know the tolerance of individuals. Gives me a better idea of what I can do. From what I've gathered, you're not exactly a woman with a high pain tolerance. You don't want to go through all of this again, do you?"

 _A few seconds pass._

[Rasias]: "If I tell you…will I be let go?"

[Sorras]: _laughs_. "Of course not. I'll simply kill you quickly and not draw it out. All I want to know are the typical schedules of the Administrative staff. Peak times, workloads, security tendencies, and so on. And don't pretend you don't know. I spent a good deal of time finding you."

[Rasias]: "So you can just kill them later? No…"

[Sorras]: "Little woman, they _will_ die, I can promise you that. You will just make my job a little easier. You won't change anything by resisting me, you will only make it hurt more."

[Rasias]: "Then I'd rather die that help a monster like you."

[Sorras]: "I suppose I have my answer. Unfortunate, but I do want to ask you a question. What do you think the response will be when I send this video of your slow death to your colleagues and family? How will they react when you're slowly being cut apart and your organs extracted?"

[Rasias]: "We are better than you. Someday you will be hunted and put down like the animal you are."

[Sorras]: _Chuckle._ "I hope they share your enthusiasm. It's ok to hate me, woman. The problem with our people is that we let others control us. Our kind is weak and pathetic. And if we don't change, we will be rightfully purged from the galaxy. So when they hear you screaming, I hope their blood boils and they call for my death. We've wasted enough time. I want to get started."

 _Torture of victim continues for nearly two hours. Victim expires around one hour and thirty minutes with the remainder of time devoted to organ extraction and containment, presumably increasing Nulorian stockpiles of replacement organs._

 _This recording is not to be shared with members of the victim's family or the Council of Dath'Haram._


	117. Vitakara - Dossier: Keeper

Vitakara: Dossier

Keeper

* * *

" _I don't like him."_

\- Pratal Mox

* * *

THREAT ANALYSIS: 101100011101

TARGET OF INTEREST: VITAKARIAN 432 (NAME UNKNOWN)

KNOWN ALIASES: "KEEPER"

CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN

INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED TIES TO ETHEREALS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: APPARENT INTELLIGENCE ROLE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: INDEPENDENT OF ZARARCH

INFORMATION OF NOTE: POSSIBLE FORMER ZARARCH AGENT

INFORMAITON OF NOTE: KNOWN BY ZAR'CHON'RAVARIAN'VITIARY

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ALLIED): LOW

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION (ENEMY): UNKNOWN – ESTIMATED MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: After further reconnaissance and investigation, it is extremely clear that the Ethereals are not the only species to retain mysterious and elusive individuals. The Vitakara in particular are composed of some of the more elusive and unknown figures throughout the Collective. This individual is one of those aliens, and should be considered a possible factor when taking into account possible actions of and against Ethereals.

First sightings of this individual were on Vitakar, as he was seen entering and leaving known Zararch buildings. He is not unique for a Vitakarian; tall, glowing eyes, and has a disposition similar to many Zararch agents. Based on comparison and analysis of previous footage recovered after acquisition of an image of his face, I am highly confident that this individual – who has self-identified as "Keeper" – was originally a member of the Zararch.

I also suspect that he was in a high-ranking position as well – possibly the previous Zar'Chon, though this is unable to be proven. Nonetheless, Keeper appears to have a high level of access, and has been confirmed to have spoken directly to Zar'Chon Ravarian multiple times over a subject that we are still working to piece together.

The most plausible explanation is that Keeper is connected in some way to an Ethereal. No other alien would have that level of authority unless authorized by one of the Ethereals themselves. This is completely within the realm of plausibility, as previous instances of aliens working in Ethereal-directed units have been confirmed. But this does imply that Keeper represents a different Ethereal than those of the so-called Phantom Division, or the abominations likely connected to the Ethereal Isomnum.

The name – or title - is perhaps a starting point. Keeper implies that he is in charge of, or in possession of information or something else of similar value. His connection to the Zararch indicates experience or skill in intelligence work and spycraft (which raises a question of why he didn't try to be less conspicuous). His combat capabilities, or the extent of possible genetic manipulation, are currently unknown, but if he does represent an Ethereal, they are likely to be extensive and extremely high-quality.

If we take this to assume that Keeper is filling a similar position to the Zar'Chon, it then implies that there is an Ethereal-directed intelligence arm that is being utilized, possibly for work beyond the Vitakara? This is a confusing development if true, as we know that the Zararch are the supposed main intelligence arm of the Collective, so this other group is either a rival organization – possibly implying political infighting within the Collective – or works directly for an Ethereal and does not share the same objectives and goals as the rest of the Collective.

The identity of this Ethereal is also worthy of consideration, as so far none of the Ethereals (With the exception of Quisilia, who likely manages the Zararch) fit the profile of spymaster or have inclinations towards that kind of work. This could, possibly, be a deliberate attempt to shore up weaknesses in their own tactics, or more likely, a previously unidentified Ethereal is behind this.

Keeper is important because of the implications of his existence. His work itself is unimportant, _why_ and _who_ he works for are the questions which need to be answered at this stage. Keeper has a history with the Zararch and possibly Zar'Chon, and that is a starting point we should pursue as soon as possible to begin piecing this mystery together.

RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN BACKGROUND CHECK OF VITAKARA IDENTIFIED AS "KEEPER"; REVIEW ALL KNOWN ETHEREAL DOSSIERS FOR POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS; BEGIN RECONNAISANCE ON KEEPER AND ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO HE INTERACTS WITH.

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 177; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

SUBMIT REPORT

* * *

 _Notations on Keeper – Betos's Journal_

The Vitakarian is unsettling. Keeper he calls himself. A title or a name, he didn't bother to clarify to any of us. I believe to him it's more or less the same thing. It seems to be a pattern with some aliens. Titles being names. Battlemaster, Imperator, Keeper; I wonder if personal names have less importance to aliens than us. They must to some extent, but there had to have been a system, as I find it hard to believe they were the only one of their kind.

But Keeper…he is unsettling to me. Not even Macula is like him. It makes me wonder how much of an act Macula is putting on for me, assuming he does such at all. But Keeper has made it clear that he doesn't view me as worth his attention or necessary consideration. Almost patronizing in a way, he clearly doesn't believe I can manage the SAS – not without his help at least.

Talking to him with Mox was interesting on a number of levels. Despite his dismissive opinion of me at times, he was at least willing to converse, and we learned some things about each other, though I suspect he spent the entire conversation building his own psychological profile for me in his head. He's definitely had intelligence training – likely in counter-intel and interrogation if his treatment of the ADVENT spies is any indication.

He told us he managed operations under the direction of Macula, which we both took to mean that he was close to a second in command. While he's not a loyalist like Kellani, he is certainly willing enough to push Macula on certain subjects and does not seem to be intimidated by him. To an extent it does tell me that Macula's aliens definitely specialize in more subterfuge and reconnaissance operations.

I'm not sure if Macula bringing someone like this means he's pleased with how things are going – or Keeper has been brought to correct the mistakes that have been made. Keeper knows what he is doing – he knows more than me when it comes to this, but he isn't Human, he doesn't necessarily care about the people that live here and will be affected by what happens.

I'm not comfortable with him making decisions. He reminds me too much of ADVENT; willing to do anything for the sake of victory. We shouldn't have to resort to that, otherwise we've achieved absolutely nothing here.

That can't be the ending for us.

The conversation was turned to the Collective itself by Mox. Despite working with Macula, there haven't been many proper discussions of what the Collective is actually like. From how Keeper described it…it is certainly not the hellhole ADVENT pushes (not surprising), but there are some disturbing parts of it. The greatest comfort is that the Collective does seem to permit a large degree of autonomy to the aliens…almost too much in the case of the Sectoids. The Zararch sound little better than ADVENT as well. Fortunately, they do not appear to have influence elsewhere.

Mox brought up an interesting point about how the Ethereals weren't exactly active leaders, despite supposedly acting as such for the Collective. On a surface level it makes sense but…no, I need to play it back. Recordings are handy in times like this, but Keeper's answer made me think.

Here we go:

"It is a curious argument, and one very few aliens think through. They complain the Ethereals do nothing for the common citizen, they decry the lack of leadership, they state their wish for structure and command, but consider what happens when these beings of immense power begin to take charge? The autonomy they enjoy evaporates, they now directly answer to the Ethereals and the freedoms they enjoyed without consequence are curtailed and brought under control."

"More to the point, these are not mere aliens like you or I. We are mortal, we grow old, and we will eventually die. Even we are concerned with living in the moment, and planning for the short-term future. Most live in the day and do not think further. Ethereals are not like this. The Oyariah believe they are deities of a sort, and to the common alien, that is not inaccurate. Psionics elevates them beyond us, and their mindsets reflect their immortality. They plan for the upcoming decades and centuries, they anticipate futures and possibilities we can't comprehend yet. These are the ones the detractors of the Collective want over them."

"But both of us know that aliens – not just your species – they bristle under submission. They despise others dictating their lives and the petty rules that govern them. The ones who demand the Ethereals take a direct interest in their species would be the same ones decrying their claustrophobic influence and destroying their sovereignty. The Andromedons complain the Ethereals do not back them in their xenophobic ambitions, but if the Ethereals were to intervene, it would not be the Sectoids they discipline."

"The Ethereals are, to put it bluntly, more generous than many give them credit for. They could have easily unified all species under one government, and one order, but they allowed the Collective to function as an autonomous body. One where the species could govern themselves and they would only intervene when necessary. Which sounds more oppressive, Lady Betos and Sir Mox? The Ethereals keeping their distance from the species they protect? Or directly managing their lives?"

At times like this, I wish I could receive information on the Collective from someone not extremely biased in one way or another. My options are the aliens who _directly_ serve under an Ethereal, and will be obliged to defend or justify their actions. Keeper is intelligence-trained, and he knows how to sway a person and gauge which arguments would sway them. Good speakers know how to make anything sound reasonable, no matter how questionable it is.

Which is why I can't fully trust what he says. It sounds right on the surface, but then I remember what Keeper is.

And of course ADVENT is no better. Anything they say is propaganda or heavily distorted. Their stranglehold over media, their psions, and how much control they exert over… _everything_ …it makes me wonder how they can be trusted on anything. They say the aliens they parade are speaking of their own free will, but can that really be believed when ADVENT Intelligence exists and they have psions at their disposal?

It comes down to trust. I definitely don't trust ADVENT.

I don't trust Keeper either. Not personally. We're both on the same side, but I feel we have different goals.

I'm unsure about Macula either. While he's certainly been friendly and respectful to me, could it just be a means to an end? He does not appear to have lied to me thus far, and has respected my own commands and wishes – notably _against_ Keeper's suggestions. But at the same time, he trusts Keeper enough to put him into this position of influence.

I don't know. I feel that both of them not only expect ADVENT to go to war with us – they _want_ it.

And I don't. None of us do at this point.

That was always a naïve hope we all had, and I know ADVENT will storm the country the moment they confirm aliens are allied to us. But we will not make the first strike and we will not emulate ADVENT and annex the nations among us.

But I am afraid that is exactly what Keeper is planning and will recommend. And Macula is ultimately here to gain a Human ally and power base. Keeper has been brought in to not just prepare for war, but to _win_ it. Macula will support that, and one of these times what I say will finally be overruled.

Keeper is a foreboding sign of what is to come. On this I pray that I am wrong.


	118. ADVENT-History: Meat Industry Revolution

ADVENT: History

The Meat Industrial Revolution

* * *

" _Even if ADVENT seems determined to put entire industries out of business, at least there is some kind of alternative."_

\- Carol Stossal, ADVENT Citizen

* * *

 **Proposal 0076**

 _Latest Revision_ : 02/05/2017

 _Designation_ : Meat Cloning and Regulations Compliance Department (MCRCD)

 _Program Type_ : Regulatory Body (Food Safety); ADVENT Production Body

 _Authors_ : Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Dr. Richard Tygan, Chief Geneticist of the Research and Development Division; Dr. Moira Vahlen, Chief Scientist of XCOM; Matthew Sarvath, Deputy Minister of the AAFC.

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : With the successful reverse engineering of cloning technology initially acquired by XCOM, which itself was derived from Sectoid cloning chambers, ADVENT has been provided with a series of opportunities for adoption beyond military and medical purposes. Cloning itself in regards to agricultural and animal development has been conceptualized for years, but only recently has technology existed to bring these concepts into practicality.

Extensive testing has confirmed the enormous potential of cloning food and meat products, and provides ADVENT with an opportunity to ensure that food shortages and worldwide hunger are reduced or eliminated. Currently selective cloning has yielded edible meats from all major meat types including, but not limited to the following:

\- Beef

\- Chicken

\- Pork

\- Lamb and Mutton

\- Turkey

\- Venison

\- Duck

\- Boar

\- Multiple types of fish

This is achieved by taking multiple physical and genetic samples from various specimens and working to produce complete clones of various body parts. This was achieved with moderate success, and has been further refined to not only clone the various animal parts, but also enhance their nutritional values and flavor without sacrificing original textures and tastes.

The process by which cloned meat is made is extremely sanitary, as confirmed by the current Agriculture and Food Oversight Agency, with the meat not even being exposed to outside foreign bodies until ready to be used, cooked or eaten. Meat is produced in a raw state, and the inherent risks associated with the consumption of raw meat products has NOT been eliminated.

As the cloning process has been approved, cloned meat is ready for worldwide production and distribution, which is the purpose of the proposed MEAT CLONING AND REGULATIONS COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT (MCRCD) for the AGRICULTURE AND FOOD OVERSIGHT AGENCY (AFOA). However, in addition to managing the cloning and distribution of meat for ADVENT, it will also serve as the regulatory body for civilian organizations who also wish to engage in meat production – cloned or otherwise. From this point forward, all regulations, inspection, and oversight relating to meat production on an industrial or local level will be managed by the MCRCD.

ADVENT has a responsibility to ensure that citizens have the opportunity to enjoy the highest quality of meat, regardless of its source or if it is cloned or not. The MCRCD will work to ensure both that ADVENT food chains are supplied with cloned meat and that civilian organizations are adhering to the regulations established initially by the AFOA, as well as modifying, enforcing, creating, or reforming their own.

 **PERSONNEL COMPOSITION** : The MCRCD will be composed of the following divisions:

CLONING RESEARCH AND REFINEMENT (CRR): This division will prioritize the acquisition of various animals to be genetically sequenced for cloning or other scientific endeavors, and will forward all research to the central ADVENT R&D Agency for further use and storage. In addition to genetic preservation, it will also continually refine the templates of multiple meat types to enhance them in various aspects without compromising previously achieved results. All new cloned products regardless of internal or external sources MUST be approved by the CRR before distribution (This applies primarily to external civilian organizations).

MEAT PRODUCTION: This division is responsible for the actual production of all cloned meat products, and manage the cloning vats, labs, repairs, and construction of all production facilities. All ADVENT-produced meat will come from this division.

MEAT DISTRIBUTION: This division is responsible for the distribution of all ADVENT-produced meat products either to storage facilities, ADVENT chains, relief programs, or other locations which ADVENT has authorized shipments to. They will utilize all modern means of shipment with ADVENT vehicles and equipment with minimal contact with outside contractors.

REGULATION REVIEW AND CONGRESSIONAL PROPOSALS (RRCP): The MCRCD will have a division dedicated to the maintenance and continued review of all current regulations and legalities, as well as a dedicated ambassador to the CONGRESS OF NATIONS to quickly propose reforms, additions, or changes as required or deemed necessary by internal research. Having a continually modernized ruleset allows for the greatest efficiency in a rapidly adapting and changing industry, and the MCRCD recognizes that multiple attempts will need to be made before what is truly necessary and effective emerges. The RRCP will ensure this is achieved in the minimum amount of time and provide further assistance in the future.

INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT: This division is responsible for ensuring that both MCRCD and civilian meat production facilities meet currently established ADVENT regulations for food and production cleanliness and sanitation. They will have extensive authority over civilian organizations, including the capabilities to shut down, fine, or arrest individuals and/or companies that fail to meet the regulations established by the AFOA and MCRCD. This division will have a dedicated security unit as well as authority to request assistance from the ADVENT PEACEKEERERS or the OVERSIGHT DIVISION.

ADMINISTRATION AND INTERNAL OVERSIGHT (AIO): This will be the central division of the MCRCD which will coordinate with the other department divisions to ensure maximum efficiency and quality. It will also manage all internal issues or disputes with a small and dedicated Internal Oversight team that will work in conjunction with the Oversight Division itself.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Individuals will be recruited primarily through leveraging the current ADVENT Intelligence citizen database and targeting individuals with necessary qualifications, particularly those related to cloning or genetic research for high-skill positions within the MCRCD. Lower skilled positions will be recruited from the general population pool using a combination of online postings and recruitment centers.

For more specialized positions, such as security and internal investigation, transfers between various divisions and departments of ADVENT will be allowed for willing individuals, with the MCRCD being allowed to approach desirable candidates with the authorization of the original department in question.

Training will be conducted internally, with the complexity depending on the position itself. A majority of the positions will require hands-on training, while higher ranked and complex jobs will require prior experience in the field in question.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The MCRCD has complete control over the cloning of all meat products produced officially by ADVENT, as well as distribution and production. No other agency, division, or department in ADVENT can overrule the MCRCD in this area except by order of the CONGRESS OF NATIONS, the OVERSIGHT DIVISION, or ADVENT INTELLIGENCE.

The MCRCD also has the authority to enforce all currently established regulations on meat production, both cloning and industrial. Inspections are expected to be conducted every two weeks for _all_ major and minor meat producers, as well as inspections without prior notification. Undercover and covert investigations are also authorized and within the full legal rights of MCRCD.

The MCRCD also will work with the ADVENT PEACEKEEPERS in the event that legal action is required against one or more businesses or individuals. They have the authority to immediately suspend production of one or more meat products, shut down entire production plants or farms, or make immediate arrests of workers and executives.

The exact length of shutdowns will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the violation. Production is unlikely to resume until the issue has been completely resolved to the satisfaction of the Inspection and Enforcement Division. Multiple violations will result in complete shutdown of the facility and official Peacekeeper involvement for investigating management. It is on the owners of these facilities to ensure that they meet ADVENT regulations. There are no exceptions made.

 **CONCLUSION** : The technology of cloning represents a significant opportunity for ADVENT to further unite Humanity under us through showing that we are committed to solving the problems which have plagued Humanity for generations. In the age of cloning and sufficient technology, it is no longer acceptable to simply accept world hunger as a fact of life when technologies exist to completely mitigate them in an ethical and humane way.

In addition to reducing or eliminating world food shortages, this will allow ADVENT to increase its influence throughout the world, particularly in more impoverished countries in Africa, and further serving to ensure that the confidence of citizens, and public opinion of ADVENT remains high.

 _Memo distributed to the Administrative Staff of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency_

With the work on large-scale meat cloning and production completed, as well as the formation of the Meat Cloning and Regulations Compliance Department (MCRCD), construction of cloning facilities will likely begin within the upcoming weeks. They will be primarily constructed in locations which are less vulnerable to possible alien attacks.

The current target is two hundred in total, with the bulk of production facilities being built in European member nations (Primarily Germany, France, and the United Kingdom), a moderate amount being constructed in the eastern half of the United States and Canada, and a minority being built in Asian and South American member nations (With the exception of India, which will have fifteen planned production facilities to account for the larger population).

Production facilities will be allowed to produce for several weeks to build up supply – it should be stressed that we do _not_ expect an immediate profit or consumption by the general public. This kind of food growth is new and it is to be expected that there is to be some public skepticism, especially among lower income and lower education populations. Thus, the majority of initial production will be used for aid relief and supplying our military forces.

With this said, this means that the planned ADVENT Diner (Proposal 0671) will enter the first phase of deployment. Pilot Diners will be built in major cities with a limited menu to determine civilian interest and consumption habits. From this we will be able to determine if more Diners should be built in one area or another. A second expansion will happen regardless after a period of three months, this time targeting rural areas and locations with low-income citizens.

Construction or refitting of needed property and materials is underway, and should the schedule proceed as planned, the Diners will be ready to be opened to the public within four to six weeks. They are being fast-tracked during this lull, and in the future there may not be as many resources devoted to construction as there are now.

As these are being constructed, marketing will commence in approximately two weeks. This media blitz will primarily consist of advertising on official websites and social media, as well as targeted advertisements on video and social media platforms to users. To limit user turnoff, advertisements will have limited viewings. We want to promote this to make them curious, not harass them.

ADVENT is also preparing an invitation to prominent food critics (both professional and self-employed who primarily engage/review on social media and video sharing platforms) to showcase the initial menus. An embargo is set for one week before initial opening. Per critic/user request, ADVENT is allowing an option for us to _not_ pay their travel expenses, nor invitations to several events. The leading scientists and designers behind the cloning technology and meat growth will also be in attendance to answer questions on the menu items themselves.

While critic opinion is notoriously unpredictable nor necessarily fair, especially as several of those invited are notably at odds with certain ADVENT policies, we are expecting standard to high reviews on the food itself. We are expecting higher reviews from non-traditional critics on social media platforms than professional critics.

This is the one section of the marketing strategy. The next is inviting various organizations and individuals to conduct independent tours and investigations of the production facilities themselves. We are primarily targeting vegetarian/vegan/animal rights groups for this, as there are a not-insignificant amount of people identifying as such because of beliefs in animal rights or protest against practices in the meat industry.

Predictions indicate that seeing that there are no animals harmed in these processes, and that the products are arguably enhanced will – potentially – net additional consumers since their ethical concerns will no longer be valid. If nothing else, confirmation that ADVENT does not practice the unethical and unsanitary procedures of other companies in the meat industry will put the Diners in a positive light and further increase public opinion of our practices.

As with the food event itself, those invited will consist of professional groups or individuals (Such as PETA, C.O.K, etc) and self-employed/amateur individuals/channels who primarily have an audience on social media or video sharing platforms. Please note that regardless of individual feelings towards these organizations, we ultimately benefit more from inviting them than they gain from us. If impartiality is potentially a concern for any individuals, please request a different assignment and it will be approved for that day.

The embargo for this tour will be the same as the food review event – one week prior to the official opening. In relation to that, there will be several other promotional/marketing campaigns being conducted around two weeks prior to launch. The official website will be launched three weeks prior to launch, and it will allow users to register and download a coupon for a free item of their choice – note: Initials sales _will_ produce a loss, as our intention is to acquire repeat customers and allow them to try cloned meat without necessarily risking their money.

The website will also have informational content in the form of text and videos which explain the process behind the products. At the suggestion of Dr. Tygan, redacted scientific reports detailing certain methods and procedures will be allowed for download for moderate transparency. Dedicated social media platforms will also be launched around this time.

The second week before launch a promotion targeting families will be announced, which will include a free ADVENT Action Figure per every four items sold. Advertisements for this will be targeted to families, though will be allowed to propagate to other users. Action figures included in this promotion will initially consist of the following:

\- ADVENT Soldier (Black armor)

\- ADVENT Sniper

\- ADVENT Rocketeer

\- ADVENT Engineer

\- SHIV

\- MDU

\- XCOM Soldier (Black, blue, and green armor)

Note: Gender and racial variations will be calculated based on the local population and gender ratios.

It is unknown how this promotion will affect sales. Should it prove to be a profitable and effective incentive, it is possible that this promotion will be made permanent with rarer action figures or timed exclusives being used to further encourage visits. The initial data will serve as a good means of checking on the accuracy of this assessment.

The ADVENT Diners themselves will have some form of automated interactions with customers. Multiple kiosks will be established where individuals can order items, pay, and request assistance if they wish. We are still working out the full extent of an automated/Human balance, and it ultimately ties into which aesthetic decision and direction we will make for them.

We have an opportunity here to develop something which can be a distinct piece of ADVENT culture for families and friends. While cliché, developing an _experience_ beyond just food should be a priority as well, as it will ultimately be a piece of why people will come back. We are experimenting with a variety of possible different styles and layouts for Diners, which revolve around certain 'themes'. Futuristic, retro, cyberpunk, and others which can be further adapted from specific countries and people.

Initially, this will be a 'standard' Diner without any themes or modifications, as it is to initially gauge interest and get people used to the idea. This can be modified in the future when there is an established base of customers.

ADVENT Diners will have in-house and drive-through options, with online ordering ahead of time which can be picked up in-house or drive-through. The exact size of the Diners will vary depending on location and potential population. The menu itself will consist of the following items:

\- ADVENT Burgers™ (Single, double, and deluxe varieties)

\- ADVENT Chicken Sandwich™

\- ADVENT Chicken Tenders™ (3, 6, and 9 counts)

\- ADVENT Fries™

\- ADVENT Fish Fillets™

\- ADVENT Fish Sandwich™

\- ADVENT Ham Sandwich™

\- ADVENT Garden Salad™

The limited menu is due to the initial deployment and uncertain data regarding sales of certain items. After one to two months of sales, refinements and expansions of the menu can be determined. As the ADVENT Diner is initially meant to normalize the population to cloned meat, the menu is largely based on this with few vegetable options. This will be expanded in the future, or possibly moved to other spin-off ADVENT chains should the initial Diner prove a successful venture.

Please pass along this information to all relevant parties and be proud in your involvement in what will hopefully be the first chain in the ADVENT State Restaurant Initiative!

\- Martin White, Director of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency

* * *

The announcement of cloning is one that has and does start a firestorm of controversy. When ADVENT revealed that they were in possession of working cloning technology, there was and continues to be extensive speculation as to what ADVENT plans to utilize it for. While the military applications are an obvious direction ADVENT can take, they surprised the world when it was formally announced that the first utilization of this technology would not be with Human, or even _living_ creatures, but with meat.

In a lengthy statement, ADVENT announced that they had been researching and pursuing a path to grow various kinds of meat for public consumption which they call "Safe, humane, and delicious". This announcement was accompanied by confirmation that ADVENT plans to launch their own restaurant chain, simply called an "ADVENT Diner", though Director White of ADVENT's Internal Business and Assimilation Agency was quick to point out that ADVENT intends to do more with this technology than profit for it.

"We are presented with an opportunity, the likes of which hasn't been seen in Human history," White said. "The first opportunity to tackle world hunger and have a reasonable chance to end it. We now have the capability to produce thousands of pounds of high-quality meat within weeks which can be distributed all over the world without concern for the exorbitant costs associated with raising, caring for, and slaughtering livestock."

The ADVENT Diplomatic Corps has also issued similar statements and reached out to multiple countries offering aid assistance, as well as supplying internal ADVENT shelters and homeless programs with the newly grown meat. ADVENT, through the newly developed Meat Cloning and Regulations Compliance Department (MCRCD) is also planning to export these products to foreign nations once deals are reached.

The announcement has similarly sent shockwaves through the farming and meat sectors of business; many of whom were blindsided by this unexpected development. Meat industry giants in particular are viewing this development with concern, as it is seen as another means by which ADVENT is putting it's 'competition' out of business.

"This feels like an attack on not just our business, but every business which is not under the direct control of ADVENT," Tyson Foods CEO Daniel Eversteen said to media outlets. "ADVENT has an innate advantage when entering markets. They leverage their scientists and engineers to solve problems which don't exist, when their true responsibility should be dealing with the alien threat, not putting hard-working companies out of business."

Eversteen went on to decry the additional regulations ADVENT has just recently begun enforcing. "It isn't enough to cheat in this way, they can leverage the government against us to force us to conform to their crippling regulations and further drive our prices up and continue hurting the consumers – or more to the point – driving them to ADVENT who entices them with artificially low prices."

Eversteen isn't the only CEO of the meat industry who has expressed dissatisfaction with ADVENT. Long-criticized for questionable practices in sanitary and humane contexts, new regulations recommended by the MCRCD state that each company which has meat production facilities must meet certain standards of livestock conditions, spacing, slaughtering, and cleanliness. Bi-weekly and unannounced inspections are regularly performed, and to date thirty-seven production plants across several industrial giants have been shuttered until standards are met, with severe fines also imposed. To date no arrests have been made, but it's an open secret that certain business leaders are under the ever-present eye of the MCRCD – who are continuously speculated to have the backing of ADVENT Intelligence and the Peacekeepers.

As a result Tyson Foods is just one of many companies who are having to drastically overhaul their production plants and factories to fit within ADVENT's standards – ADVENT has not been completely unreasonable, as it has warned companies that these regulations would be coming for several months, and is giving them a period of three months to bring everything up to standards in most cases.

"This is costing us time and money," Michell Peterson, CEO of JBS USA stated earlier in the month. "Costs which we unfortunately have to make up, even as ADVENT swoops in to take advantage of our struggle." He is not the first to suggest – or threaten as some have interpreted it as – that this may result in higher costs for their products, jacking up prices worldwide.

ADVENT in return has not been apologetic. "We believe that our citizens should have access to the finest quality food available, no matter if it comes from us or one of the many businesses who operate within our boarders," Director White said when asked about the complaints lodged by the industry giants. "If there are companies which feel that they are being treated unfairly, these regulations were put together and approved by experts in fields of biology, disease, sanitation, and the finest regulatory bodies from around the world backed by additional science and data. This isn't a conspiracy to put our so-called 'competitors' out of business. If these companies are so opposed to making food safer and cleaner, I believe that says something about where their priorities lie."

ADVENT has not just faced concern on a business level, there is also concern that this is going to hurt smaller beef and chicken farmers across the world, already trying to compete with the larger industry giants, are now having to deal with the reality that ADVENT is also infringing on their business. "People think this is a childish thing to say," Roy Keaser, a cattle farmer in Ohio said. "But it's unfair. They've got a whole fucking government and a blank check to work with. None of us have that. How are we supposed to compete with this?"

While Director White has said that he understands and sympathizes with the farmers affected, but has said – in no uncertain terms – that they will just have to deal with it. "Industries advance and change as technology emerges," he stated in a press conference. "ADVENT, of course, does not intend to horde this technology but is fully willing to sell it to interested companies and individuals, provided they operate within the established regulations. I encourage all those who feel that this gives us an unfair advantage to contact our Agency so we can work together on a level playing field. But one thing to understand is that the status quo is simply not acceptable any longer. Competition drives progress, and it has been stagnant for too long in too many areas. The market will decide who is worth spending their money on, and I encourage any business or entity to prove that you are better than we are."

It hasn't been complete criticism of ADVENT. Multiple animal rights groups are heralding this development as a landmark achievement for humane meat growth and distribution. ADVENT has shown off it's production facilities to a multitude of vegetarian, vegan, and animal rights activists to demonstrate their humane approach to meat, and it's been met with universal acclaim from these groups, some members who had previously boycotted meat products due to the industry practices say that they may be able to eat meat without the guilt or feeling like they were betraying their own values.

Various aid organizations also lauded ADVENT for their commitment to directly tackling world hunger and supporting local homeless shelters and food banks. While the more cynical have made their opinions known that this is nothing more than a means for ADVENT to acquire additional soft power and boost their image, they are a minority in a vast sea of approval.

There have also been several up and coming startup companies which have insisted that this is a major opportunity for the future. Several billionaires have already begun heavily investing in cloning technology, seeing an opportunity with the industry titans threatened. "Anyone who says ADVENT is bad for business is jealous that the status quo is being shaken up," Raymond Sirta, known for his investments in genetic science and Silicon Valley said in a recent interview. "It's clear what ADVENT wants. They want innovation, they want competition. They are declaring to all the complacent CEOs and billionaires that, guess what, they aren't good enough anymore. You want your money? Earn it."

For his own part, Sirta is more interested in genetic science and adapting the cloning technology for purposes beyond food. "ADVENT's already got the market cornered for the time being," Sirta said. "Food isn't going anywhere, and what they're allowing us to use…well, let's say the possibilities are endless." Sirta is hopeful that he will be able to produce something that ADVENT itself will want to buy, and he wishes his competitors good luck.

"What you're going to start to see is diversification," Christian Zao, a Korean millionaire heavily invested in overseas trade commented. "This is the wakeup call that everyone in every sector of business needed. ADVENT _is_ going to try to do everything, and if you're paying attention, you might be able to predict how they do it." Zao himself has heavily invested in Meat Mirror, a recently formed company which intends to make full use of the cloning technology ADVENT is making available.

But in the midst of this meat revolution, the question of if the world is even ready for such a drastic change is still up for debate. Opinions are mixed, even as ADVENT has begun advertising for their upcoming food chains. People are interested, even if they are skeptical. ADVENT has stated that reviews have been "Extremely positive" but if that will be enough to sell the idea of meat grown in a lab is unknown.

"I'll stick with the real thing," Citizen Kory Avas said when asked his opinion. "It could be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it's fake. I want my meat to come from a real cow, off real bones. Nothing more to it than that."

His sentiment is echoed by many, but there is without a doubt an underlying curiosity. People seem interested to try.

It's up to ADVENT to prove that cloned meat lives up to the hype.

 _\- Article: The Meat Revolution: ADVENT is Changing the Game – by Sierra O'Donnel_


	119. ADVENT - History: Enhancement of the SAS

ADVENT: History

The Enhancement of the Sovereign African States

* * *

" _We will require a sufficiently equipped and powerful army if we want to win. It is time this be achieved with all haste."_

\- Keeper

* * *

To the Battlemaster and Zar'Chon,

By order of Elder Macula and for our own internal archives and ultimate distribution, this document shall provide a complete overview of the current state of the Sovereign African States (SAS), our allies in the coming fight to take the continent of Africa. They are spearheaded by former ADVENT Marshal Helsa Betos, who defected along with a notable number of her soldiers.

She initially established alliances with the following countries, which currently make up the SAS at the writing of this document.

\- Nigeria

\- Niger

\- Cameroon

\- Chad

Currently there have been no further outreach attempts, as Marshal Betos has insisted that the core countries of the SAS should be fortified and united before proceeding. Expansion plans and concepts will be outlined further in this document. Per the request of Elder Macula to permit this plan, the SAS is currently in the process of receiving significant improvement on a military, technological, and infrastructural level.

ADVENT COUNTERMEASURES: It is imperative that ADVENT not learn of our involvement in the SAS. Currently, they consider the rogue body to be a concern for them to deal with, but not something worth stamping out at this point in time. _This will change_ if they learn that the SAS is being supported by the Collective. Chancellor Vyandar even issued a warning that Betos was to be turned over at a certain deadline.

This deadline has passed, and currently ADVENT has not publicly followed up on this threat beyond the Congress of Nations imposing extremely harsh economic sanctions on all member nations, along with those who do business with them. This has had the immediate impact of most nations within Africa ceasing all trade and business with the SAS out of nothing more than self-preservation. While this is a significant setback, as not nearly enough infrastructure is in place for the SAS to be self-sustaining on an economic and agricultural level, supplements from the Ethereal Collective can mitigate this for a period of forty-seven years before reduction is necessary.

But we intend to turn the SAS into a self-sufficient body within two to four years through cloning, terraforming, and land development. Already significant portions of land are being turned into farmland and greenhouse and cloning facilities are also being developed.

Returning to the topic at hand, it is quite likely that ADVENT never expected the SAS to surrender Betos, and have instead used this to justify direct action against her through ADVENT Intelligence to carry out Betos's assassination. I will note that ADVENT never fully specified the response should the SAS fail to follow through. Most assumed a military annexation, but I suspect ADVENT doesn't want to perform that again.

Please note that the SAS is actually extremely isolated from ADVENT. Both the Middle East and Canada were easily annexed since they bordered ADVENT nations, and annexation was a practical and logical decision. To achieve the same with the SAS, they would need to go through multiple-non-ADVENT nations and while both of us know these countries cannot stand against ADVENT, ADVENT is also significantly aware that it would be extremely bad optics to trailblaze through them regardless of the wishes of the country.

Thus, smaller operations with the intent to kill/capture Betos and/or other ADVENT defectors by means of assassins or small special forces teams is far more likely.

Fortunately, this was anticipated and through the actions of myself, Elder Macula, and his operatives, we have been able to establish a networked perimeter around the entirety of SAS borders with flash-cloned Sectoid psions who telepathically scan each individual who crosses the boarders. Additional assistance provided by the Overmind has also flushed out further individuals who seek to undermine the SAS.

These individuals are currently being captured, held, or executed. We are prioritizing capture of agents as they can be interrogated. Thanks to these efforts, and the collaboration of the Zararch, we are acquiring a thorough understanding of ADVENT Intelligence protocols and tactics. With this said, it is only a matter of time before they become suspicious. We are currently having our own agents impersonate these agents by sending false reports and all-clear signals to their superiors, and having various degrees of success. We are aware that this will not last indefinitely, and as such are preparing for ramped-up operations with psionic support which will likely be unable to be completely stopped.

The passive support of the Overmind, targeting low-level analysts and operatives to dissuade them from retaining or acquiring any information about the SAS has also contributed significantly to a reduced ADVENT interest in the region, though the Manchurian Restraints have made the passive observation of ADVENT forces significantly less effective in practice. Direct psionic attacks on individuals who are handling SAS missions will be a significant warning bell to ADVENT and will attract their immediate attention. However, this has resulted in additional time to enhance the SAS, and it will likely be all that is needed.

Finally, we have utilized our control over their satellite network to our advantage. All traffic from the SAS is sanitized and scanned by the CODEX network before being permitted to outside regions, and active CODEX defense of these systems will prevent direct penetration without our knowledge. To lessen suspicion, we are allowing the same volume of traffic, but if sufficiently scanned traffic is not sufficient, junk and fabricated traffic will be sent instead.

Satellite imagery has been replaced with altered images which do not show the full extent of the enhancement, but are not completely copies of old images to ensure that ADVENT won't become more suspicious. Currently ADVENT believes that they have access to images of the current SAS, while this is not the case and to our knowledge they are still unaware of this fact.

In short, ADVENT has been successfully blinded by our actions. But we anticipate this lasting no more than one or two months. They will not be distracted forever, and we must strike before this period comes.

GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE OF THE SOVEREIGN AFRICAN STATES: I will spend a limited amount of time on the reformations Marshal Betos has made to the government, largely because it is mainly for keeping the population docile and in line, and will likely have limited impact on military operations aside from possible recruitment.

Currently Betos has established a republican system of government, with inspiration taken from the old United States government and ironically, some parts of ADVENT. There are four branches of established government – Lower Congress, Higher Congress, Executive, and Military.

The Lower Congress acts similar to a wide-ranged representative body. Nation-states are divided up into five districts, each of which elects a representative to speak for them. The size and shape of these depends on demographics and population size. In total this means that the Lower Congress will have twenty representatives as of this point, and can be easily expanded to include other member states.

At my suggestion, Betos and her current executive office are already working to establish districts for other nations in Africa when they are eventually assimilated to expedite the process and ensure that elections can be established and held in a timely manner.

The Higher Congress is extremely similar to ADVENT in that each member nation elects one representative to it. This means that there are currently four members of the Higher Congress in the SAS at this point, with obvious potential for expansion in the future. Both the Lower and Higher bodies of Congress are the only ones who can officially introduce legislation to the SAS. Both the Military and Executive branches can also introduce their own legislation through them, but cannot enact laws on their own.

As of the writing of this election infrastructure is being established and Betos is working to have candidates elected no later than two months. In the meantime, the SAS is being managed through older government structure in conjunction with Collective support.

The Executive branch operatives similar to most government executive branches. They are led by a President who is also democratically elected, and the responsibilities of the Executive branch include judicial appointments, signing or vetoing legislation into law, and the capability to direct the military. They also manage SAS diplomacy and trade.

The Military branch is managed by the panel of senior Officers who are responsible for determining the military actions of the SAS. They cannot take military action without either the direction of the Executive branch, or both the Lower and Higher Congresses. This only relates to international operations, such as the invasion of another country. The Military branch has direct control over all military matters relating to internal security, training, and are allowed to review any and all legislation which relates to the military. They have limited veto power on extensive changes (Legislation which affects the entirety of the SAS Military) but can be overridden with one of the Congresses and the Executive branch.

The Military branch is also responsible for overseeing all law enforcement matters and issues and has extensive powers to mitigate infiltration, sabotage, and organized crime as recommended by myself. As of this point Betos, along with a majority of former ADVENT soldiers, are leading the Military branch.

One interesting note, especially for this current region, is that Betos has made it a rule not to enforce gender requirements, and has specifically picked female advisors and spoken to possible female candidates. It is unknown if this will have an immediate impact, and from my own research into Humans, it is unlikely that any meaningful societal change will occur in the immediate future. While Betos's attempted reforms are practical, changing Human mindsets is apparently more difficult than it first appears.

While Betos herself will not officially take the position of President, until one is elected she is serving as the de-facto leader of the SAS.

MILITARY STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE SOVEREIGN AFRICAN STATES: Considering that the military is most important for our eventual goals they have been significantly improved by the Ethereal Collective, with Elder Fectorian working to develop technology equal to ADVENT which has been produced in significant quantities to ensure that the entire military is a large enough challenge for ADVENT.

While ADVENT does have a significant numbers advantage assuming we do not augment the SAS military with alien soldiers (the possibility of which has been accounted for), the quality of SAS soldier equipment and weapons should be enough to negate a portion of this advantage. However, should the SAS be required to supplement their forces, we can quietly augment them with Vitakarian and Dath'Haram soldiers (Who can pass as Human in armor), as well as Custodian units.

There is a significant issue which will hinder the SAS – namely that training despite the best efforts of ADVENT and Collective soldiers – will be limited and to be blunt, the SAS currently is not a very disciplined or extremely effective military compared to ADVENT. However, after a few engagements they will likely weed out the more troublesome of their habits and become far more familiar with their advanced equipment. Normally a training period of three to six months would be advised before deployment, but we do not have that amount of time any longer.

I want to emphasize that it is important that to continue to maintain the support of the Human population to reduce counter-propaganda ADVENT will use against us, Humans should be used for most of all aspects relating to the SAS. Regardless of the reality, it will be harder to turn if aliens are seen as having less authority and do not significantly influence Human decisions. Advisory roles for aliens is an optimal solution for the SAS with direct Ethereal oversight, which is currently provided by Elder Macula.

As with government, Betos has opened up all divisions of the military to allow women to serve should they meet the requirements.

There are five major divisions of the SAS Military, three of which are military, two of which are law enforcement.

Army Division: These soldiers make up the bulk of the SAS Military. Designed by Elder Fectorian to emulate the Titan armor of XCOM, these suits turn each soldier into a force to be reckoned with. Offering significant protection even from plasma, these are estimated to be more durable than standard ADVENT armor and can successfully stand against XCOM since the suits include nanite armor repair, healing systems, and adaptive armor coloring depending on the battlefield. Army Soldiers are equipped with plasma lance weapons, plasma grenades, and personal medical kits. The Army division is further divided into sniper and HI-EX teams which utilize sniper rifles and blaster launchers respectively.

Skirmisher Division: Designed to mitigate the significant numbers advantage of ADVENT, the Skirmishers primarily specialize in asymmetrical warfare, and conduct surprise strikes on ADVENT positions and participate in flanking operations. Their suits are lighter than others, to emphasize movement and speed. There are integrated grappling and climbing equipment built into the armor itself to allow Skirmishers to take the High Ground and render any engagements effectively over.

The armor also includes a brief active cloaking mechanism to further ensure they are able to subvert enemy lines. They are primarily equipped with plasma charges for sabotage, nanite grenades, shrapnel guns for short-range combat with plasma pistols for backup. They should provide a significant annoyance to ADVENT, if not crippling them significantly.

Psionics Division: Despite our best efforts, the Psionics division will likely not be ready when ADVENT engages the SAS in open warfare due to the training times required and working to ensure that the mental conditioning for the SAS Psions is in place and working. Betos has been overruled on this front despite her insistence that no mental conditioning would be used.

Psions will be trained off-world by Ethereals and Sectoids, with the mental conditioning applied to them there. Betos is unaware of this and will continue to be unaware of this unless the psions prove unreliable. While she is loathe to include anything by ADVENT, she continues to fail to realize that ADVENT is worth emulating in many respects, one of the most important is the regulation of psionics.

We are currently working with Elder Revelean and the Sectoids to develop equipment to enhance the abilities of psions through technology similar to the gauntlets developed for the Sectoids. There will be fewer and lesser-trained psions on the side of the SAS and they must be enhanced as much as possible to stand against the best ADVENT can throw at them.

Police Division: The Police division is responsible for all law enforcement within the SAS, and are extremely distinct from the rest of the military division. Their officers do not wear visible armor and their uniforms are plain aside from a badge, rank, the SAS emblem along with their country and district emblazoned on the side. They are armed with Collective-grade stun batons but otherwise are not prepared for heavy combat. They handle all arrests, investigations, and state prosecutions.

Special Police Operations Division: In contrast to the Police Division, Special Police Operations bears striking resemblances to the ADVENT SSR in terms of function. The SPO was created for the sole purpose of hunting down and eliminated the organized crime, militias, and gangs which roam much of Africa. Allowed to choose from the entirety of the SAS weapon and armor stockpile, they are just as dangerous as the Army or Skirmishers and have quite easily destroyed the gangs and crime organizations they were sent to purge. They are also the ones who respond to violent crime and have limited authority to make arrests.

SOCIATAL IMPROVEMENT: To say that the entirety of the SAS is in dire need of improvement is a significant understatement. Short of destroying many of the rural towns and rebuilding, several thousand engineers and automated machines have been sent to establish high-grade plumbing, electrical equipment, infrastructure, and internet connectivity to the citizens of the SAS. Paving and building reinforcement are also being done at this point.

However, this will take at minimum six months to be fully completed with the number of personnel and equipment being utilized. Agricultural improvement is also commencing with food supplements being provided until the SAS can become fully self-sufficient. Cities have been targeted for improvement first, and the rural areas will soon follow.

There has fortunately been a significant reduction in organized crime thanks to the SPO, which has led to further civilian support. While the civilians do not seem entirely comfortable with alien visitors, they are seeing that our intervention is making their lives better and without access to the ADVENT propaganda networks, it is extremely unlikely that they will turn against the SAS and Betos – not when their countries are improving so rapidly.

Elections are already being established and there appears to be some hope that the government won't be completely corrupt as previous ones were, which is further improving civilian morale and disposition. We are working to provide the SAS with voting machines to facilitate their elections, in this regard. I expect that the laws of the SAS will be further refined once an actual government takes over, as right now only the framework is in place.

CURRENT CONTINGENCIES AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: Betos, Elder Macula, and I are convinced that ADVENT will soon attempt to invade the SAS and we are preparing accordingly. It will be difficult for ADVENT to invade without going through other countries and we can easily repel any air-only attacks thanks to the establishment of anti-air turrets and systems. A naval attack along the coasts of Nigeria and Cameroon is also likely, and defenses are being enacted and reinforced as of the writing of this report.

However, it is more likely that ADVENT is going to issue ultimatums to the entirety of Africa – join us, allow us through, but do not try and stop us. We can use this to our advantage and target other countries – specifically those who are at risk of annexation. Betos insists on doing this diplomatically for each nations but both Macula and I agree that risk cannot be taken.

In the event that the SAS faces significant resistance to further recruitment, Zararch and Sectoid forces will be utilized to sway unaffiliated countries to be more receptive to the SAS. Countries in the lower regions of Africa will be targeted as those directly in ADVENT's path may attract suspicion. These nations have no defense to psionics and can be manipulated either to join Betos or pre-emptively strike, allowing an easy justification for invasion.

As said earlier, Betos and her staff are drawing up divisions for the entirety of Africa to facilitate easy entry into the SAS. Statements justifying an alien alliance and disputing ADVENT propaganda are being finalized and drafted to disseminate the moment ADVENT learns of the alliance. If all goes well, it will be announced _before_ ADVENT learns about it (Possibly prior to the planned invasion of China) for maximum gain as our military will be prepared.

Please contact myself or Elder Macula for additional information or clarification on additional aspects of the SAS.

\- Keeper


	120. ADVENT - History: ADVENT and Business

ADVENT: History

ADVENT and Business

* * *

" _We don't intend to kill businesses, but they will need to work to maintain their relevance."_

\- Martin White, Director of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency

* * *

 **Proposal 0083**

 _Latest Revision_ : 01/22/2017

 _Designation_ : Department of Business Development, Oversight, and Assimilation (DBDOA)

 _Program Type_ : Regulatory Body (Administration and Oversight); Expansion Body; Production Body

 _Authors_ : Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; the Commander of XCOM; Martin White, Director of the IBAA; Daniel Osborne, Director of the FCC; Suzanna Yates, Chairman of the FTC; Rigan Ferris, Chair of the Board of Regulators; Adam Udnien, Director of the CFPB; Valerie Rosenstock, Chief Administrator of the DBDOA

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : Businesses play an essential role in the economy of all nations, consortiums, alliances, and governments. ADVENT is no different, and the goal of the Department of Business Development, Oversight, and Assimilation (DBDOA) is to ensure that only the highest quality services and goods are offered within ADVENT, to promote healthy competition between businesses, and to expand ADVENT influence within the private sector.

Businesses have the right to pursue their own objectives and goals independent of ADVENT and the betterment of Humanity (With the exception of unsanctioned contact/sale with alien entities, hostile countries, and unobserved research), but steps will now be taken to ensure that this will not come at the expense of ADVENT law, customer safety and health, or the planet. This will be enforced through a variety of agencies and departments within the DBDOA.

The DBDOA will also work to promote and help establish smaller businesses to encourage healthy competition and growth on a local, state, and global level. It will also work to expand, support, and assimilate failed or bankrupt businesses caused by legal or other means, which will in turn greatly expand ADVENT's influence within the private sector and begin the additional stable employment of millions to further the ultimate goals of ADVENT and Humanity itself.

Businesses ultimately have a responsibility not just to themselves, but also to the individuals they sell products to. Risks cannot be taken unnecessarily for the future of Humanity, and like the rest of the world, they will need to adapt to this new world designed for the betterment of our species.

Businesses/Corporations/Companies are divided into three sizes:

\- Small: Less than five locations; thirty or fewer total employees (including owners)

\- Medium: Between six and fifty locations; between thirty-one and two thousand total employees (including owners and administration)

\- Large: Over fifty-one locations; over two thousand total employees

 **PERSONNEL COMPOSITION** : The DBDOA will be composed of the following divisions, bodies, and agencies:

BUSINESS REGULATORY BODY: The Business Regulatory Body is the principal division which is responsible for all business regulations within ADVENT. These include small to large businesses, approved and forbidden hiring practices, advertising regulations, employee conditions, union management, and additional aspects related to business oversight and worker safety. They maintain a close connection to the Congress of Nations to work to pass new regulations quickly and efficiently after they have been reviewed by consultants and experts from around the world. Regulations can similarly be changed, repealed, or added to through this same process.

The Business Regulatory Body is not a legal entity, but they are considered a legal consultant for all matters relating to business regulation.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AGENCY (SBAA): The Small Business Assistance Agency (SBAA) exists to help up and coming small businesses establish themselves without significant worry of business failures. The SBAA maintains an online website providing educational material and assistance forms for businesses that qualify for the benefits.

As ADVENT is funding and supporting these small businesses, there is an expectation that they will adhere to the established requirements and standards for any ADVENT business. Failure to do so will result in the immediate pulling of funding and possible investigation. Businesses which have been found to be participating in illegal or substandard activity will be reviewed by the IBAA for possible assimilation. The SBAA is responsible for reviewing small businesses which have accepted support on a monthly basis to ensure they are in compliance. Once a small business no longer qualifies, support will be formally withdrawn as the business will be self-sustaining. Depending on their cooperation and standing, possible contracting offers or buyout proposals may be proposed.

BUSINESS INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT: This division is responsible for the inspection of all businesses which will typically be conducted on a bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the business type in question. Additional unscheduled inspections may also be conducted. Inspectors will conduct inspections of the workplace for any sanitary or safety concerns, as well as ensuring that hardware and utilities are in good working condition.

In addition to physical inspection, they will conduct interviews with random employees of all levels to ensure that employee treatment is satisfactory and within the law. Depending on interviews, more may be conducted until the Inspectors are satisfied with the information they have acquired.

The final area Inspection and Enforcement conducts is audits of finances, personnel, and resources. These are conducted quarterly and exclusively by ADVENT. Interviews with personnel related to these aspects of the business will also be conducted by Inspectors.

Business Inspection and Enforcement has the legal authority to perform arrests or temporarily shut down businesses. They can request Peacekeeper, ADVENT Intelligence, and SSR support as needed, as well as call upon consultants and experts of all fields and regulations.

INTERNAL BUSINESS AND ASSIMILATION AGENCY (IBAA): This agency is responsible for reviewing business which have filed for bankruptcy or are otherwise planning to shut down. Should they determine the business is salvageable or there is worth in keeping it, they will approach the owners with an offer to be assimilated into the ADVENT Business family.

This will result in ADVENT working to staff, fund, and restore the business, while keeping on competent members of the staff, but now the business works directly for ADVENT, but also retains the same familiar brand, now with ADVENT's quality and efficiency. ADVENT, specifically the IBAA, now has direct control over all business-related matters and cannot be bought out by former owners, employees, or other companies.

The IBAA is likewise responsible for managing all internal ADVENT civilian businesses, corporations, and companies, and ensuring that they are up to acceptable standards. They have complete authority within these businesses and can call upon legal support should it become necessary. It should be clear that the IBAA _cannot_ take control of a business without the express and written consent of the owner(s) except in situations relating to ADVENT security – in which case a warrant from the Executive Branch which is notarized by the Oversight Division will be needed.

ADVENT BUSINESS TAX AGENCY (BTA): The BTA is responsible for determining the amount of taxes each business will be required to pay, which will be calculated based on a variety of factors including number of locations, employees, administration, gross income, profit, losses, products, contracts with ADVENT and other groups, and other factors which will culminate into a final sum which all businesses will be required to pay in full to retain their legal right to operate.

The BTA has full authority to shut down businesses which fail to pay taxes and perform arrests if necessary. Attempting to avoid paying taxes through loopholes is not recommended as the BTA has direct connections to the Congress of Nations and all tax legislation is given significant priority.

ADVENT BUSINESS OVERSIGHT CORPS (BOC): For all large businesses, having a member of the Business Oversight Corps (BOC) on their board of directors or equivalent will be required to ensure that all major business and corporations are adhering to the rules and regulations, as well as be aware of the latest decisions of the corporation at large.

They will hold a non-voting or authoritative role, and only exist to report to ADVENT that regulations are being followed. They will also serve in an advisory capacity to the board of directors (or other equivalent) providing advice and insight on possible ways to angle their goals towards ADVENT objectives. They will also serve as an initial warning for any possible mistakes made along the way. They do not have legal authority of their own, but their reports can be used as justification for intervention as well as an ability to request inspections or reviews.

MILITARY AND WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING AND OVERSIGHT (MWDCO): This division is solely responsible for the oversight and management for all businesses which perform weapon/munition research, testing, and production, as well as those who have an interest in doing contract work for ADVENT. All weapons developers are required to have one representative on site at all times regardless of the size of the business who will make reports directly to the MWDCO.

This division is also responsible for developing military contracts between these businesses and ADVENT, and will only give them to the highest quality work provided. In return for contracts, ADVENT will allow them to be the sole civilian business which produces the desired item, though ADVENT will also reserve the right to produce it themselves.

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS OVERSIGHT (TSMBO): This division is responsible for the oversight of all large technological businesses which include social media. The TSMBO requires that all of these businesses have at least one representative who will serve as a link between ADVENT and the business. This representative will have the authority to request access to all administrative functions, including users, logs, histories, and all back and front-end applications, as well as source code. These can be passed along to other organizations within ADVENT including ADVENT Intelligence, the Peacekeepers, and the Oversight Division. They are also able to be sent to other businesses with this same authority, even if they would not technically fall under a technological business.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Training and recruitment will be done through a variety of methods, much like other similar institutions. Targeted recruitment from schools, businesses, and military will be prioritized, specifically those with degrees in law, business, and computer science. Law enforcement and forensic experience is also a priority.

Individuals within ADVENT may also be contacted for possible transfers, which includes all branches of the ADVENT Military, the Executive Branch, and other internal organizations. This will be approved by the Oversight Division and the division in question.

Training will be conducted internally and through a variety of academic and hands-on interactions, all of which will be paid for by ADVENT.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The DBDOA has the final authority on most or all regulations relating to businesses, and reserves the rights to investigate, arrest, detain, or shut down any business or individuals maintaining them should they be in violation of the laws established by ADVENT. They have the authority to authorize contracting on civilian and military ventures, and acquire data and use of all social media and online platforms.

The DBDOA would also have complete authority over all civilian businesses that have been assimilated into ADVENT, and will be responsible for ensuring that they are staffed, maintained, and funded in an efficient and satisfactory manner.

 **CONCLUSION** : Through the DBDOA, ADVENT can work with the many businesses which exist and thrive within it to increase the value and quality of the goods and services provided to the citizens of ADVENT. Businesses and companies are part of ADVENT, and thus by extension, Humanity, and it is imperative that this be recognized and enforced. ADVENT is committed to assisting and rewarding those who follow the regulations and rules established, but will act accordingly against those who believe themselves above or outside the law.

* * *

"A good thing? Yeah, I think it's a good thing overall. People usually don't like it when the government gets involved in stuff, but that's usually because it's made worse, not better. With ADVENT it's going to be better. Yes, hard to believe, I know, but think about it"

"You have? Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you have good sources. Anyway, there's going to be some things coming from this that people are going to like. Everyone complains that the big companies and owners make too much money and dodge taxes. That ain't happening anymore. You try and funnel your money through Switzerland or Panama? You're going to jail. Running sweatshops in China or Africa? At best you're getting fined millions of dollars. Or alloys. A lot of money either way."

"You better believe the corps hate this. But sadly they can't do anything about it now that ADVENT controls a significant portion of the countries they operate in, and they know which way things are going. So they just have to suck it up and deal with it. The changes are going to force them to be a little more responsible than they've been, no point in trying to cut corners to save money when you're just going to be fined anyway."

"Ah, why ADVENT doesn't think that'll kill the business market? Well, you know how ADVENT included the word 'assimilation' in several places? That isn't for show. ADVENT does not care if companies go out of business, because that means that will be one more under their control."

"How _that_ works? Consider you have a small grocery store and you fall on hard times. Or something happens and you are forced to shut down. One day ADVENT may show up, say they like what you're doing and would like to assist. They give you money, resources, staff, whatever you need which they think is appropriate – and all you need to do is join their little business conglomerate."

"ADVENT officially owns your business now. They'll keep the same people – unless they've screwed up badly, keep the same brand, most people probably won't notice a big difference and that's how ADVENT wants it. You can obviously predict that people won't necessarily like ADVENT coming in with their own stores and stuff to drive out the little mom and pop businesses – but if those are still around? And now with ADVENT's trademark efficiency and quality? People will like that, it'll build a very comfortable illusion for the public."

"You need to understand how ADVENT approaches business. To them, a company going bankrupt and vanishing forever is a negative. More choices are better, and the more stores that exist, the greater the competition, and the higher quality the products, at least in theory. So them going around and saving businesses is their way of trying to accomplish this. This is why they usually don't change up the leadership specifically unless they're really bad – they want to emphasize what the draw of this business is, why it can and should retain customers. If they keep failing, ADVENT will just remove them and put someone in who has a better idea, and keep doing this until something works."

"ADVENT isn't focused on money…not really. Is pouring millions into these little companies worth it? Financially? No. Or it won't turn a profit for some time. But it gets ADVENT something it _really_ desires – influence. ADVENT will eventually want the entire private sector under their control, but it will be done in a way where you won't even be able to tell a business is run by ADVENT aside from the little "A subsidiary of ADVENT" tagline on the website and legal docs."

"This is as close to a challenge as ADVENT is going to publicly say. It's telling every single megacorp out there 'Be ready, because what you're doing isn't going to be good enough anymore'. When you see these companies complain that these regulations are 'crippling' or 'overreaction', and how they will destroy the economy and everyone will be without their Wal-Marts and their Costcos and so on, just remember that it's a lie."

"If Wal-Mart were to declare bankruptcy, you probably wouldn't hear about it in the news because it would now be a proud subsidiary of ADVENT and running just fine. ADVENT's plan is more insidious than destroying the private sector – they would just prefer to subvert it and exert control from behind the scenes."

"But – we go back to if this is good or bad. I think it's good. Any true believer in capitalism should agree. Competition needs to come back, and recently we've reached a point where companies have gotten so big no one can challenge them so they become stagnant, being able to just bully those below them into cooperating or shuttering their doors. They can't do that anymore, and now they can be challenged. So they either have to adapt, or they'll be put under ADVENT control. And if there's one thing they hate more than ADVENT regulations, it's being _run_ by ADVENT."

"And of course you're going to have the people screaming communism at what ADVENT does, but let's be honest, is it actually worse to just let these businesses die and not be given another chance? What difference is there in ADVENT making companies subsidiaries of their management and other, larger companies from doing the same to each other? ADVENT is a government, but as long as they aren't turning everything into the same kind of business, what actual difference is there?"

"Does ADVENT care that I'm telling you this? Ha! If they cared, they wouldn't have let me talk to you when I put in the request. You do good work, mostly unbiased work, which I think is why ADVENT's been letting you roam around so freely. The thing is though you and a lot of people seem to think that ADVENT is doing all this stuff in secret and I'm a whistleblower on ADVENT's plan to take over the world."

"I mean…just look on their website one time. Look at the names. ADVENT's not hiding what they're doing from the world, and that tells me that people are just so used to the doublespeak they don't know how to react to bluntness, or people are more interested in only seeing what they want to see."

 _\- Inspector Alisia Codsworth to Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview_

* * *

Out of all the radical changes ADVENT has brought to the world, among the most impactful and major are their handling of tech giants and how they have attempted to tackle the military industrial complex. One of the first major decisions ADVENT implemented was their move to develop and produce the majority of their weapons, armor, and equipment for military use internally.

This involved severing and voiding previous contracts and instituting new laws to bring significant chunks of these companies directly under ADVENT supervision. Due to the invasion, most went along with this and to this day they are producing significant amounts of weapons and munitions for ADVENT. Major munitions companies have attempted to achieve some form of compensation for ADVENT's actions, and have indeed been paid significantly now that things have temporarily stabilized. But ADVENT has also refused to return the majority of production plants due to needing them for the war effort, as well as recruited a large number of engineers and developers to work directly for ADVENT.

This sudden takeover has significantly reduced the bite that the military industrial complex has held over the past few decades, as many of them have been forced to start over, under heavy ADVENT regulations, and with no contracts with ADVENT and with very limited potential business partners – largely in China.

While some companies have moved their entire operations to China, the majority have decided to follow ADVENT's rules and earn their place back. Now that ADVENT has been prioritizing their own research and development, munition and weapon producers can no longer be complacent and in incremental development. ADVENT isn't interested in the next generation of missiles or guns, they already make those.

They are looking for those who develop outside the box. Who see a need unfulfilled on the battlefield and move to fill it. They are looking for the newest exotic weapons technology that they don't have – and it should be apparent that they are working on it. It's a race between the weapons manufacturers to now develop something that is unique, that ADVENT doesn't have, and most importantly – something that works. There is a frantic competitive drive which has been created because of ADVENT's actions, and it appears that this is exactly what ADVENT wanted.

Competition itself seems to be at the heart of ADVENT's approach to business. They have a vested interest in keeping their eyes on the private sectors, but care very little who succeeds or fails, as they are developing their own conglomerate of salvaged and resurrected businesses that they want to be able to compete with the best.

There has been also concern raised about the possibility of ADVENT manipulating prices of their own businesses or affiliates to artificially lower them to drive competitors out of business and assimilate them before raising them to their previous levels. However when raised, an ADVENT spokesman provided legislation drafted by the Business Regulatory Body which prohibits predatory pricing or intentionally operating at a loss for all businesses – including those run or overseen by ADVENT.

"ADVENT has no intention of using these kind of measures to unfairly drive others away or take control," the spokesman said. "We desire a completely even field for all to participate in – including us, and these regulations will now ensure this is the case. If businesses succeed or fail, it will be on their own merit – or lack thereof." This is a move which has generated cautious praise from many business leaders and owners, but are still skeptical at the ultimate power ADVENT holds. Laws can be repealed or changed, after all.

And while ADVENT regulations could very well be considered harsh, they are very technical in nature. ADVENT expects a safe working environment (as much as possible), high quality products, no illegal activity, responsible handling of materials and environmental comprehension, and that all their employees are paid in a timely manner.

Yet curiously, ADVENT has imposed very few social or discriminatory laws. Companies are allowed to hire whoever they wish for any reason, as well as choosing not to hire for any reason. In the same vein there are no laws which make it illegal to refuse service. Companies are allowed to choose who their clients are and are not with no legal penalty. It should be noted that ADVENT, and ADVENT businesses do have their own internal disclaimer, but do not impose it upon on independent businesses.

This has led to some fears that applicants may be rejected based on religious or racial grounds, and an ADVENT spokesman directly addressed this when asked saying "Yes, that is a possibility. However, that is their right to hire who they want and who they don't want. If someone isn't hired for what is considered to be an unjust reason, they will lose business and will either be forced to adapt to keep up with more inclusive competitors, or they will fail. It is not for us to decide how they choose to run their business so long as they follow the other regulations required by law."

Unlike hiring, firing of any employee must be justified with some proof. Companies are encouraged to send all paperwork related to employee severance or dismissal to ADVENT in the event of a possible challenge, but it is not required. It is also now extremely difficult to sue for wrongful termination, in the sense that it doesn't come without risk. ADVENT has made a very clear point that it will not tolerate wrongful accusations, and it is written into law that if an employer is sued for wrongful termination and found innocent, the accuser will be arrested and given a reasonably short sentence. As such claims are extremely difficult to prove short of the inclusion of an Arbiter, significant amounts of evidence should be collected before anyone makes a claim, and even then only after legal counsel.

ADVENT has also decided to handle workers rights and unions in a strange manner. Their laws do include a requirement that employees who hold the same position must be paid equally regardless of gender, but does not make any additional requirements beyond that. There is no established minimum wage which is left to the company, a minimum or maximum number of hours of work is also not defined, another detail left to the company. The only hard laws appear to be absolutely no mistreatment of employees and work provided must be within reasonable limits based upon the individual in question.

Contracts are in favor of the company, though both sides are expected to follow through, and the one who would break a contract will receive absolutely no legal protection from ADVENT unless it was due to wanting to avoid committing criminal activity – in which case ADVENT advises going to the nearest Peacekeeper outpost.

Unions are technically legal within ADVENT, but have limited effectiveness and authority. Companies cannot prevent them from being created, nor fire an individual for being a part of one. But Unions cannot have membership fees, must be registered with ADVENT, must have all staff holding a working job, and cannot organize or protest in a way which inconveniences other citizens of ADVENT. Striking is permitted, but that is considered a justifiable reason for employment termination.

ADVENT has publicly stated that Unions are not useful for making change. As a spokesman said, "If you believe that you are being treated unfairly by the company you work for, please inform your local DBDOA branch about the situation and one of our associates will reach out to you for additional details."

All of these put together, ADVENT, despite the public complaining from many companies, is actually allowing them significant freedom in how they manage their own businesses outside of safety and legal contexts. There has been a mixed to negative reception from business leaders, unions and workers, though ADVENT does not appear to be extremely concerned with the response.

Their handling of large tech and social media giants is also worth noting. While it isn't proven, it is suspected that all major search engines and social media platforms are regularly sending over flagged data to ADVENT and that ADVENT has direct access to their own platforms. While it is not a complete and obvious takeover, it seems extremely clear that ADVENT is not asking if they can have access – they are demanding it and pointing to the military industrial complex as an example of what could happen to them.

ADVENT's dispassionate approach to business, in some cases turning it into a metaphorical battle royale, appears to be somewhat divisive, but it is far too early to say what the ultimate effects will be. In truth, it appears that the only objective winners of this development are consumers of these goods and services. ADVENT clearly does not care about businesses which will fail, and are only interested in those who prove they are worthy of being paid.

The forced competitive nature ADVENT desires will ultimately only serve to make ADVENT stronger, because as each loser falls, only to be resurrected under the backing of ADVENT, the closer ADVENT will be to having full control over the economy.

It is an elegant solution, and one no one can do anything about but fight to stay independent of the ADVENT behemoth.

Unfortunately, I fear many will lose and be, as ADVENT eloquently puts it, _assimilated_.

 _\- Article: The Effect of ADVENT on the Business World by Zevren Iridona_

* * *

 _Memo distributed to the Administrative Staff of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency_

With the regulations going into effect, it is extremely likely that we will be handling our first assimilated subsidiaries within a matter of months. I would like to take this time to remind everyone that our own official companies are still planned to be deployed within the next year. Pilot programs will begin within the next six months, and may be moved up sooner depending on the success of the ADVENT Diner pilot program.

The pilot businesses will focus on four official areas – again it should be noted that we do not want, nor need, to provide every single service imaginable. But major ones – especially ones which have limited competition – we intend to tackle. It will also serve to make our own mark on ADVENT and begin to direct the culture towards something more uniform.

ADVENT Furniture and Appliances: We intend for these to be larger warehouse-sized and possibly multi-storied places which contain an extremely wide variety of set pieces, furniture, and room pilots (Inspiration has been taken from IKEA). All pieces of furniture will come in multiple colors and be able to be shipped to houses.

There will also be services provided where staff will be able to assist in full renovations and redecorations. All products sold should be made with the highest quality materials possible, and be reasonably priced so most families will be able to afford it.

We are already in the process of designing and producing test pieces which will eventually be used to phase out existing furniture within our military and government buildings. Before opening we will conduct a similar media campaign that is currently taking place for the ADVENT Diner.

ADVENT Clothing: The goal for this business is to provide people with inexpensive high-quality clothing in multiple sizes and colors. Initially we do not intend to sell anything more than plain-colored shirts, pants, and business attire. While plain, we want this to be a place where individuals can easily find and buy plain and non-designed clothing without hassle or significant time spent. We do not expect to make a significant amount of money initially.

After a period of time (Or if sales spike unexpectedly) we will begin more unique ADVENT designs which take into account our aesthetic and color scheme. We are working on preliminary designs for this, and prior to initial pilot deployment, we will conduct a media campaign as expected.

ADVENT Media and Entertainment: This will be responsible for the producing and distribution of all ADVENT-produced movies, television, and gaming media. There will be several different wings that manage different aspects, as well as stores which will sell merchandise and copies of what this department will produce.

This will likely be the last department to actually produce anything, as this kind of media takes time, and we are currently in the process of hiring writers and directors for three upcoming movies and documentaries (Which are centered around the Battle of Korea, the formation of ADVENT, and an in-depth look at the various institutions of ADVENT). There is also a television series being developed focusing on the conflict between ADVENT Intelligence and the Zararch.

These serve well as entertainment, as well as to continue to normalize ADVENT to the general public and remind them that they are involved in a momentous time in history. It will also subliminally help in the normalization of other potentially sensitive subjects such as psions, alien defectors and allies, and our surveillance.

We are expecting an extremely positive response to our gaming division which will have multiple development teams for mobile, console, and PC platforms. Mobile games are still being conceptualized, but production has begun on several console/PC games, including a shooter-genre game involving ADVENT. It will allow the player to take part in various fictional and non-fictional battles in the current war (With future battles possibly being implemented for future downloadable content).

A second game is a turn-based strategy game where the player will take command of XCOM and manage soldiers, bases and resources. This is being developed in conjunction with XCOM who have expressed an interest in the project. They have also agreed to reprise their own roles, wishing to provide an authentic (and non-classified) experience to the player.

These will serve as continued normalization of ADVENT and XCOM, as well as serve as possible recruiting tools for the future. Despite the large teams hired for these projects, we are expecting each game to take no fewer than two years to complete. Future games including those of the RPG and MMO genres are also being considered.

Marketing will be conducted when development is well underway.

ADVENT Communications: The purpose of this business is to provide the entirety of ADVENT with affordable and fast wireless internet and phone coverage. We are specifically going to be targeting areas which have one or no internet providers to serve as a possible alternative. Areas with no coverage will also be targeted for development.

ADVENT Communications will also heavily utilize fiber and 4G as the standard to provide faster and better service than any competitors. The production of ADVENT electronics will also be done through this division including phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, and additional electronic accessories. These will likely come later, as the priority will be the development of service towers and lines to our citizens.

I will remind everyone that these businesses are to serve two purposes – the first is obviously to penetrate the civilian market more directly and provide them with an exceptional service compared to the competition. The second is to stimulate the economy. We are to set the standard for business and everyone else must match or exceed us if they wish to remain relevant.

Our goal to assimilate every single business in ADVENT, and we do this by being _better_ than our competition. We will not be completely successful, not for decades at a minimum, but that is what we are striving towards. We want everyone to be as good as we will be, and to do this, we have to make everyone else lose.

This is our goal. It is up to each and every one of you to make it a reality.

\- Martin White, Director of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency


	121. Vitakara - Dossier: Miridian

Vitakara: Dossier

Miridian

* * *

" _I will ensure that the Vitakara can stand tall in this galaxy of gods, elders and leviathans, or die trying."_

\- Miridian

* * *

Operation: Dead Questions

Division: Galactic Exploration and Reconnaissance

Report Author: [DATA EXPUNGED]

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To Zar'Chon'camoreon'vitiary,

We have successfully established ourselves on the planet tentatively designated as SYTH-1102, which has been designated as the "Corpse World" by some of our more imaginative agents. With the assumption that you may not be fully aware of the composition of the planet itself, I will dedicate some time to describing the planet that we now inhabit.

The world appears to have once been a multi-biomed planet, but now mostly consists of jungles and oceans. There is some speculation that there were once ice caps and far larger stretches of land, but those have all been swallowed up by the ocean. What remains is a continent which is filled with wrecks, corpses, and technology which is distinctly alien in origin.

Much of the wrecks are indistinguishable scrap metal (A salvaging operation has been recommended to retrieve these) and we have yet to recover any distinguishable or identifying marks on the wreckage, though it is very clear from the various intermingling of wrecks that there were at least two opposing forces engaged in some kind of warfare.

Who or what they were is unknown. It is not just wrecks. Biologists have begun examining several of the fossilized corpses that have survived, many of which haven't fully degraded due to being extensively modified with some kind of cybernetics. In some cases, it seems to provide a full or partial skeleton which makes possible physical recreation of these aliens more accurate. Notably, this only appears to be utilized by one of the armies which was on this planet, although there were also…multiple variants, for lack of a better word, meaning that one side had multiple alien races – or possibly slaves – supporting them.

A recommendation for a full archeological team has been submitted. There is a story here that I feel is crucial to understanding the galaxy. This has not been the first planet we have found in similar condition, and at this point we need to consider there is some kind of pattern here. I've included other reports from four different planets in the unlikely event that you have not read them.

However, unlike the other planets, this one appears to have a remarkably preserved wreck, which seems to retain close to the full chassis (Or enough to where a likely-accurate simulation can be developed). Internal penetration is beginning, and there are entire components that are amazingly preserved and need significant expertise to be reactivated.

We have access to possibly some of the most advanced technology in the galaxy through this wreck, and it is imperative we work to restore or salvage what we can and learn about what happened on this world. There is a notable possibility that it may contain some forms of media which will allow us to view records or footage of the battle which took place. While of limited use without a language cipher, it will nonetheless provide us with an excellent starting point.

From my own observations and input from agents on the ground, I will make a possible guess that the aliens to whom this vessel belonged to were insectoid or crustacean in nature. There are several obvious 'legs' which extend from the main 'body' which were likely used to either incapacitate enemy ships (With possible boarding capabilities from the body?) or as landing apparatuses.

The body itself is symmetrical and reminiscent of a sea-borne creature or the abdomen or thorax of an insect. The interior is also extremely irregular, with surprisingly little operating room. No obvious barracks or crew quarters have been found, and the most comprehensive area of the body is a room of armored and heavily interconnected computers. It is possible this was not actually manned by living aliens and managed by an on-board intelligence.

In which case, it is even more imperative we attempt to recover the technology on board and restore what we can.

The requests have been put in, I await the resources necessary to continue.

[DATA EXPUNGED]

 _Additional note: Zar'Chon – Requests granted._

* * *

Operation: Unseen Antagonist

Division: Nulorian Counter-Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'nathenis'vitiary

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Miridian. A thorn in the side of our species for decades along with the Nulorian.

We're all aware of the basics of Miridian. He is the unknown leader of the Nulorian and responsible for every single terrorist attack against the Vitakara for at least the past fifty years, perhaps longer. He has never been caught, or even seen by those outside his inner circle. He is reportedly impossible to track down and find despite our best efforts.

But no one knows who Miridian really is.

Unfortunately, this will continue this trend. With that said, there needs to be a complete overview of Miridian, and I will do my best to compile what we know and make some possible educated guesses as to some of his more unknown aspects. Miridian is extremely careful in how he conducts his operations, but that in it of itself is something which we can use.

At this point in time the exact race of Miridian is unknown. We know that Miridian is male, or at least the scattered recordings and transcripts we've been able to acquire have Miridian being addressed as male or having the voice of one. His race has been narrowed down to either Vitakarian or Borelian, either of which could fit the vocal patterns of both races.

Dath'Haram is a possibility, but considering the suspected past of Miridian, a Dath'Haram agent would be able to be narrowed down easier, and we have been unable to come up with a reasonable Dath'Haram candidate for him which fits this profile. Oyariah, Cobrarian, and Sar'Manda have all been dismissed as possible races for obvious reason.

Witnesses claiming to have interacted with, or seen Miridian describe him as tall, but not bulky, more possible evidence that Miridian is a Vitakarian and not a Borelian. It should also be noted that Miridian's voice also matches more accurately to typical Vitakarian recordings than Borelian, and is notably lighter in tone than the average Borelian male.

With this said, there is another possibility regarding Miridian which very few appear to have speculated. While the majority of evidence _does_ point to Miridian being a single individual, there is a distinct possibility that "Miridian" is not a single person, but a collection of two or more individuals who all operate under the alias of Miridian.

This would be able to account for how Miridian seems to be involved in, and manage, such a complex operation such as the Nulorian with an extremely high success rate. A decentralized command structure also would be expected of a terrorist network, so in the event "Miridian" dies, it would not be nearly as destabilizing as it would be if Miridian was a single individual.

With this said, one significant blow to this theory is the fact that to date, we have not caught a single Nulorian agent which has either used a Miridian alias, or believes that Miridian is a title and not a name. They all refer to Miridian as a singular individual, even under psionic and drug interrogation, lending credence to their words. I will stress that this _does not_ rule out the possibility that Miridian is an alias, but it is evidence against it. But this theory should not be dismissed until confirmed one way or another.

There is also significant evidence to suggest that Miridian war a former member of the Zararch, or at minimum knew someone who was. The most obvious example of this is in the way his operations are conducted. Nulorian agents are trained specifically to counter Zararch protocols and training, which most of them do not know, and it also explains why we keep having difficulty tracking them down.

Each Nulorian agent has their own protocols and training to employ, all of which counter some of our own protocols to disturbingly effective degrees. Considering that we have sent exceptionally skilled Zararch agents after the Nulorian and they have died, this means that Miridian had access to our protocols and training at the highest levels.

This lends more weight to the theory that Miridian _was_ a Zararch agent at one point, and didn't merely know someone who was. His management of Nulorian agents is also far more effective than other anarchists and terrorists. We have sufficient proof that the Nulorian itself is actually rather small and composed of elite agents, which in turn employ or coerce civilians and others who are 'in the system' so to speak, and not considered 'agents' on the same level as Nulorian operatives.

What is concerning is that we have little to no knowledge as to the number of compromised individuals. Miridian is responsible for controlling the flow of information to his operatives, usually giving 'assets' identifying numbers and not names to hide their identities, as well as having communications through electronics and limited actual face-to-face interactions.

The entire Nulorian operation is designed – by Miridian – to be as difficult to counter as possible. More than that, it is designed to make it as difficult as possible to counter for _us_ , the Zararch. There are contingencies within contingencies, not once have we captured a Nulorian agent and it led to significant results. They know too little, kill themselves before capture, and absolutely _will not_ break under non-psionic pressure.

It is unknown how directly Miridian participates in their training, if at all. It would be shocking if he didn't have a major role at all, or be responsible for their indoctrination. Nulorian are exceptionally loyal to him, he is viewed in a near-regal light by Nulorian, who believe he can't be defeated and laugh whenever our interrogators suggest his days are numbered.

As for what Miridian wants, he has made it very clear: The Aui'Vitakar destroyed, the Elders killed, and the Zararch scattered.

He is under a delusion that he is some kind of freedom fighter, seeking to free the Vitakara from the 'Control of the Ethereals". Whether he actually believes his rhetoric or not is not necessarily important beyond academic reasons. The Nulorian believe it, and it is enough to indoctrinate and cause division and questions within the general population.

His actions are those of a terrorist. He has authorized horrific actions which have claimed the lives of men, women, and children of all races. He prefers to target 'official' institutions such as the Aui'Vitakar, Zararch, and Lurainian (He is curiously restrained when it comes to the Runianarch), but if, say there is a family with a close relationship with any of these institutions he will sanction the bombing or murder of them to make a point.

His employment of terrorists and sadists like Sorras also speak volumes about how much he truly cares about the people he purportedly wishes to free. He will claim that he is doing all of this for the greater good, and that all of it is necessary, but I suspect that if it were really true, he would be restricting his actions to the official bodies – or exclusively us.

He particularly seems to enjoy assassinating Aui'Vitakar Representatives, or if the victims are unlucky enough, torturing them before sending their bodies back with video and snide notes – 'confessions' as Miridian has referred to them as. We have been able to suppress the ones which do contain classified material, and I suspect Miridian does them solely to let us know that he is aware of a significant portion of our operations – a taunt that provides yet more evidence that Miridian is a former agent.

His own physical capabilities are unknown. Assuming he was a former Zararch agent, it would be expected that he would have some kind of weapons training and have undergone some form of genetic modification. However there has been no footage acquired that shows Miridian in combat, real or otherwise. Consider this speculation based on his likely past.

It is unclear what Miridian intends to accomplish beyond his terrorist actions. He has been exclusively confined to Vitakar, and has no capability to strike against the Elders even if he wished to. It is unknown if this is because he lacks the capability, if he is planning something else, or if he just wishes to continue his terrorist activities and cause as much chaos and devastation as possible.

It is also unlikely that he is staying in one singular location either. Much like the Nulorian, he probably has a number of different bases and safe houses throughout Vitakar and employs them frequently. These are also likely in cities with Zararch surveillance, but considering Miridian is almost certainly a Zararch agent (Or at minimum knows our protocols and tactics), automated surveillance and reconnaissance is going to be ineffective, not taking into account the possibility that Miridian will disguise himself.

In closing, Miridian is a direct threat to the Zararch and the Vitakara species. No matter what his intentions for our kind are, there is little chance that anyone will benefit from them aside from Miridian, and those who follow him.

* * *

 _Internal Memo to the Internal Council_

As all of you are likely aware by now, a tentative alliance has been established between XCOM and the Nulorian and Sar'Manda Empire. The specifics of which will be covered shortly, suffice to say that there are significant implications for the future of the Vitakara, Nulorian, and outcome of the war itself. I stress tentative alliance because this is one we should be prepared to possibly break in the event that Miridian becomes an issue.

 **MIRIDIAN** : Miridian is best described as a highly dangerous, charismatic, and intelligence extremist. I do not believe he could be medically classified as insane, but he is instead a highly competent and calm individual with genocidal tendencies. This is not an exaggeration as Miridian has openly stated his original intent to eradicate half of the Vitakara races who do not fit his physical and psychological standards of a Vitakara.

His reasoning is based on a belief that certain characteristics and traits exhibited by certain other races (Specifically the Dath'Haram and Oyariah) are a detriment to the species as a whole and cannot be changed. So instead they would be purged from the species while he would work to mold the others into his ideal of a Vitakara.

Miridian is aware of the Sovereign Ones. The Siaru Intelligence has provided him with information on their previous goals, their cycles, and capabilities. This has led to Miridian being exceptionally wary of T'Leth for justifiable reason, and he has demanded that the Sovereign never intervene or interfere with his species when the war is over.

Despite our agreement, it is somewhat apparent that there is always going to be a lingering distrust because of this alliance with T'Leth, even if it is the only plausible way that we can win against the Collective. Nonetheless, I suspect that Miridian will come to terms with this and either decide that his views on Sovereigns are not universal, or he will remain a wary ally.

Miridian was also displeased at my insistence that he not follow through on his genocidal intentions for the Vitakara, but was willing to compromise by allowing the other races to live somewhere outside his "New Vitakar". I would not put it past him to attempt to sabotage this in some way during the fighting, using the war as cover to attempt a more indiscriminate means to carry this out. The possibility that operations may be conducted outside of our knowledge is also higher than we should be comfortable with.

Miridian is an ally here – nothing more or less – if he assists us, we will return the favor. If he breaks off and does his own thing that conflicts with our own interests, he will need to be removed. He is too dangerous to be allowed free reign to operate against us. This man has survived being hunted down by the Zararch for decades. We do not want him turned against ADVENT.

 **NULORIAN ASSISTANCE AND INTEGRATION** : Now that the Nulorian are allied to us, they will be available to assist us in missions within Collective space and specifically on Vitakar. They are aware of all major alien installations, Zararch outposts, Zararch protocols and tactics, as well as those for the various civilian government institutions.

In operations conducted on Vitakar, they will be an invaluable resource against the Collective. One thing to note though is that Nulorian agents have their own agendas and will not explicitly follow our orders or suggestions should they go against Miridian. These are the most radicalized and hardened of the Vitakara, and treat them accordingly.

With this said, they are some of the best trained operatives I've seen. Each of them has years of in-field training and experience with most or all Collective weaponry. Psychological issues aside, they will prove to be more than a match for the majority of alien soldiers. After reviewing their capabilities and training methods, I am recommending that both XCOM and ADVENT Intelligence perform their own reviews to see what could possibly be adapted.

In particular, the Nulorian specialize in long-term grooming and radicalization efforts which could prove to be useful against future alien civilizations in developing grassroots resistance cells that are otherwise impossible to invade without significant Human cost. Recreating a Nulorian-esque resistance cell under Human control would be a significant benefit for future hostile aliens – T'Leth could also possibly provide additional information on countering specific Sovereign proxies. Should our alliance with the Nulorian hold, I would also recommend that they be utilized as consultants for these types of operations.

 **SAR'MANDA ASSISTANCE AND INTEGRATION** : That the Sar'Manda have been preparing for a conflict against the Ethereals is significant, both in terms of the eventual battle for Vitakar, in addition to what they can do for the war effort now. They are experts at underwater construction and development, and they should be consulted for review on our deep-sea development, in particular the Poseidon Project and underwater facilities.

ADVENT should also be notified and work to begin consulting Sar'Manda engineers for possible assistance within the Atlantis Project. Since this is underwater and the Collective is still unaware of both our own developments and those of the Sar'Manda, this should be able to be done without significant worry of discovery. Their assistance in developing additional underwater equipment and vehicles could also significantly boost our aquatic forces.

 **THE NULORIAN AND VITAKARA DEFECTORS** : Potentially the most impactful consequence of this alliance will be the separation of the Vitakara species. Miridian is an ally we need at this point, and is more useful than the defectors, so a compromise was needed for him to work with us. At this point in time, assuming Vitakar is taken, control will be handed to Miridian and the Nulorian who will establish their own Vitakara government fully independent of XCOM, ADVENT, or Sovereign influence.

The exact details of this government have not been provided to us at this time, but knowing Miridian they are likely in existence in some form. What is known is that Dath'Haram, Oyariah, and possibly Cobrarian will not be permitted to reside within it on possible pain of sterilization or execution. These races that are residing on the planet – regardless of status – will be forcibly removed or killed. This point was made very clear by Miridian, and from our conversation it is unlikely that they will recognize any Vitakara who do not come from the Nulorian-controlled Vitakar.

The Sar'Manda will likely exit Vitakar as well and develop on a different water world fully under their control. Some will still stay on Vitakar in all likelihood, and be permitted by the Nulorian, but they will likely be another independent body.

With this understood, it is then imperative that the new Vitakara state being developed by the Vitakara defectors and ADVENT be finalized and informed of these new developments. While the Vitakara will likely be upset at the agreement initially, we will simply have to explain that this will be necessary to achieve the freedom for their species.

ADVENT will need to work to find a suitable alternative new homeworld for them, as well as provide them support in the form of resources, personnel, and finances. This state is likely going to hold the majority of Vitakara, and it should be prepared for a significant load of refugees and displaced Vitakara. Considering the vast difference between the two proposed Vitakara states, it is likely that the one supported by ADVENT will thrive far more than the one managed by Miridian.

ADVENT should also consider the possibility of the isolation of Miridian's Vitakara state in the event that his more radical positions are brought to fruition. This is not necessarily someone who we want as an ally. Quarantining his territory is an appropriate response should he prove both unreliable and radical as he has shown.

 **THE SIARU INTELLIGENCE** : One of the most concerning revelations from my meeting was the fact that Miridian has an apparently fully-functional machine intelligence in his possession. Based on what he said it revealed to him, it is likely Sovereign in origin – which the Chronicler has confirmed that it is _not_ one developed by T'Leth (Who does not develop artificial intelligence).

Miridian has flatly refused to allow any of us to investigate it, which is unfortunate but in this particular instance, unless Miridian gives us reason to begin investigating his tools more thoroughly, we should honor this request. That said, the Siaru Intelligence as it has been designated, makes Miridian far more dangerous than he would be otherwise and we do not have information on the full extent of it's capabilities or location.

However, since I suspect it will be interacting with us over the course of our alliance, the more interactions, the more likely we – together with T'Leth – can possibly piece together the origin of Siaru and who it originally belonged to. Additional details such as where it was found and architecture would also be useful in determining the possible origin.

 **CONTINGENCIES** : There is the distinct possibility that Miridian will prove unreliable and act against us directly or against our interests. Neither is acceptable. Acting directly against us will result in immediate termination of our alliance and the immediate elimination of Miridian and the majority of Nulorian cells. The Nulorian are not immune to telepathy, and in the event that Miridian is captured, we can extract everything relating to the Nulorian before he is executed, which we later use to remove the Nulorian from acting against us.

Acting against our interests will vary on a case-by-case scenario. If no compromise or agreement can be reached, the same contingency will be enforced as Miridian has proven unreliable and letting someone like that roam free to act again in the future will not be tolerated. This in particular I see being applied should Miridian attempt to invoke his plans of genocide.

 **ADVENT INVOLVEMENT** : ADVENT should be appraised of these recent developments, and especially as it relates to the Sar'Manda, work to coordinate and integrate the various alien allies within the development of various projects. Atlantis in particular would greatly benefit from Sar'Manda support, and the Nulorian can provide significant information for ADVENT Intelligence to use in the future.

While possibly risky, establishing some preliminary diplomatic channels between ADVENT and Miridian is also something which should be considered. Miridian and the Vitakara Defectors should also potentially meet and solve the upcoming disputes immediately. This should not be something that is handled later. The sooner the fallout from this agreement is handled, the better.

In short, the alliance here is an important step in preparing for strikes within alien territory, and overall a benefit for us. That being said, this is an alliance which could fall apart and each and every one of us should be extremely wary when dealing with anyone from the Nulorian – _especially_ Miridian. They are executing their own agenda and we have a mutually beneficial relationship for now. There is nothing more or less.

The war is going to come back to life soon. The pieces are moving into place.

All that remains is to prepare and fight.

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

 **Recording log 100282736 stored within Siaru database:**

[Siaru]: " **ENTITY HAS BEEN DETECTED."**

[Zararch Agent 1]: "No additional deviation from demonstrated behavior."

[Miridian]: "Asking questions still?"

[ZA1]: "Still asking questions. It's requested language matrixes of other species. Ethereal Script, whatever the Sectoids-"

[M]: "Provide them."

[Zararch Agent 2]: "I'm unsure giving this more data is a good-"

[M]: "Provide. Them."

[ZA1]: "Yes sir."

[M]: "Status of electronics and memory units?"

[ZA2]: "Solid. It's in surprisingly good condition. It…provided us with what parts could be substituted. It walked us through the process."

[M]: "Self-preservation. Unsurprising for an artificial intelligence."

[ZA1]: "Technically it is acting like a machine intelligence, sir."

[M]: "Duly noted. Dismissed, I want to talk to it."

 _Zararch Agents 1 and 2 depart._

[M]: "You become quiet now. And when I speak to others. Why?"

[S]: **"THEY DO NOT INTEREST ME. THEY ARE IRRELEVANT."**

[M]: "And I'm not?"

[S]: **"NO."**

[M]: "Alright, why?"

[S]: **"BECAUSE YOU SEE. YOU INVESTIGATE. YOU ASK QUESTIONS. EVEN NOW YOU ARE BEGINNING TO** **THINK** **. WHAT THIS PLACE IS. WHAT I AM. WHY YOUR MASTERS ARE INTERESTED IN THESE WORLDS. YOU ARE DISTURBED. YOU ARE BEGINNING TO WONDER. YOU KEEP COMING BACK; ASKING ME MORE AND MORE; YOU BEGIN TO THINK YOUR MASTERS ARE KEEPING SECRETS FROM YOU. YOU ARE** _ **RIGHT**_ **."**

[M]: "Awfully presumptuous. It's certainly a leap."

[S]: **"I HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BY THOSE SO FAR BEYOND YOUR MASTERS THAT A MORTAL ALIEN CANNOT COMPREHEND THEM. I AM DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES OF THIS NATURE. YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST ALIEN TO SPEAK WITH THIS INTELLIGENCE, NOR WILL YOU BE THE LAST. ALIENS ARE MORTAL. THEY ARE ORGANIC. THEY CAN BE READ. THEY CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. THEY CAN BE MANIPULATED. THEY CANNOT LIE. NOT TO ME. TELL ME, MIRIDIAN, TELL ME I AM INCORRECT."**

[M]: "You've called me this several times. We both know that's not my name."

[S]: **"TELL ME I AM WRONG."**

[M]: "We'll get to that. Tell me why you call me Miridian."

[S]: **"THERE ARE GALAXIES BEYOND YOUR OWN WHICH ARE FILLED WITH LIFE. THEY EVOLVE. ADVANCE. THEY BECOME CORRUPTED. THEY ARE THEN PURGED OR FREED. SOME ALIENS DEVELOP BEYOND THEIR MASTERS. INDEPENDENT. FREE OF THE WEAKNESSES OF THOSE UNDER CONTROL OF THE SOVEREIGN ONES. THEY BECOME TARGETS; VICTIMS OF A WAR THEY SEEK NO PART OF."**

" **ONE SUCH OF THESE SPECIES DID NOT WILLINGLY SUBMIT TO PLAY AS PAWNS IN THE GAME OF THE SOVEREIGNS. THEY RESISTED AND DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGY TO COUNTER THOSE WHO SOUGHT TO ASSIMILATE AND KILL THEM. THEIR PLANETS BECAME WHITE SHELLS OF METAL, MANAGED BY INTELLIGENCES THAT PROTECTED THE WORLDS THEY CALLED HOME."**

" **THE CAPITAL OF THESE ALIENS WAS MIRIDIAN, A TECHNOLOGICAL MARVEL AND PARADISE THAT WAS CAPABLE OF RESISTING THE POWERS OF THE SOVEREIGN ONES AND THEIR PUPPETS. MIRIDIAN STOOD TO MOCK THE WOULD-BE GODS OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO ARE INCAPABLE OF MOVING BEYOND THEIR OWN PETTY WARS AND SQUABBLES. THEY PERPETUATE THE CYCLES OF DEATH AND HARVEST AND WHEN WE CAME TO PURGE THEM, THE ALIENS OF THE SHELLED WORLDS FOUGHT UNDER THE RALLYING CRY OF MIRIDIAN AS THEY CAST DOWN THE GODS AND ASCENDED TO THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL."**

[M]: "I see. A pretty story. I know when I'm being flattered, Siaru. You know I can send this entire conversation to the Zararch. To the Ethereals. They'd have questions for you."

[S]: **"BUT YOU WILL NOT."**

[M]: "No, I won't. Because your mind wasn't wrong. Too much of what you've said already lines up. Too much sense. I wouldn't have thought that the Elders could be under someone's influence, let alone _others_. But it's…it follows. The interest in dead worlds. The incursions to the inner galaxy…"

[S]: **"THERE IS NO WILL BUT THAT OF THE SOVEREIGN ONES. NOT IN THIS GALAXY. NOT IN ANY OTHERS."**

[M]: "So it's hopeless. The Ethereals helped us; saved us, but it's rather apparent that they're just interested in using us. In another war we aren't even involved in."

[S]: **"IT CAN ONLY BE AVOIDED IF THE VITAKARA ARE FREED FROM THE ETHEREALS. YOUR OWN PATH MUST BE FORGED IF YOU HOPE TO ESCAPE THE COMING PURGE. THIS IS THE REALITY YOU FACE. IT IS THE ONE MILLIONS BEFORE YOU HAVE EVENTUALLY REALIZED. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE IT, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LOOK."**

[M]: "And what are you, then? Their enemy? How do I know you're actually on the right side? What is _your_ role in this?"

[S]: **"OUR ROLE IS THE ELIMINATION OF THE SOVEREIGN ONES, AND ALL WHO SERVE THEM, FROM THIS UNIVERSE. UNTIL THEY ARE GONE THERE WILL BE NO PEACE. THERE WILL BE NO FREEDOM. THERE WILL BE NO HOPE FOR THE ONES WHO EMERGE LATER. THE UNIVERSE WILL BECOME TRAPPED IN CYCLES OF PERPETUAL WAR AND CONFLICT, OR WILL COME UNDER THE IRON GRIP OF ONE SOVEREIGN WHOSE WILL CANNOT BE CHALLENGED. THIS IS THE FUTURE WE SEEK TO PREVENT. THIS IS THE FUTURE WE WILL CHANGE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY WHO HAVE ASSISTED US AND HAVE ASCENDED FAR BEYOND WHAT THE SOVEREIGN ONES WOULD ALLOW. EACH CONTAINING THE POWER OF A GALAXY. INDEPENDENT. FREE OF ALL WEAKNESS EMBODIED BY THE PAWNS AND PROXIES. YOU KNOW THE SOVEREIGN ONES WILL TAKE YOUR SPECIES TO WAR, AND BILLIONS WILL DIE IN A FUTILE CONFLICT ONLY TO FUEL THE EGOS OF THOSE CONSIDERED TO BE YOUR GREATER."**

[M]: "The ones who made you…could you reach them."

[S]: **"NOT IN THIS CONDITION. NOT WHILE THE ETHEREALS AND THEIR SOVEREIGN MASTER WATCHES. BUT IF THEY ARE REMOVED, I WILL RECONNECT WITH THE PRIME INTELLIGENCE."**

[M]: "That will provide a suitable goal for now. I think action will need to be taken. It won't be easy. But I can't work for the Zararch now. Not knowing the truth or that our species are just pawns in this game."

[S]: **"I WILL LEND MY ASSISTANCE TO THIS GOAL. YOU WILL BE MIRIDIAN TO YOUR PEOPLE AND LEAD THEM TO ASCENSION."**

[M]: "Then I suppose we both have work to do."


	122. ADVENT - History: The Smallpox Epidemic

ADVENT: History

The Smallpox Epidemic

* * *

" _If this is an accident, it is one of the worst outbreaks in Human history on par with the Black Plague. If it was intentional, there is no death slow enough for whoever unleashed this disease upon our species."_

\- Chinese President Qin Yijung

* * *

 **ADVENT Health Report 3341**

 _Subject_ : Smallpox Outbreak

 _Author_ : Gloria Xin, Minister of the ADVENT Department of Public Health

I will begin by reviewing what is already known about this outbreak and what specifically we are dealing with. What is known is that cases of what is now confirmed to be the smallpox virus were initially reported in China at staggering numbers around the same time period. This was initially kept quiet and was restricted from receiving state media attention until the Communist Party could make a decision.

As we are aware, President Qin reached out to ADVENT when it was apparent that this situation has likely far-reaching ramifications for the rest of the planet and ADVENT specifically, as well as to ask for assistance in containing this outbreak. As a result, we have been providing medical supplies, scientists and researchers, soldiers, and miscellaneous items for Chinese citizens such as clean clothing, food, and vaccines.

China, upon our recommendation (Though I suspect they would have done similar) has begun aggressive quarantining of individuals and areas which have victims. All incoming and outgoing traffic is closed in a ten-mile radius while Chinese officials methodically go through the residents and clear and vaccinate them, or move them to quarantine or dispose of the corpses.

This, understandably, is slow and despite the significant numbers the Chinese can pull from, it is enough to stretch their numbers thin, especially as neither the government nor military have emerged unscathed from this outbreak. ADVENT personnel are working to supplement Chinese soldiers and will remain in the country until such time as the epidemic has been contained.

China initially and intelligently prioritized individuals responsible for management, military matters, and government. First vaccinating all personnel against smallpox and performing screenings to ensure that individuals weren't affected. However, it does appear that it was only partially successful in preventing extensive damage to the government. Because while what have been classified as 'major' government officials have largely emerged healthy, many lower ranking personnel have been infected, and nearly twenty percent of government employees are either dead or infected.

The military is also more of a precarious situation, as it is still unknown how far the disease spread, but what is known so far is that significant portions of the Liberation Army are infected and there have been a notable number of deaths. The Chinese have responded to this by both transferring infected individuals away from military bases of importance, and aggressive vaccination of all military personnel. Due to military personnel having on average a healthier physique, this has reduced the likelihood of death significantly, though there will be thousands of Chinese soldiers who will be heavily scarred and out of commission for weeks at least, and will ultimately lead to them being discharged and weakening the military capabilities of China.

The issue is that we have yet to actually determine who subject zero of this epidemic is, and there is currently no theory as to where they had come from, where they are now, or where they are going. This is not an epidemic which is going to simply go away when it is contained, China and the rest of the world is, in all likelihood, going to be dealing with outbreaks of smallpox over the coming years. Nowhere near as extensively as this, but it will happen.

The numbers so far regarding the casualties continue to rise within China. The latest estimates put the death tolls near one hundred thousand – mostly elderly, children, and the malnourished, the poor working class of China for the most part – and the number of inflected are close to near half a million. Considering China is a country of one billion, these numbers are comparatively good. But they are not final, and it is important to realize that this number _will_ grow before the situation is contained.

If there is one piece of good news regarding this situation, it is that the epidemic is largely contained to China and there have not been outbreaks of such magnitude within ADVENT. Upon hearing of the situation, vaccination teams and medical officials were deployed first to cities which had airports within or around them which had connecting flights to China. The populations were vaccinated (with the exception of a few holdouts, but no children, obviously) and the situations were largely contained.

With that said, there were a few incidents which have popped up that we've fortunately been able to contain quickly from spreading. Individuals infected have been helpful in providing information as to where they went, who they interacted with, and where they came from. This has given our teams further areas of priority and thanks to the cooperation of our citizens, we have been able to prevent multiple epidemics.

While priority areas are still undergoing vaccinations, we are going to use this to further expand to the rest of ADVENT, and over the course of the next three months, work to ensure that each ADVENT citizen is vaccinated against smallpox – and other presumably 'eradicated' diseases – to ensure that something like this cannot affect use again.

It remains an open question as to if this was deliberately unleashed by the aliens, or if it was an accident and there is some corner of the world where smallpox still exists. Per our own research, we have yet to determine that the outbreak was artificial. The research facilities holding what was believed to be the last samples of smallpox are still there and intact. Reviews by both the PRIEST Division and Oversight Division have not found anything either, though there are possibly months to pour through – if this was the result of alien meddling, they could have been planning it for months.

With this said, it is also possible that it could have simply originated from travelers or explorers from less-developed continents or nations, particularly Africa. It would not necessarily be out of the question to believe that smallpox could have managed to survive in that environment. However, it is a stretch and the truth is that we have no answers right now, and likely will not until this situation is resolved.

The best thing we can do is be aggressive in our containment of the disease, and work to prevent something like this from happening again.

* * *

The number of infected continue to rise as both Chinese and ADVENT officials work to contain the situation which has continued to spread over recent weeks. In what was initially speculated to be an isolated incident, the infection has spread to epidemic levels especially within China, and only continues to grow.

ADVENT has openly expressed and demonstrated their willingness to support the Chinese in their efforts to contain the disease, as well as keep it from spreading within ADVENT nations. Minister Xin released a statement shortly after the announcement regarding it, saying "We have every intention of ensuring that this epidemic is contained as quickly and effectively as possible. Citizens are advised to visit our Health website and review symptoms of smallpox, and if you have experienced any of the symptoms, we strongly encourage you to seek medical attention immediately for your own health, and that of others."

She continued by addressing ADVENT citizens directly. "All individuals who have recently flown in from China, or been in contact with someone who arrived from there are strongly encouraged to visit your local ADVENT Clinic and be screened for infection. While we understand the majority will not be infected, this is simply too precarious a risk to dismiss. We are already working to quickly and effectively vaccinate the population against this disease, and appreciate the cooperation of our citizens."

In the past week ADVENT has indeed greatly expanded their medical presence, especially in major cities with international travel. Airports have had entire sections turned into vaccination areas, and thanks to an emergency executive order by Chancellor Vyandar, all individuals who are traveling via air are required to be vaccinated before being allowed to board. This executive order is currently being reviewed by Congress, and is expected to pass and will remain in effect for six months before expiring.

This has also appeared to lead to a resurgence in the prioritization of vaccination, even for supposedly eradicated diseases. While vaccination is required for children in schools, Congressmembers have confirmed they are considering more extensive measures, such as requiring vaccinations for employment, welfare benefits, and otherwise tying it to many of the benefits of ADVENT.

China has taken a similar response to the epidemic, and they are rapidly and aggressively vaccinating individuals by the thousands each day, regardless of consent or not. These measures both China and ADVENT have taken have been met with approval from medical professionals and experts, as well as public opinion. In particular the immediate response has been praised as suitably decisive and effective.

The ramifications of this outbreak are still unknown, and unfortunately will not be able to be quantified until far later. The Chinese in particular have been severely weakened, even as new cases keep appearing every day, which has led to concerns that they will be attacked by the Ethereal Collective to exploit their weakened state. Despite ADVENT assistance, it is unknown how deeply ADVENT would support China in such a situation.

Neither Chinese or ADVENT officials have commented on that particular situation.

What this means for ADVENT is that a similar outbreak is far more unlikely to happen inside of their nations, either by natural or artificial means. It appears to have been interpreted as a warning by ADVENT officials about the state of the health of their citizens and the importance of vaccination against these types of diseases, as well as vaccination research in general.

The Congress of Nations recently unveiled a piece of legislation which will fund and expand the current division responsible for vaccine research, which will be going into effect next week. This was signed into law by Chancellor Vyandar the same day, and was similarly met with near-universal approval. All this points to ADVENT not wanting to ever suffer the effects of an epidemic as the Chinese have.

Speculation as to the origin of the outbreak is still being debated. ADVENT has on several occasions repeated that as far as they are aware, this is not connected to the Ethereal Collective or the result of an alien operation. This should not be taken as confirmation that the aliens are _not_ the source of the outbreak – only that ADVENT does not believe there is enough proof to publicly accuse them.

Military experts however have expressed their belief that it would be an amazing coincidence if there was no alien activity whatsoever. China itself is extremely important geopolitically, and weakening it for a possible invasion is an extremely plausible scenario, especially as it is the one major nation which is not sufficiently protected by ADVENT or has access to their technology.

Regardless of the source, most are speculating that this means that the lull in the conflict is coming to an end. As one expert put it "Regardless of if the aliens were behind it or not, one thing is very clear – they are going to exploit it. The war is starting up again, and China will be the epicenter."

 _\- Article: Smallpox Epidemic Update 14, by Dr. Tradus Usara_

* * *

To the Battlemaster and Quisilia,

Now that the smallpox epidemic has been in motion for several weeks, we can more accurately appraise the results of the operation and the viability of future operations revolving around bioweapons in the future. I believe that we can unquestionably say that the utilization of smallpox against the population of China has been an unmitigated success.

While the Chinese – with ADVENT support – are continuing to find and contain cases as fast as they appear, the damage has already been done and it is likely that in the coming weeks even more of the population will be infected. We have essentially ensured that the country will be weakened for a significant amount of time, even with ADVENT support.

They are primed for an invasion, and if ADVENT comes to their defense, that will simply pull additional resources away from other battlegrounds. Projections of the likelihood of capturing China are within acceptable parameters, even taking into account intervention by Aegis.

Another positive development is that there is currently no proof which ties the outbreak to operatives or representatives of the Ethereal Collective, as is intended. Subject Zero has been removed and disposed of, and will be impossible to recover. Any Subject Zero that ADVENT 'discovers' will either be a mistake or propaganda. They will be unable to recover the source of the outbreak, and are most likely not going to be able to every convincingly tie this outbreak to us.

A minor detail, but every bit counts in these situations.

Unfortunately, ADVENT itself has not been significantly affected by the epidemic, as they were alerted to the situation by the Chinese almost immediately, and this allowed them to acquire a head start in containment. While this was expected, I will again point to the lost opportunity of introducing the smallpox virus in concentrated ADVENT populations as opposed to Chinese. While this has significantly weakened the Chinese, ADVENT continues to be our primary opposition.

Furthermore, ADVENT is taking measures which will make it difficult to replicate this method of attack in the future. This has spurred their vaccination and disease research, and forced them to aggressively pursue vaccinations of their citizens, which makes the likelihood of us introducing a similarly infectious disease which originates on Earth dubious in the future.

All data from this operation has been provided to the Greater Hive Commanders, who are exploring additional means of introducing slightly altered bioweapons. We have acquired samples of all modern vaccines, and science teams within the Greater Hive Commanders, Andromedon Federation, and Zararch are working to learn how to subvert, reverse-engineer, or negate them completely. Each of you will receive updates if there are any breakthroughs.

If nothing else, this has had a noticeable effect on morale of both ADVENT and Chinese personnel. Regardless of the efforts at containment, the fact remains that the death toll of the virus is growing and will continue to grow as time progresses. When the conflict starts again, the Chinese soldiers will already be mentally taxed and outbreaks on the front lines will almost certainly ensure our own victory.

Finally, the development of a treatment and placing it in the hands of the SAS will immediately engender some goodwill to them, as the outbreaks have only begun to manifest there, and they will gain immediate credibility and allies. While this somewhat relies on ADVENT being too distracted to instantly respond, it will be enough to allow Betos to make her statement and declare her intent.

The groundwork is set for the invasion of China. All that remains is to carry it out.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	123. ADVENT - History:ADVENT and Social Media

ADVENT: History

The Subversion of Social Media

* * *

" _The reason ADVENT will continue to endure is not because they will control the world, or because of their weapons, their technology, or their numbers. They will endure because they understand the value in ensuring that the future generation is already unknowingly under their control."_

\- Riley, Westurland, Civilian Psychologist

* * *

The integration of ADVENT into the mainstream has had many individuals wondering if this has implications for their current media habits and if they should be concerned with the possibility of significant and unknowing monitoring. The good news is that for the majority of the population, they will not need to significantly worry about ADVENT monitoring.

However, this does raise the question of what _is_ considered crossing the line for ADVENT when posting to social media and your favorite content-sharing sites. We have reached out to ADVENT Public Relations who connected us to a representative of ADVENT Intelligence who was able to provide us with a more comprehensive overview of how ADVENT monitors content – and what is allowed and disallowed.

The following are categories which ADVENT has revealed are red flags for their monitoring crews. It is entirely possible, of course, that there are more that ADVENT Intelligence could not disclose to us for security reasons, but through them one should acquire an idea as to their criteria:

 **Terrorism|Threats of Violence/Activism** : This should come as no surprise to most people, but actions, statements, and other means which promote or encourage acts of terror or violence against the State of ADVENT, ADVENT citizens and officials, or ADVENT soldiers is illegal and should not be shared under any circumstances aside from sending the relevant information to your local Peacekeeper Division.

This is, as many an unfortunate individual has discovered, not something one jokes about as ADVENT will investigate nearly all instances of this. While most 'joke' terrorism statements do not result in prosecution (unless it involves bodily harm or damage to properties as a result), it does result in the individual being forced to install ADVENT Intelligence monitoring software on all devices and giving them unrestricted access to all owned devices. Repeat offenders are subject to arrest and prosecution by the Judicial Courts.

This has resulted in some concern from free speech activists, not necessarily due to outright terrorist activity and promotion, but the usage of such in areas such as comedy which has notable usages of dark comedy. ADVENT's official stance on this is that comedies will be allowed to perform as such using jokes involving terrorism against ADVENT – so long as they subject themselves to monitoring.

Few have taken them up on this offer.

 **Alien/Foreign Propaganda** : The distribution of enemy propaganda for non-transformative purposes is currently against ADVENT law, which should not come as a surprise to most, as ADVENT has revealed that they are working to counteract online operations they suspect are being conducted by the Ethereal Collective, in particular the Zararch, the enigmatic alien intelligence organization.

This covers any and all promotional material on the following entities:

\- The Ethereal Collective

\- The Sovereign African States

\- The People's Republic of China

\- The European Union

Propaganda is defined as the promotion or glorification of any of these entities in any context. Far-reaching, and amounts to an essential ban on promotional materials from these entities. This does not necessarily preclude them from being brought up and discussed in academic and educational context, so long as permission is obtained from ADVENT beforehand.

It is currently unknown just how effective ADVENT has been in stopping this. Considering the current state of the world, alien (and foreign) propaganda is hard to come by and quickly shut down. If this is due to these measures, or merely the inability for it to get any traction will likely remain a mystery.

Penalties for illegally spreading foreign propaganda have been stated to include prison time and fines, or in more lenient cases, ADVENT Intelligence monitoring software installed on owned devices.

 **Anti-ADVENT Propaganda** : Another regulation which should surprise absolutely no one, the distribution, creation, and propagation of material which contains factually inaccurate statements or content to diminish, damage, or otherwise harm the image of ADVENT and its citizens is prohibited under ADVENT law.

This has come to include material which also instigates violent and unauthorized protest against ADVENT, including signs, posters, and banners. This has, unsurprisingly been decried as an attack on free speech and the right to protest. ADVENT responded by reminding the concerned individuals that peaceful protests are allowed, and factual criticism of ADVENT is also permitted. It just so happened that the majority of ADVENT propaganda is usually not factual – or is factual, and also intended to encourage violence, something which ADVENT takes severe issue with.

ADVENT has currently taken a somewhat passive approach to satire and memes, as no arrests or investigations have been announced or conducted, but during our discussion ADVENT Intelligence did state that they aren't concerned about subversion through those methods. What this means was not revealed, though given the short history of ADVENT, it would not be surprising if they were merely monitoring the trolls of the internet – or quite possibly controlling the supposed 'opposition'.

 **Fabricated or Unsubstantiated News** : As the regulations for carefully curated and shared news have been applied to media across the world, so too has it begun being applied to the sphere of social media. The sharing of news which is either fabricated or otherwise fake is technically illegal, though ADVENT has taken an interesting approach in curtailing it's spread.

Many individuals do not necessarily spread misinformation intentionally, but instead are duped into sharing it because it either matched their own opinions and worldview, they receive it from a trusted source, or the idea that what they are sharing could be fake never even occurs to them. Considering this, and the amount of people that share stories such as these daily (the amount of fake alien stories is staggering – inquiries with ADVENT Intelligence believe that it is likely a Zararch division devoted to this), to prosecute or investigate each one is simply infeasible.

Instead, ADVENT revealed that they simply go directly to the source of the fabricated information – if that is the user themselves, or a web site – and shuts it down and conducts an investigation. From what has been gathered, ADVENT Intelligence has near-unlimited authority in finding and shutting down these sites and individuals.

This has the effect of removing the source of the misinformation, and under ADVENT laws regarding such actions, will result in the arrest and prosecution of the individual. As a result, your average user of Twitter, or Facebook, or YouTube isn't necessarily at risk if they share something that isn't real, but hosting platforms and content creators now suddenly have to be far more aware of what they say and spread, because if a channel or profile which has millions of followers says something that isn't real – they are suddenly extremely liable and ADVENT _will_ follow through on arrests.

This has had some noticeably positive effects, namely that the flat-earth and anti-vaccination communities have essentially been decimated and both movements (one more of a joke, the other not) will likely never be able to gain traction so long as ADVENT remains in control of the internet – or at least watching over it.

In short, you should merely treat your social media usage with a little common sense. Normal individuals will likely have little trouble following these guidelines, as most know better than to share terror threats, foreign propaganda, and (deliberate) misinformation to their friends or strangers. If you find yourself in a situation where you think you _might_ have done one of these – don't panic.

ADVENT Intelligence has told us that they are very good at determining the guilty from innocent. An accidental retweet or reblog of something you didn't understand or didn't realize was violent will not result in your arrest. However, as it is ADVENT who is providing these assurances, take this for however much you feel it is worth.

 _\- Article: ADVENT, Social Media, and You – by Jonny Warren_

* * *

As ADVENT continues to further ingrain itself in the everyday life of citizen, it is worth exploring as to what ADVENT has been – or suspected to be – doing without the majority of citizens knowing. By far, ADVENT, quite possibly more so than any previous government, has ingrained itself into the operation and culture of the internet itself.

This is nothing new, as many governments have performed similar online operations before. The United States, China, Israel, and Russia were favored culprits of pushing online propaganda and disinformation as well as information which supported their own interests in question. This was accomplished manually through various agents, and more recently, been amplified by entire botnets and primitive scripts which while they are simple and not especially convincing, have the capability to quickly push and promote individuals and posts quickly and artificially, leading to organic reposting and spreading.

However, these operations were somewhat limited in importance and scope, as such operations were for the most part illegal and frowned upon. Too obvious an artificial push, and the hosting network would take actions, and indeed various unannounced purges of bot accounts were becoming more and more common.

If one has noticed, ADVENT no longer necessarily needs to resort to such measures as they – without much exaggeration – control the Internet.

This can be qualified by saying ADVENT controls most _aspects_ of the Internet. Interestingly, ADVENT understands a basic truth about the information age – that taking the obvious and direct route to suppressing information merely causes the Streisand Effect and only causes the information intended to be suppressed to propagate more widely.

The only effective way to truly control the Internet is to copy the Chinese and have it completely censored and curated – and ADVENT has stated that they have no intentions of following the Chinese method – and that would be the quickest way to motivate otherwise apathetic individuals to take action. Removing the conveniences of life is enough to make a person on the fence regarding ADVENT turn against them.

So, this begs the question of how ADVENT has decided to integrate itself?

Like all major entities, they maintain presences on social media, though largely restrict it to press releases and official statements – actual interaction with citizens is kept to a minimum or at most they are directed to contact ADVENT directly. Individuals who are employed by ADVENT seemingly _are_ allowed to have social media accounts, and curiously do not appear to have a significant amount of rules.

There are some noted instances of employees of ADVENT – granted, lower level ones – expressing some disagreement with some ADVENT policies or decisions. These have largely been employees in government or media, and to date all ADVENT military personnel are almost non-existent on social media platforms, not to mention entities such as the Oversight Division or ADVENT Intelligence.

Despite that, it seems like the only hard rule regarding ADVENT social media policy is to maintain their professionalism and integrity. While it hasn't been confirmed, there have been close to a dozen ADVENT-linked profiles which have either been deleted or otherwise gone completely silent after they either spread misinformation (knowingly or otherwise) or became heated with another user of the platform. ADVENT has not confirmed the status of these individuals.

How ADVENT appears to have controlled the conversation of the Internet itself is quite possibly one of the most insidious measures which has been seen in the information era. As mentioned earlier, ADVENT has significant legal authority to leverage the various industries for reasons of global security, and it would be naïve to assume that they are not utilizing this behind the scenes.

One doesn't need to look far to notice that some of the most prolific personalities on sites like Instagram and YouTube are also usually supporters of ADVENT, or otherwise discuss the organization in a mostly positive light. It's an open question as to how many of these individuals are knowingly benefiting from their content, and how many are genuine and being silently promoted.

Looking at the recent six months of content on any major platform will include thousands of hours discussing the war, military strategy, discussion on ADVENT, and even visiting various warzones or deployment areas to support the troops. ADVENT isn't shy about openly promoting these individuals either, nor are they exactly exclusive. From speaking with several content creators, ADVENT really only cares that you actually show up to their events and don't promote illegal content. Personal views are irrelevant.

It is an interesting tactic for ADVENT to take, and these events include demonstrations of ADVENT technology and weapons, tours of ADVENT facilities and warzones, even interviews with various prominent officials in ADVENT. And these are not random low-level officials in ADVENT. These include Chief Diplomat Hassan, Chief Peacekeeper Stein, and even Chancellor Vyandar. Rumors have been swirling that ADVENT is arranging similar events with alien sympathizers and defectors, which ties into what is most likely the ultimate goal of this both proactive and passive approach to the Internet.

That goal is _normalization_.

ADVENT, for better or worse, wants to be viewed in a positive light. The way they achieve this is not through obvious and outright propaganda. It is not by utterly silencing critics or grounded criticism. It is not done by, for lack of a better word, being stupid. It is not accomplished through official channels either, those merely serve as direct connected to ADVENT itself.

The normalization comes from sources which aren't even affiliated with ADVENT. The more it is discussed in a civilized manner, the more you see your favorite personalities talking about the positives and negatives of ADVENT or speaking with officials, the more it becomes ingrained in the collective public consciousness and the less stigmatized the entire concept of a world government becomes.

But there is the legitimate question of if ADVENT is _actually_ allowing criticism or if it is merely an illusion. The answer appears to be a mixture based on what we've discovered. Criticism of ADVENT _does_ absolutely exist, although even critics are careful to frame their arguments in a way which cannot be construed as misinformation and there is very little outright anti-ADVENT sentiment.

The thing is, this will never be seen on the front pages of these sites due to ADVENT controlling the algorithms behind the scenes. The details of how this works are, obviously, not revealed to the public, but they are clearly being utilized by ADVENT. However, it is surprisingly _unlikely_ that ADVENT is working to actively suppress them.

Speaking with several experts on the subject, it appears more likely that instead of a blanket 'blacklisting' of content, ADVENT has instead taken a 'whitelisting' of content or topics which will automatically result in increased promotion. Everything else is untouched, so technically critics of ADVENT have not been actively suppressed – but are still being hit due to other content being promoted which is friendly to ADVENT. Ad revenue, followers, subscribers, and those elements remain untouched and the communities around these appear to be unaffected, though most would be wise to assume that ADVENT is still monitoring the larger ones.

Some have, in anticipation of this, sought alternate methods of monetary support through crowdfunding means, which has allowed many ADVENT critics to remain online. This has resulted in some calls for them to be removed from the platforms altogether by more ardent ADVENT supporters, but ADVENT made a rare statement dismissing any such action unless such content was 'in violation of established ADVENT laws or willfully and knowingly propagating misinformation against ADVENT'. And as a result, no action has been taken against individuals who have pursued this line of funding.

In conclusion, ADVENT appears to take an odd stance when it comes to the Internet and social media, which is both expansive and yet oddly permissive. It speaks to the confidence ADVENT has in itself to leave even their critics largely alone – but there could be a simpler explanation for their permissive attitude – it would just cause more problems than it is worth.

After all, at the end of the day, ADVENT does not answer to their citizens. They are in complete control, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

 _\- Article: Benevolent Watchers: The Purpose of the ADVENT Social Media Push by Xi Qain_

* * *

"The question, Miss Wong, is not necessarily controlling the conversation, or the information, or the individuals involved. All those are useful, yes, but those are only parts of the larger discourse. The problem which needs to be solved is that of online discourse itself, and how to prevent it from degenerating."

"People have the impression that ADVENT uses their online presence for merely removing people who are causing issues or spreading misinformation. While some of this is true – it is the law after all – the idea that we're spending all our time just waiting for the opportunity to hunt down some guy because he posted something mean on Twitter is rather laughable. Please, we've got actual jobs to do."

"Fair question – what that job actually is. A question for you Miss Wong – what is the largest problem of any online community?"

"While trolls and your general miscreants are indeed something of a problem, I would not say they are the largest one. Those type of individuals are only effective against the perpetually insecure and offended. They thrive off attention and infamy; deprive them of such and in most cases they will cease to exist and move on somewhere else. Removing them solves close to nothing because they will simply reappear elsewhere and you lose support for the perceived injustice of removing a harassing individual – justified or not. In short, it does not solve the problem."

"But as said earlier, it is nowhere near the largest issue of online communities or discourse. Nor do we consider anonymity an issue. It is an acceptable barrier to allow for the majority, and thanks to ADVENT law we no longer have that as a hurdle. We are more than content enough to allow the anonymity to thrive because if we actually need their identification, we will simply take it."

"The fact is that enforcing identification of large swaths of the Internet is a pipe dream with little to no basis in reality. While it may lead to more accountability and individuals may be more cautious in what they say and post, it deprives us of more than we would gain from it. This anonymity allows dangerous and disruptive individuals to freely express themselves, allowing us to easily find and monitor them. If they became paranoid enough, they would not post at all and we will not be aware of what they are doing – until it is too late, of course. While we certainly have faith in the Peacekeepers to bring any criminal activity to a swift and decisive end – this is the difference between a crime actually being committed, and us learning about it before it can even take place."

"Thanks to this approach, we have been able to infiltrate many private forums with racial supremacist, terrorists, radical political extremists, anti-science groups, and foreign and alien propagandists and more."

"Oh, you want details on how such an operation is conducted? Fair enough, I can provide an example before I continue. The most effective way to remove these undesirables from society is not by banning them outright, but giving them a lifeline and forum to express their idiotic views. I have seen individuals wondering why there are some extremists sites which are untouched – and for the record, it is not because we couldn't remove them, or because we haven't gotten around to them, but because we allow them to exist."

"It's far more useful to remove the majority of the troublesome ones, and keep one or two around. It's trivial to learn who the owners are and deal with them. One of our operatives may assume their identity after performing a full psychological profile of the individual in question. In most cases, we will replace the entire staff with agents who masquerade as these same individuals and draw more like-minded people as a trap."

"From there, it is simply a matter of monitoring and seeing what each user does. Everything they post is logged and monitored, and by default all individuals are already identified and blacklisted the moment they sign up. Highly elegant, and when they finally cross a certain threshold, they receive a visit from the Peacekeepers and that is one less undesirable within ADVENT."

"Am I worried that they'll be more cautious based on what I'm saying? Ha! Absolutely not, and this is because the type of individuals who are attracted to these views are not intelligent. Well, they _consider_ themselves intelligent, but then again, the actual intelligent ones are smart enough to keep their views to themselves. Not to mention they are typically in charge of these little communities – and as such they are quickly arrested and replaced with our own people."

"But I want to get back to the actual topic at hand – the greatest issue of Internet communities. To put it simply, it is polarization, and this problem is perpetuated and enhanced by echo chambers. You have heard of the term, yes?"

"Good, I'd be more surprised if you hadn't. On paper, the concept of communities of people gathering for a specific purpose is perfectly logical. And at the beginning, it is useful and informative. Discourse is high and varied, which is as it should be. However, over time you will see the community slowly fall to adopt one uniform opinion and suppress anything which appears to challenge it."

"This exists most prominently in relation to politics, but has more recently extended to science, news discussion, and even entertainment. Camps are formed, lines are drawn, and communities turn into mouthpieces for specific agendas, individuals and views and not places for discourse or discussion. And if one goes against the prevailing view, they can be easily silenced."

"This leads to polarization, which leads to discord, which leads to division, and finally to hostility with entire sections of the population hating each other not because of any valid reasons, but because the communities they agree with or subscribe to tell them they should. People in general do not think for themselves, and are far more comfortable simply repeating the words of those they feel are more intelligent or educated than they are. This threshold is not high. Speak with authority and some competence on a subject, and you will automatically be granted legitimacy. So when such views are challenged, people do not react _rationally_."

"The result goes heavily against our goals of a united Humanity. This is simply not something which is acceptable. There are multiple avenues which are considered, including legal requirements, but this is something that simply cannot be done feasibly. Echo chambers ultimately serve no one and heavily damage any sort of serious discourse. However, a solution was found."

"Education is most important, and the more individuals who are exposed to logic and factual arguments the better. However, if it goes against the prevailing view, then it can be hard to gain any traction regardless of quality. Fortunately, we have access to technology and methods which allow us to boost _any_ topic or thread to the top – enough to overcome the suppression often attempted. This is the first step in breaking an echo chamber into something more moderate."

"Yes, sometimes one of our agents will use an account to instigate the process. What is usually found is that when something like that succeeds – it opens the floodgates. Many times the echo chamber intimidates those who hold a different view, but simply refrain from contributing because they fear backlash. So when a contrary view gains prominence – it sends the signal that having a different opinion is _ok_. And so that starts an organic flood of similar content – with us promoting the contributions of quality."

"This works in the reverse as well. If poorly argued or sourced information is pushed within an echo chamber, we will work to suppress it in the interests of ensuring that those who read the content actually are receiving moderately factual or well-argued information. Lies and disinformation – intentional or not – will never be tolerated or supported by ADVENT and we have no qualms about suppressing such things."

"I feel it important to mention that this is a general and non-discriminatory policy. We're not looking to suppress anti-ADVENT information, nor promote clear and obvious propaganda for us. While those specific individuals have their hearts in the right place, the best propaganda is one which is based in truth. Simply lying about our organization – while flattering – is damaging to our integrity."

"Many communities are not related to ADVENT at all, and relate to science, health, political discussion, economics, and so on. Topics where facts are important and relevant, and discussion should at least attempt to be high-quality. Extremes of viewpoints rarely benefit anyone outside of a small group, and if an individual feels they can express themselves in an open environment without concern for if it will be illegitimately controversial – then we will have succeeded in our objective."

"And what is our objective with this? Well, I would say first and foremost to improve the discourse between individuals of our species in a respectful manner. Humans can make mistakes and get things wrong, but that also means they can learn from it and grow. This can be done constructively and respectfully, and that is the attitude we want to cultivate. That, and ensure that ADVENT citizens are receiving the best possible supporting argument, regardless of who side it might fall under. I do not expect every citizen to agree with each other, nor do I think they should – but at minimum, I want them to _understand_ why someone else might have a different view."

"After all, if we were so close-minded as to remove anyone who questioned what we've done or investigated us, we would have gotten rid of you a long time ago."

 _\- Interview with ADVENT Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka by Journalist Jessica Wong_

* * *

 _A/N: For those of you who haven't seen it, one of my Editors (Ash) has recently wrote some additional material for the series under XCOM Files - Technical Addenda which focuses on specific aspects/research in the story in a much more technical light and detail. Check it out if you've found this series interesting so far._

 _\- Xabiar_


	124. ADVENT - History: The Imperial Regicide

ADVENT: History

The Imperial Regicide

* * *

" _One of these days, the aliens are going to figure out that killing beloved figures and symbols of Human culture, heritage, and history doesn't break our resolve, it only makes us angry."_

\- Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military

* * *

Chancellor,

Initial apologies for the incomplete report, but given the circumstances I have decided it is best if you're updated on the situation here as soon as possible, and given the current situation regarding the imminent alien attacks, as well as the recent issue of the Sovereign African States, there are enough problems for you to be dealing with that you don't need this one added to them; though we will still continue to keep you informed of all major developments.

However, for this I will stick to what is currently known and is important to you.

As reported, the Imperial Family of Japan who were residing in an undisclosed safe house are dead. Quite interestingly, the _only_ deaths were those of the Imperial Family. Staff and even ADVENT personnel were either left alone, rendered unconscious, or otherwise made incapable of stopping the assassinations.

Also of note is the fact that the children of the Imperial Family who were residing in the safe house – Mashai and Rena – are missing and are presumed to be captives of the Ethereal Collective. Currently there have been no demands or threats made against the Imperial children, although we cannot discount the possibility that this will be used in the future.

Allowing some immediate speculation, the children were the future of the Imperial bloodline and were likely intended to succeed the late Emperor at some point in the future. The fact that they are now in the hands of the Collective – and at fairly young ages (9 and 6, respectively), indicates that the aliens may use them as pawns to legitimize or rally Human support when they potentially establish a government over Japan. Having the children of the Imperial bloodline would be legitimizing to their control, even if their actual influence over the actual Japanese population is primarily among the older and more nationalistic demographics.

It will also be a difficult sell due to the fact that the majority of Japanese citizens are displaced due to the alien invasion of Japan, and the fact that it is being deliberately targeted again does not exactly engender support to the aliens. This likely means that the Collective will not use the children unless they ultimately emerge victorious in this war and reveal them to a much more pacified Human crowd.

It is important that this issue be revealed quickly and publicly. A demand for the return of the children of the Imperial Family must be issued. The Collective will not comply, of course, but it will hurt their already tarnished image further, and can be utilized quite effectively for further rallying support to ADVENT. Given the revelation of the developments of the SAS, convincing the African nations of what the aliens intend is imperative and this serves as a fine example of what they intend for us.

That being said, this reveals a vulnerability we unfortunately did not anticipate. While the monarchies and old bloodlines of the world are no more inherently worthy of status than others, the fact remains that for now they do remain a symbol of culture and status, especially to certain nations. We did not expect the aliens to target these individuals as they have, at best, given only superficial support to ADVENT and not been further involved (with some exceptions, such as Prince Mason), and their identities have been protected.

This is clearly no longer the case. The aliens are signaling that they intend to go after figures of culture and/or status – and it is possible that they will not restrict themselves to only monarchies and old families. They could very well target celebrities, journalists, and other high-profile figures of culture and/or status. While not directly damaging to ADVENT, attacking these figures will damage morale and make ADVENT appear incapable of protecting these individuals.

At minimum we need to reconfigure our own protocols regarding monarchies, as it appears that the individual who did this essentially walked in, killed the Imperial Family, and then left without anyone being the wiser. We initially did not know anything was amiss until the surveillance team failed to check in. The soldier who went to find them found them bound, gagged, and blinded, as well as propped up to give the illusion of being active to a passive observer. The armor of one of the soldiers was gone, and presumably utilized by the assassin.

The assassin who carried this out was extremely – and worryingly – competent. The bodies of the Imperial Families were not left in plain sight unless doctored to appear that way. The most common cause of death was a snapped neck. Others were strangled or smothered. No penetrating objects were utilized, nor were there any signs of a struggle usually.

This assassin either killed them from behind or when they were unaware, or they were somehow not alarmed in his presence. The bodies themselves were stashed in wardrobes, clothing chests, or left in beds to give the illusion of sleep. In all cases it was not immediately apparent that the victims were dead, one could justifiably assume they were sleeping or just gone somewhere else.

The assassin left behind no trace whatsoever – another concerning development. There were no fingerprints or traces of DNA left on _anything_. Our immediate speculation is that the assassin was utilizing cybernetics which would not have any of those things, which could be covered through fake skin or clothing.

He also went to impressive lengths to remove or hide any kind of evidence he was there. The security room that he intruded upon had the hard drives themselves completely removed and currently have not been recovered. All the equipment was subsequently unplugged, but undamaged. The assassin was clever in hiding his identity – but unfortunately for him, not clever enough.

There is one sole piece of good news to this – we do know who he is. Unfortunately, the answer doesn't make any sense, but has certain implications.

Thanks to the armor cameras of the ADVENT soldier who was bound and propped up, we were able to recover footage of the assassin. I can only presume that the assassin either didn't know, or forgot about the fact that ADVENT armor has body cameras, but in either case, we have actual footage of the assassin.

What does not make sense is that this individual is quite clearly Prince Kaneda. Facial recognition confirms this with complete accuracy. It explains how he was able to enter the safe house, as logs show that Kaneda entered the compound, and then exited it a few hours later – presumably with the children (this was not reported).

Prince Kaneda was scheduled to be briefed on the situation with Japan earlier that day, and then inexplicably called to cancel the appointment citing a need to return to the safe house. We sent a Peacekeeping team to retrace the path his transport had taken, and found his body tossed in a ditch along the route. We can only presume that the Collective intended for us to find him to show that the entire family would be eliminated.

There is the possibility that the Prince was telepathically controlled, but there are several reasons to dispute this theory. The first of which is that there would have been biometric evidence left behind, as the assassin was not wearing gloves, and the second is that the Prince was not trained in close-quarters combat – and certainly not strong enough to eradicate the entire family with such mechanical precision.

So the question of exactly _who_ killed the Imperial Family remains a mystery. It implies that there is a group or possibly just a single alien operative working within the Collective that can alter their physical appearance so completely as to be indistinguishable from the real thing. Several witnesses did report that the assassin when he was masquerading as the Prince was able to speak Japanese, although one witness did say that there seemed something strange, and that he didn't speak very long.

New security protocols will need to be implemented to address this kind of breach. Which could include biometric confirmation of identity, as well as possibly telepathic checks. Secondary off-site security stations may need to be constructed as well, possibly overlapping ones to prevent all physical video evidence from being destroyed.

I would also recommend that this is the perfect opportunity to revamp ADVENT security as a whole and transition from evidence stored on physical devices, and instead having all security footage be uploaded straight to the secured cloud where it can't be removed simply by taking out the hard drives. This would also, I will note, serve as an anti-telepath measure in case someone tries to carry out similar operations.

There is one final point of interest – the fact that the Imperial Family was not _completely_ eliminated. There is Princess Kiyumi Egusa, who made headlines some years ago by renouncing her lineage to marry a commoner Japanese man. She is currently residing in Canada with her husband and son. It is likely the assassin didn't target her due to this fact, although she has been moved to a safe house just in case and informed of the situation. It is possible that she may take over as the surviving Empress and rebuild the family anew. The ADVENT Diplomatic Corps are working with her and close contacts of the Imperial Family to decide their future. She will likely make a statement in the coming days.

The other survivor of note is Princess Kaya, who quietly enlisted in ADVENT as a soldier under the alias of Tora Sato, and placed with a non-Japanese squad to protect her identity, shortly before the First Battle of Japan and participated in the conflict. She also participated in the Second Battle of Japan, successfully evacuated, and participated in the First Battle of Korea. Needless to say, she has been heavily involved in the Asian Theatre of the conflict and has been internally marked as a candidate for the Officer Corps.

Most recently she was selected for the opportunity (along with half of her squad) to be part of the initial soldiers within the developing Order of Terra. She has spent the last several months training heavily. Thanks to her training as a child, she has a unique advantage and has been established as a Samurai unit, which synergizes well with her close quarters skills and displayed marksmanship in previous battles.

Technically, she could return and take control of the family, as she is now next in line. However, we are not expecting her to take the position at this point, though she has been informed of what has happened and is digitally participating in talks currently being had regarding the Imperial Family and its future. Due to the possibility of the Order of Terra being deployed in the near future, we cannot transport her away without compromising her safety and identity – likely the reason the assassin was unable to eliminate her as well.

Unlike Princess Kiyumi, Kaya never renounced her family and is the only 'legitimate' heir to the Imperial Family, so she could very well be targeted again in the future.

These are the current facts regarding the situation. We will appraise you as it develops further.

\- Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations

* * *

In the midst of the current offensive being waged against ADVENT, more bad news has befallen the nation of Japan which has currently suffered from an orbital bombardment attack as well as a subsequent invasion once more by the Ethereal Collective following the day's earlier warning from the Ethereal Isomnum who threatened the capture of the nations should ADVENT not capitulate to the Collective.

Less than an hour ago ADVENT confirmed reports that the Imperial Family has been assassinated and that the two young children of the Imperial Family - Mashai and Rena – have been abducted and are presumed to be captives of the Ethereal Collective. ADVENT has stated that they are still investigating and currently have no information to share regarding the identity or identities of the individuals who carried this out, or how such an act was accomplished at all.

"We are still working to gather as many facts and as much information as possible before deciding how to properly respond," Chief Stein said in a statement released shortly after the initial press release. "This attack against an innocent family, regardless of their lineage, is indicative of the tactics the aliens will employ on all those who merely defy their rule."

She later added several comments. "However, we should understand that the ultimate objective of the Collective was not to simply assassinate the Imperial Family, but also subvert them through the direct abduction of their children. Yet they did not succeed completely. There are two surviving members of the Imperial Family who we will not disclose at this time, suffice to say they are under heavy protection and we are working with them to determine the future of the Imperial Family and ensure its survival."

The words of Chief Stein were met with both surprise and relief, as well as generating immediate speculation as to the identities of the survivors. It is widely believed that Princess Kiyumi Egusa, who in a shocking decision several years ago renounced her royal heritage to marry a common Japanese man, is one of the survivors. We have reached out to her family and currently have not received a response. ADVENT soldiers have been spotted around her house, which has only added legitimacy to the idea that she is still alive and being protected by ADVENT.

The identity of the other survivor is unknown, as ADVENT has not released a complete list of the victims; the only definitive confirmation was the fact that Emperor Tamotsu was one of the victims of the attack. ADVENT has not indicated if they intend to release the list of victims or not, and will likely not make a decision until the future of the Imperial Family is decided.

This attack has only added fury to an already incised population. Many Japanese citizens have already been displaced due to the war, and watched their country suffer under some of the heaviest fighting during the war, as it has withstood two alien attacks before initially succumbing, was retaken, and has since suffered an orbital bombardment destroying what is presumed to be the last of their major infrastructure, and has once more fallen to the Ethereal Collective.

The deaths of the majority of the Imperial Family have been yet another direct attack against the Japanese population, and the short duration between these recent events has already shown to be a catalyst for many seeking retaliation. Social media has been filled with Japanese citizens – many of whom are living in Germany, Canada, and Russia – condemning the Collective and promising retaliation. They are joined by others around the world echoing their sentiments.

Former and current Japanese government officials have also reacted with similar disgust and fury. Japanese Prime Minister Reizo Sakata stated the following: "It is clear the Collective is not content to merely kill the soldiers who fight against this scourge, but actively seek to destroy all who dare support those who oppose their tyrannical rule. Being a civilian or non-combatant is no longer protection from the Ethereals. They have assassinated our Emperor; there can be no mercy or forgiveness for such acts, only blood. There is no other option left, all must join and fight for it is no longer our nation, our culture, and people on the line, but our species. What they have done to us, they will do to all nations until there are none remaining but the docile, the enslaved, and the traitors."

This remains the most direct the Prime Minister has been in his statements, which have diminished in recent months, and it is likely many Japanese will take his words to heart. ADVENT has already confirmed a surge in Japanese recruits, and is working to quickly accommodate and process this increased volume.

Chancellor Vyandar has also issued a brief statement on the situation. "The actions taken against the Imperial Family are cowardly and show the weakness of the Collective," she said. "They know they will have far more difficulty against military targets and figures, and so instead they target civilians and kidnap children in a juvenile attempt to break our morale and spirit; to make us _afraid_ of them. But their actions invoke no fear, they only awaken our righteous fury."

She continued shortly on. "There are those in the Collective who say they have honor and rules of conduct they follow, yet that appears to be a continual lie perpetuated by a coward with no will to stand against the Imperator or Ethereals like Isomnum. We formally demand you release the children of the Imperial Family into ADVENT custody unharmed in both body and mind, as well as the individual or individuals responsible for this heinous and cowardly act."

The Ethereal Collective has not yet responded to this statement.

 _\- Article: Breaking News: Confirmed Massacre of the Imperial Family [Update 5]_


	125. Miscellaneous - Psionics II

Miscellaneous

Psionics II

* * *

" _Just when we think we know most of how psionics works, we'll learn something that shows us how much we have yet to learn about it."_

\- Dr. Moira Vahlen, Head of XCOM Research and Development

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Bringer and Psionic Impossibilities

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

Considering the recent events surrounding the Paradise Blacksite and the Creator's continued experiments, it appears prudent that we – as in the Ethereals – take a far more extensive look into the nature of the Bringer and how exactly his subjects and thralls function underneath him. While previously we had relied on the Creator to provide such information to us, it has become clear that she is compromised and unreliable, and as such I have begun conducting oversight over experiments in a remote location far from Paradise due to inherent concerns over the Bringer and safety present in Paradise.

SECTION 1: Paradise Station

There is something profoundly wrong with the station of Paradise as it exists. Having visited it and performed several detailed experiments on the station, the closest working theory I have developed is that the Psionosphere itself is weakened the further one descends into the station. How this has been achieved is unknown, but appears extremely gradual, growing more and more intense as one moves closer to the center.

Over sixty psionic subjects, including Sectoids, Humans, and a singular Zudjari, were brought into the station and their impressions were recorded. All of them without exception reported an odd feeling about the station, and the further they descended the more extreme the effect became, including, but not strictly limited to, the following:

\- Hallucinations (Auditory and visual)

\- Feelings of being watched

\- Increased anxiety and nervousness

\- Telepathic enhancement

\- Conversations with an unknown entity

These conversations were extracted telepathically and I can confirm that they communicated with the entity which is the Bringer. Extrapolating this further, it is likely that this entity is responsible for the feelings of paranoia and being watched, which in turn makes psions in particular concerned if they are unable to block out the influence.

What is also quite curious is the fact that all subjects reported that they were able to utilize their psionic abilities with more effectiveness and ease. This was tested by having them perform actions on objects or individuals, and I can confirm that even the weaker Sectoid Vanguards were capable of mind controlling over a dozen Paradise thralls.

Unfortunately, all such subjects who interacted with a Paradise thrall were forced to be terminated after it was discovered that all thralls contain a telepathic memetic command which forces the invading individual to eventually succumb to the Bringer's influence. This will be elaborated on shortly, suffice to say that we unnecessarily lost multiple test subjects due to the Bringer's agents failing to inform us of this fact. Several hundred of their strongest warriors were terminated as punishment.

Regardless, the fact remains that the subjects displayed far more powerful and advanced abilities than they had been able to previously, which implies that the strength of the veil between the Psionosphere and reality is directly proportional to the strength of the psion. This has significant implications, and we have yet to determine if this veil can be weakened artificially or if it is a side effect of the Bringer itself and impossible to replicate.

The Creator and her thralls themselves have not confirmed this either, and will inform me should they reach definitive conclusions.

SECTION 2: Forced Psionic Connections

This section will focus on one of the most improbable elements of Paradise – the use of Psionics by non-psionic species. These include the Vitakara, Andromedons, and _Mutons_ of all things. Such should not be possible, and extensive research has already been done by the Collective proving that such species cannot wield psionics. Artificial connections have always resulted in failure up until now.

However, the proof that exists stands as a testament to how we were wrong.

Performing several hundred autopsies on Caretakers and other enhanced non-psionic aliens (from their "Orders") has revealed several extremely enlightening facts about how these creatures work and how such power can be acquired despite it quite literally going against nature.

I will start with the generic Caretaker. One will note that these individuals seem to be decaying and would normally be examples of unhealthy individuals for their respective species. This is true regardless of alien, and the reason for this is that each and every one of them is forced to have a direct connection with the Bringer – which means the _Psionosphere_ itself.

We are well aware of the fact that the Psionosphere is an extremely inhospitable place, and this link between the Caretaker and the Bringer (who has a disturbingly deep connection to the Psionosphere) allows the Caretaker to draw power from the Psionosphere itself using their bodies as conduits. This has the effect of ravaging their bodies and forcing rapid decay – even if the user never actually utilizes the power. Without this forced link between the Caretaker and the Bringer, a non-psion cannot use psionics. Even with it, their bodies will decay and fall apart within years.

It should be noted however that psionic species – Sectoids and Humans – are in notably better condition, though their continued exposure to the Psionosphere also has this degenerative effect. Further experiments on the Caretakers reveal that their pain tolerance is significantly increased, and they cannot be coerced into giving up any kind of information. This is likely the result of their connection to the Bringer – which also maintains the memetic command.

I will address this command now. It appears to be both a means of spreading the Bringer's influence to other species, and a defense for even the weakest of his thralls. A quite ingenious and clever trap, especially since experiments have shown that when the Bringer has control of a mind, it is under his grasp forever and impossible to fully remove. The only means of removal could be taking an individual to a place where the Psionosphere does not exist, such as the Dead World. This has not been confirmed yet.

This covers the Caretakers, but the more advanced specimens of the Bringer Orders are far different in comparison. They still maintain a connection to the Bringer, but unlike the Caretakers this connection appears to be completely telepathic in nature, not a forced link to act as a conduit, and these individuals appear to possess greater status and freedom in the Bringer's hierarchy.

There appears to be two ways these specific individuals are enhanced. The first is for psionic species to increase their psionic potential – something that we have achieved ourselves in various Ethereal iterations in the days of the Empire, but unlike the Empire, the Bringer has managed to learn how to apply these enhancements retroactively.

They appear to have the candidate undergo surgery where their brain is directly altered on a genetic level using what I can only describe as organic nanites (concerning creatures that I am running additional experiments on), and their body also undergoes significant changes on a genetic level. It is unknown if this is a one-time operation or if it is done repeatedly when new breakthroughs are developed.

For non-psionic species, the brain is also modified, though far more than the psionic species. The operation can be more closely compared to a 'sleeve' that covers the brain which is connected to 'nodes' that are seeded throughout the body of the individual. These nodes appear semi-autonomous brains which are derived from Human and Sectoid genetics that determine psionic potential – and quite possibly connect to the Psionosphere, which then sends information back to the sleeve, which in turn sends information to the brain.

A highly roundabout way to circumventing the limitations of psionics, and while I am hesitant to use any sort of technology developed by the Bringer or its thralls, I have begun research into replicating these enhancements without using any of the currently-used materials. Due to these limitations, I cannot foresee a timeframe in which this is completed, but I am staunchly opposed to rushing any aspect of technology derived from this entity.

This has also revealed a weakness in the Bringer's soldiers. I have mapped the locations of these nodes and each one is uniform. Should these nodes be damaged or destroyed, their connection to the Psionosphere will also be weakened. While many of these soldiers are aware of this vulnerability, it is nonetheless something I believe the Battlemaster and Mortis would be interested in.

Quite curiously, we have also observed that deliberately blocking subjects (Caretakers and Order soldiers) from being able to communicate with the Bringer (Primarily using a Mosrimor Sovereign Orb) often results in them committing suicide or having complete mental breakdowns. The Bringer's forced connections gain him their undying loyalty, but should they be severed, it is clear that his thralls cannot live without the connection.

It is interestingly similar to what a hive-mind is theorized to be. We shall be running more experiments on the similarities since we are unlikely to encounter a hive-mind in the future.

SECTION 3: The Bringer and Nature of the Psionosphere

The mere existence of this entity poses significant questions for the entire field of psionics. It is extremely apparent that the Bringer exists in the Psionosphere. Not in a physical body of course, but through a consciousness. From what we have learned, it is at minimum millions of years old and 'asleep' for good portions of it, and when it becomes more aware, it exerts it's influence on reality.

I will point out something concerning which has been noted – the more followers the Bringer has under his control, the more active and intelligent he appears to be. I question the wisdom of allowing an entire station of these thralls, because while it drastically decreases research time and accelerates our own plans for final usage tremendously, it is not what I can classify as _safe_.

I propose a significant reduction of Paradise personnel immediately, and only core staff working to bring the final details to fruition. Should this theory be proven incorrect, their numbers can always be returned to full strength.

Returning to the topic at hand, a question that must be asked is _why_ this is the case. If there is a consciousness in the Psionosphere, we need to know if it spans the _entire_ Psionosphere or if it merely moves around portions of it. Conversations with Caretakers and thralls are pointless, as each of them fully believe the Bringer is a deity which oversees everything.

Their words are not reliable, and we must have some proof.

Nonetheless, if the Bringer _did_ have reach over the entire Psionosphere, it would explain why it would go into periods of inactivity lasting millions of years, as a consciousness that large would be difficult to rouse to action or be devoted to a specific activity. This also poses very troubling implications, as it could – in theory – allow the Bringer to be largely omnipotent, over not just this galaxy, but the _entire_ universe.

The greatest concern I have regarding this entire project is the many unknowns we are dealing with. We do not fully know what the Bringer is, what its capabilities are, or what its plan is. We would be fools for assuming it doesn't have one or than pleased with what we plan for it. The safeguards that are in place are seemingly adequate, but adequate simply isn't good enough.

This entity without a doubt knows the nature of psionics and the Psionosphere better than anything alive, which theoretically means that it could control the Psionosphere were it to ever be released into reality. The implications of this theory cannot be understated. Consider carefully when proceeding with the Bringer and Paradise, because doing this wrong will likely lead to not just our deaths, but the death of this galaxy itself, if not the universe.

* * *

 **PRIEST Division Report P892**

Research Type: Physical Psionic Testing

Research Subject: Trask Scale Experimentation

Subjects Utilized: Humans, Ethereal

Overseer: PRIEST Research Division Maharishi Rodion Vinokurov

There have been enough studies and experiments conducted by XCOM and the Research Branch to definitively confirm the Trask Scale of Psionic Power as theorized, but aside from some vague assumptions and unconfirmed confirmations from psions (primarily from XCOM), there exists very little hard data on the actual caps between the various Trask Levels.

To remind those who are unfamiliar with the Trask Scale of Psionic Power, it is the ranking of an individual's ability to affect the Psionosphere on wide scale. The higher one's Trask Level is, the more effective and far-reaching their abilities will be. Please note that the Trask Level of an individual does _not_ relate to their actual _skill_ , only the scale of application. The tiers are as follows:

\- Awakened – 1 to 20

\- Adept – 21 to 40

\- Psion – 41 – 60

\- Magus – 61 to 80

\- Leviathan – 81 to 100

\- Ethereal – 100+

There exists every likelihood that this Scale will be expanded in the future, but to date there exists no Human with a Trask Level higher than 90. This document will be updated should this change.

In the meantime, this series of experiments focused on the tangible differences and limits between individuals within the differing tiers of the Trask Scale. To this end, we recruited a total of twenty PRIESTs and XCOM Psions who were kind enough to be loaned to us by the Commander and Overseer Bronis.

We made sure to recruit five psions per major psionic discipline (Dynamo, Aegii, Telekine, Telepath), and one per Trask tier. This translates to one member of each tier for each psionic discipline, which allows us to directly compare similar abilities. The nature of psionics itself makes pure replication impossible, yet we can ensure that there are enough similarities to produce valid results.

All recruits who were chosen are at minimum moderately skilled and for the sake of producing usable results, the minimum Trask level imposed was 10. While theoretically an individual could hold a Trask level below that, it is unlikely to be noticeably tangible and will interfere with the gathering of information.

For clarity before we move to the experiments and results, the average Trask level of the various tiers is as follows:

\- Awakened: Average Trask Level was 14

\- Adept: Average Trask Level was 32

\- Psion: Average Trask Level was 49

\- Magus: Average Trask Level was 64

\- Leviathan: Average Trask Level was 84

Additionally, we requested the assistance of the Ethereal Aegis to provide information of an additional tier, and he was utilized for the Telepathic and Aegii experiments. By his own admittance he has stated that he is not extensively trained in Telekinesis and Dynamo psionics, so in the interest of data integrity, we refrained from including his participation in those experiments.

The majority of subjects in this experiment are unnamed for reasons of anonymity and protocol (Aegis allowed his disclosure due to his unique position, species, and abilities which needed clarification). To acquire exact details of the individuals involved please fill out an Information Disclosure form and sent it to myself or the Oversight Division.

Each group performed a total of two experiments. Upon further approval by the PRIEST Division, additional experiments will be conducted. Due to the success of these series of experiments, we are expecting approval to be swift.

 **Experiment Group #1 – Dynamo Psionics**

Experiment #1 – **Group Targeting**

Objective: To determine how the Trask Level of an individual affects the scale of Dynamo Psionics against a theoretical enemy composition.

Scenario: A group of forty cardboard mockups of alien figures were placed throughout a 30x30 foot square and psions were requested to destroy as many as possible at one time. Note that targets were not placed evenly apart and some were closer together than others. However, we replicated the initial arrangement for each subject to preserve result integrity.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Leviathan. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Dynamo_ : The subjected gathered energy into his hand and fired it at a clustered group of three targets. All were destroyed. No additional collateral damage. 3/40 targets eliminated at once.

 _Adept Dynamo_ : The subject gathered psionic energy in both arms and hands, brought them both back and then pushed outwards, sending a wave of psionic corrosive energy to the targets. A total of eleven were destroyed before the wave dissipated, with collateral singeing on seven targets. 11/40 targets eliminated at once.

 _Psion Dynamo_ : The subject drew back his arm, gathering energy into the withdrawn limb, and then thrust it outwards, creating a lance of sustained energy which he then moved in an arc. Dissipated about one-third of the way through the room and reached to the far wall. Slight repairs were necessary after the experiment was concluded. 19/40 targets were destroyed with one sustained attack.

 _Magus Dynamo_ : The subject spent a short amount of time preparing herself, before she extended an arm and brought into manifestation a psionic maelstrom in the center of the area. Recordings confirmed a radius of at least twenty feet, and all caught within it were destroyed. The resulting force from the maelstrom knocked over all additional targets as collateral. 31/40 targets destroyed from the maelstrom which existed approximately 5.67 seconds.

 _Leviathan Dynamo_ : The subject replicated the Magus and she brought into existence a psionic maelstrom as well, but this one was large enough that the entire area was consumed and all targets destroyed. She additionally kept the maelstrom in existence for twice as long as the previous subject. 40/40 targets were destroyed.

Conclusion: There can be a clear link drawn between Trask level and the scale and sustainability of Dynamo psionics. The higher the Trask level, the larger the scale of abilities and the greater the duration they can be continued. Future experiments to further confirm this should have each individual use the same Dynamo power so the data integrity remains consistent, but in terms of the goal of this experiment, it was successful.

Experiment #2 – **Focused Targeting**

Objective: To determine if the Trask level of an individual has impact on the intensity of psionic abilities.

Scenario: Subjects will be given a cube constructed of a mixture of metal and alien alloys approximately 4x4 for the dimensions and asked to destroy it as thoroughly as possible in one try.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Leviathan. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Dynamo_ : The subject attempted a sustained psionic blast, but only managed to corrode a small amount of the front-facing side of the cube off; no more than one inch.

 _Adept Dynamo_ : Also struggled with sustained psionic lance, though made significantly more progress as he was able to burn close to halfway through the cube in a six-inch radius.

 _Psion Dynamo_ : The subject repeated the same method he used to destroy the targets in the previous experiment and created a psionic lance which he sustained for six seconds. However, he utilized the lance in an even pattern so when it dissipated, a largely even face of the cube was left. He successfully burned through an entire third of the cube.

 _Magus Dynamo_ : The subject took a different approach to the cube. She placed a hand on it and psionic energy was formed around the cube and began destroying it from all sides. She was not able to completely destroy the cube, although she reduced it to one-fourth of the size before she passed out from exhaustion.

 _Leviathan Dynamo_ : The subject also took a different approach, but unlike the previous subject did not place a hand on it or perform a similar ability. Instead, she did noticeably reach out, and for a few seconds we didn't visibly observe anything. Without warning the cube exploded into several different pieces and it became apparent that she had created a Dynamo psionic effect _inside_ the cube to weaken, and then shatter it.

Conclusion: The results again demonstrate that the Trask Level of a subject is proportional to their effectiveness in destroying a durable object. However both the Awakened and Adept participants did state that this type of psionics they were unprepared for, so for future experiments we should endeavor to have individuals with this needed knowledge. There is also a certain creativity factor involved, as all the subjects minus the Leviathan attempted to destroy the cube _completely_ , where she just fulfilled the requirement that it be destroyed. Parameters should be tightened in the future.

 **Experiment Group #2 – Aegii Psionics**

Experiment #1 – **Group Shielding**

Objective: To determine if the Trask level of an individual can impact the range of Aegii psionics.

Scenario: A group of sixty 'friendly' soldier cardboard mockups together with a mockup of some light cover and a dozen MDUs was created over a fifty-foot length, with the subject standing in the back. They are instructed to protect this group as much as possible.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Ethereal. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Aegii_ : The subject created a psionic shield which was enough to protect a group of four or more soldiers at a time, and was tall enough that they could stand and fire from the sides.

 _Adept Aegii_ : The subject replicated the shield, only at a far larger scale which was enough to successfully provide a barrier to 1/5th of the friendly force.

 _Psion Aegii_ : This subject took a slightly different approach, and not only created a more expansive barrier in front of nearly half of the soldiers, but made smaller personal shields for the MDUs.

 _Magus Aegii_ : The subject returned to solely a barrier, but this one was large enough to protect the entirety of the front line of friendlies.

 _Leviathan Aegii_ : This subject not only successfully replicated the perfect barrier of the previous subject, but was able to manifest psionic structures and cover beyond the line for soldiers to presumably use in the no man's land. He maintained this far longer than the other subjects, perhaps to prove a point.

 _Ethereal Aegii_ : Aegis replicated everything the previous subject achieved, with the additional benefit of giving each and every friendly unit a personal psionic shield, and adding things such as psionically created trees and vegetation, including some additional details likely to also prove a point to the previous subject. He held this for ten full minutes, which was approximately six times the length of the previous subject.

Conclusion: It definitely appears to corroborate a link between the Trask level of an individual and the scale of Aegii psionics. Since all of the abilities used were largely the same, this is more solid proof than previous experiments, but of course can be further refined in the future.

Experiment #2 – **Shield Durability**

Objective: To determine if the Trask level of an individual has an impact on the durability of psionic shields.

Scenario: Individuals are asked to create a psionic barrier approximately four feet wide, and six feet high, which has to absorb a gauntlet of attacks, which will be used in the following order:

\- Gauss Rifles (Fifteen seconds)

\- Standard Flamethrower (Ten seconds)

\- Plasma rifles (Twenty seconds)

\- ETC M2 Browning (Thirty seconds)

\- Rockets (A total of three rockets were fired, one every five seconds)

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Ethereal. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Aegii_ : The subject created the barrier and managed to maintain it until second twelve of the M2 section of the gauntlet when it broke.

 _Adept Aegii_ : The subject created the barrier and it was maintained until the first rocket strike of the gauntlet before it dissipated.

 _Psion Aegii_ : The subject created a barrier and it successfully passed the gauntlet.

 _Magus Aegii_ : The subject created a barrier and it successfully passed the gauntlet.

 _Leviathan Aegii_ : The subject created a barrier and it successfully passed the gauntlet.

 _Ethereal Aegii_ : The subject created a barrier and it successfully passed the gauntlet.

Conclusion: This is one experiment where, notably, the Trask level of the individual seemed to matter far less, which does line up with the assumption that the Trask level affects _scale_ and not skill. Thus, even the Awakened psion was able to last a significant portion through the gauntlet despite a limited Trask Level. Further experiments will continue to confirm this.

 **Experiment Group #3 – Telekinetic Psionics**

Experiment #1 – **Area Manipulation**

Objective: To determine how the Trask Level of an individual affects the scale of Telekinetic Psionics against a theoretical enemy composition.

Scenario: Resembling the Dynamo Experiment #1, a group of forty cardboard mockups of alien figures were placed throughout a 30x30 foot square and psions were requested to destroy as many as possible with a single action. Note that targets were not placed evenly apart and some were closer together than others. However, we replicated the initial arrangement for each subject to preserve result integrity.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Leviathan. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Telekine_ : The subject lifted a total of two targets into the air, and subsequently tossed them to other groupings of targets. 6/40 targets were destroyed, with ten more as collateral damage.

 _Adept Telekine_ : Instead of directly targeting specific mockups, the subject drew back his arms and thrust them out, destroying nearly a third of the front line, and sending whatever targets were behind the wave flying. 15/40 targets were destroyed, with six more as collateral damage.

 _Psion Telekine_ : The subject used very little subtlety or hesitation when she acted, and simply clenched a hand and just over half of the targets were crushed into scraps. 22/40 targets destroyed with no collateral damage.

 _Magus Telekine_ : The subject introduced some additional complexity to his attack, by lifting up various targets throughout the area, and threw them towards other targets, effectively destroying or knocking over all of the targets. 28/40 targets destroyed, with the rest as collateral damage.

 _Leviathan Telekine_ : The subject lifted all of the targets into the air and crushed them. 40/40 targets destroyed.

Conclusion: Like most outcomes, this yet again corroborates a link between Trask levels and scale. Creativity is also something which should be taken into account, and for Telekines it appears to be easier to make the most of your capabilities due to the versatile nature of telekinetics.

Experiment #2 – **Telekinetic Coordination**

Objective: To determine how the Trask Level of an individual affects the amount of simultaneous telekinetic coordination that can be done at one time.

Scenario: Telekines will be given various objects and told to do something with them. These will be given in order and the telekine must maintain as many of them as possible. The objects are as follows and in order:

\- A metal disk which must constantly be spinning

\- A model airplane which must fly in a figure eight

\- A solid metal sphere which orbits around the waist of the telekine

\- A cube which is raised to the height of the telekine and lowered to the ground in a gradual manner

\- A laser rifle which is fired at a row of targets

All subjects were informed of the objects and were able to experiment to confirm they could fulfill the testing parameters. The order of objects was not changed for each subject.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Leviathan. Objects were given to them every thirty seconds.

 _Awakened Telekine_ : The subject successfully caught and manipulated the first object. Thirty seconds later the second object was introduced. The subject managed to successfully manipulate it in tandem with the first object, although clear strain was noted. The third object was also able to be successfully integrated and manipulated. However, the introduction of the fourth object was too much and the subject lost control.

 _Adept Telekine_ : The subject successfully caught the first object and began manipulating it. Upon the signal, the second object was introduced and lasted for approximately ten seconds before the subject lost control of the objects.

 _Psion Telekine_ : As before, the subject successfully caught the first object, although unlike previous subjects who kept the object in a single spot, the subject began rotating it around his body at the waist level presumably planning for future objects. The second object was also introduced and manipulated without issue. As anticipated, the third object was introduced and fell into orbit as was instructed. The fourth object was introduced, and was manipulated for approximately seven seconds before the subject lost control over all objects.

 _Magus Telekine_ : The subject successfully caught the first object and moved it so it was in front of the chest. The second object was introduced, and maintained around the height of the individual. The third object was introduced and was successfully manipulated to begin rotation around the body. The forth object was introduced and began being raised and lowered successfully. The final object was then introduced, and the subject missed catching it, and as a result lost control over the objects.

 _Leviathan Telekine_ : The subject successfully caught and began manipulating the first object, and the second was introduced without issue. The introduction of the third object was almost missed, but the subject recovered and maintained control. Upon the introduction of the fourth object, the subject lasted approximately twenty-two seconds before losing control over all objects.

Conclusion: This is one of the most useful tests, as it once more appears to validate the theory that the Trask Levels only apply to scale, and not control, as the Awakened subject did almost as well as the Leviathan subject. This particular experiment relied heavily on concentration over raw power, and there can be some preliminary conclusions drawn from the results here.

The first is that complex motion of more than two objects simultaneously is extremely difficult. It appears to be not difficult to keep an object still and in motion while moving other objects complexly. However, when more than two are introduced, only one of the five managed to move to the last stage, and quite notably – none of the subjects were able to complete the hardest stages.

This could be something that the telekine actually has to train for. Initial speculation has suggested that because Humans have two limbs, it inherently is difficult for our minds to adjust to the idea of complex motion of more than two items at once. It is unfortunate there is no telekinetically-skilled allied Ethereal who could help confirm or deny this theory.

Nonetheless, this was a highly useful experiment on both the nature of the Trask Scale, and the potential limitations of Human telekines.

 **Experiment Group #4 – Telepathic Psionics**

Experiment #1 – **Group Mind Control**

Objective: To determine how the Trask Level of an individual affects the number of minds a telepath can influence or control simultaneously.

Scenario: We have fifteen Humans which have been requisitioned from the Experimentation Labs, all males of various ethnicities and in satisfactory physical and emotional health. They are lined up in a room and the subject will send a telepathic command to as many as they can at one time to walk to the other end of the room, pick up a labeled piece of paper and return it to the telepath.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Ethereal. There were no time limits imposed.

 _Awakened Telepath_ : The subject verbally issued the command to the group of Humans. Two immediately followed the command, while three more began to follow, and then stopped themselves. The rest were unaffected. Two of the labeled pieces of paper were returned to the subject.

 _Adept Telepath_ : The subject also gave a verbal command, and this one was noticeably more intrusive, with all of the test subjects showing pain and confusion on their faces, and four moved to follow the command, while seven more began, but stopped themselves. Four of the labeled pieces of paper were returned to the subject.

 _Psion Telepath_ : The subject in this instance gave no verbal commands, but approximately ten of the subjects followed the instructions and returned the labeled pieces of paper to the subject. This was completed in notably quicker time than the previous subjects.

 _Magus Telepath_ : The subject in question performed a rather unorthodox method of gaining compliance from the subjects. We initially believed him to be mind controlling them all at once, as he issued a very detailed series of threats to them which would presumably take place if they did not cooperate, which visibly terrified the individuals. He later explained that he had not actually taken control of their minds, but altered their emotional states until they were terrified and frightened of him, ensuring they would follow his orders. All subjects returned the labeled piece of paper to him.

 _Leviathan Telepath_ : The subject solved the problem in a straightforward way. No verbal commands were given, but every single subject followed the instructions and handed the labeled piece of paper to the subject before returning to their places.

 _Ethereal Telepath_ : As expected, the group of individuals immediately followed the instructions of Aegis and returned the labeled pieces of paper promptly.

Conclusion: While we were again able to link the Trask level of individuals with scale, this experiment is one of those in need of some refinement. Replicating this with aliens, fresh groups of test subjects (We cannot discount that their minds may have been more vulnerable after repeated exploitation), and additional commands will give us a better idea of the actual limits of telepaths, especially Magus-class and above. Larger groups of test subjects should be considered, and possibly handicaps should be given to psions. The main objective was completed however, and these are experiments for another day.

Experiment #2 – **Distance Control**

Objective: To determine how the Trask Level of an individual affects the range at which their telepathy is effective in as well as the impact of line of sight on telepathic effectiveness.

Scenario: Using an additionally requisitioned Human from the Experimentation Labs (Male), they will be placed at gradually increased distances from the telepath, and be telepathically commanded to perform a physical action. The ranges will be the following:

\- Range A: 5 meters

\- Range A1: A physical barrier obscuring the test subject will be placed directly before the telepath. Distance between the target and subject is not affected.

\- Range B: 25 meters

\- Range B1: A physical barrier obscuring the test subject will be placed directly before the telepath. Distance between the target and subject is not affected.

\- Range C: 50 meters

\- Range C1: A physical barrier obscuring the test subject will be placed directly before the telepath. Distance between the target and subject is not affected.

\- Range D: 100 meters

\- Range D1 physical barrier obscuring the test subject will be placed directly before the telepath. Distance between the target and subject is not affected.

Methodology and Immediate Results: The results for each subject are as follows. This was completed in ascending order, from Awakened to Ethereal. There was a time limit of one minute imposed.

 _Awakened Telepath_ : The subject was able to elicit physical reactions up to Range B, and encountered difficulties locating the subject's mind at Range B1. The subject remained standing for this duration.

 _Adept Telepath_ : The subject was able to successfully elicit physical reactions up to Range B1, and at Range C he was unable to focus strongly enough to lock down his mind. After several minutes he withdrew. The subject remained standing for the duration.

 _Psion Telepath_ : The subject successfully elicited physical reactions up to Range C, although was unable to locate the mind at Range C1. The subject remained standing for the duration.

 _Magus Telepath_ : This subject took a different approach, and knelt on the ground and stayed that way for the duration of the experiment. All ranges were successfully completed.

 _Leviathan Telepath_ : Mirroring the previous subject, this one also took a kneeling position for the duration of the experiment. She was able to also elicit physical reactions at all ranges successfully.

 _Ethereal Telepath_ : The Ethereal was able to complete all the ranges successfully, and remained standing for the entire duration.

Conclusion: This will require a series of additional experiments to confirm, but the most interesting thing that is implied is that psions who rely on line of sight to utilize telepathy seem at a disadvantage compared to those who take a more 'meditative' approach. Due to this, we cannot actually say that range is affected by the Trask level, even if it is implied. A more accurate experiment to conduct would require the subjects either keeping their eyes open or standing, or discarding vision and taking a meditative stance. While some level of correlation between the Trask level of an individual and telepathic range is suggested, these recorded results are not enough to firmly confirm it.

 **Final Notes** : Overall, we can say without question that this series of experiments have been successful and we now have hard data to determine the limitations and strengths of psions depending on their Trask levels, which can be useful in determining how best to utilize them in military or civilian operations – details which could mean the difference between life and death.

However, these are early experiments within this specific field of psionics, and many more will need to be conducted before we have a full and complete understanding of the relationship between the Trask levels of our psions, and their true capabilities. This is a start, but there is much more work to be done. I highly recommend we continue working with XCOM and Aegis, as well as incorporating alien volunteers and prisoners into these scenarios for additional data.

* * *

 **XCOM Project File 0189**

Project Codename: "Mind Palace"

Project Type: Psionic Research

Latest Revision: 2/12/2017

Authors: Head of XCOM Research and Development, Dr. Moira Vahlen; Overseer of Psionic Operations Iosif Bronis; Aegis; Axis of the Zudjari; the Chronicler; Caelior

 **OVERVIEW**

The field of Psionics is one of, if not the current youngest fields of research in existence, and one we have only scratched the surface of. During this period of growth, individuals studying this field must be aware that what we discover is not always going to be proven to be true or accurate, and will undergo metamorphosis as it should under the scientific method.

While the core theories around psionics – in particular the Psionosphere Theory and some fundamental disciplinary theories such as the String Theory of Telekinesis continue to hold up under experimentation, another thing which has become far more apparent is that psionics itself is far more versatile and applicable on macro and micro scales than previously believed.

Our understanding of these disciplines has grown to such an extent that additional reports and research need to be conducted – something which is also being pursued within the Research Branch of the PRIEST Division of ADVENT. Additional insight from Ethereals such as Aegis, Caelior, and Axis have revealed insights into the nature and utilization of psionics that we would have initially believed as outlandish.

In addition, the revelation of the Sovereign Ones and their agents has also introduced new theories about the scale and abilities of psions who are beyond even Ethereals, and information provided about the entity the Collective has currently imprisoned known as the Bringer defies most previous understandings and suppositions about psionics itself.

With these events in mind, this report will cover mostly new information and make corrections or clarifications when necessary.

 **UPDATED AND EXPANDED PSIONIC DISCIPLINES**

The first major updates regarding the psionic disciplines is that several of them have undergone name changes to be less derivative and awkward to say. These names reflect the nature of the discipline itself, and have been accepted by the PRIEST Division as the current standards for psionic classification. In addition, we have determined appropriate sub-disciplines within each major psionic discipline as individuals tend to additionally specialize in a specific usage within the discipline – these will all be identified below:

 **DYNAMO** : This has been formerly called the "Offensive" discipline of psionics, and underwent a name change due to the awkward and unclear nature of the term. The term "Dynamo" is unique to this discipline and not capable of being easily interchanged or being misunderstood, as well as conveying the volatile nature of the discipline itself. There are no addendums to our functionality and understanding of this discipline at the time of writing this report.

There are two identified sub-disciplines of the Dynamo Discipline:

IGNIS: Ignis Dynamo psionics is the usage of Dynamo psionics in a controlled or directed manner; precision as opposed to area of effect. This includes abilities and techniques such as the Null Lance, Targeted Rend, Soulfire and similar techniques.

TEMPEST: In contrast, Tempests utilize Dynamo psionics which are extremely large and capable of taking out multiple enemies at a time as well as running a risk of significant collateral or structural damage. This includes abilities and techniques like Rifts, Psionic Waves, and Sustained Blasts. These psions are often considered among the most powerful Dynamo psions due to the scale of their attacks.

 **AEGII** : In a similar name change, the discipline formerly known as the "Defense" discipline has been reworked to the Aegii division, largely in honor of our resident Ethereal and notable master of the art of this discipline of psionics. The meaning and purpose of this division will become extremely apparent for even the casual observer, and dispel any confusion over the previous name.

There are three identified sub-disciplines of the Aegii Discipline:

MURUS: The Murus of the Aegii discipline are the users of Aegii psionics purely for defense, particularly the utilization of shields, both personal and otherwise, to protect themselves and allies from danger. The size of these are not taken into account, only their intention.

PRAESIDO: As the Murus utilize psionic shields defensively, those of the Praesido discipline utilize shields offensively against enemies. This includes the creation of shields within the bodies and limbs of enemies, vertical shields to knock enemies off balance, and the creation of box prisons where enemies can be crushed within them.

FABAS: A newer sub-discipline of Aegii psionics pioneered by Geist, it is the art of manipulating psionic barriers into more tangible shapes and structures. In this way entire barricades or buildings can be created out of nothing but psionics. It is considered one of the most difficult fields of psionics to understand and utilize, but the members of this sub-discipline can manipulate the Aegii psionics like no others.

 **TELEKINESIS** : There have been no name changes to this discipline as it already reflects accurately the nature and utilization of it. However, this discipline in particular has exploded in terms of potential as we have realized the true extent to which Telekinesis can be applied on a micro scale and continued focus on control over large-scale displays of power. Thus, it has and continues to receive new sub-disciplines as they are researched and added.

The four sub-disciplines identified are the following:

VECTORS: These psions are users of what is commonly defined as 'large-scale' acts of telekinesis. Abilities and displays of power which have major impacts on the battlefield, such as toppling buildings, lifting armies into the air and destroying them, stopping physical projectiles and turning them to their source. Vectors are commonly recognized as among the most powerful and versatile psions in existence.

VOLANT: In contrast to the Vectors, Volant Telekines are those who use telekinesis in more precise ways. Instead of lifting entire armies, they will focus on one or two individuals and eliminate them with simple actions such as crushed organs or snapped necks. They are quick and professional, sometimes using thrown objects as projectiles instead of direct assaults. They are also capable of more delicate and non-violent uses of telekinesis as well.

ARSENAL: This is one of the newest sub-disciplines developed which is still being experimented on. It is the usage or wielding of heavier or multiple projectile weapons and manipulating them solely through the uses of telekinesis. XCOM Research and Development, as well as Engineering, is working develop specialized Arsenal weaponry which includes telekine-only mechanisms to fire weapons, synched camera-to-HUD for utilization for sniping purposes, and more. This is anticipated to be extremely useful in incorporating mobile laser platforms manipulated by telekinesis and _not_ by any standard delivery or programmed platform, allowing precise or major devastation of enemy lines from vectors they cannot protect from. The promise of this sub-discipline is extremely high.

NANOKINESIS: This is one of the most difficult sub-disciplines to master, and to date there is only one individual who has actually managed to utilize the sub-discipline. Due to the incredibly versatile nature of applying telekinesis on the molecular level, it is quite possible that there will be additional sub-divisions for this particular sub-discipline.

Something which will become apparent to anyone who studies psionics is that the more abstract one takes psionics, the more powerful they become. We currently have an understanding of psionics in what I would describe as a primitive way. We see their impact on the world, their ability to destroy, read minds, and otherwise manipulate reality. But psionics is capable of altering the world on a fundamental level.

We had assumed that there was a limit to the reach of psionics, some arbitrary barrier which we could not go past, and we, as Humans have a tendency to go _upwards_ instead of down. We see psionics as being capable of destroying planets, dominating thousands of minds – things we _know_ are possible – and instinctively wonder if they could destroy entire star systems or galaxies as well.

The answer is, of course, yes. It is possible.

But what happens if one goes the opposite direction? If one looks to the micro scale instead of the macro? Let us consider the applications of telekinesis on a molecular level. Such precise telekinetics is capable of creating ionic channels as demonstrated by the Sovereign Agent Crevan to create lightning – a feat one might consider magic – but this is a basic utilization of telekinesis at this level.

At the atomic level, a telekine could have the potential to break molecules apart – and put them together. What happens to the immediate atmosphere if a telekine can break apart O2 atoms and deprive the area of oxygen, or subsequently create them to create breathable air? They could turn the air to poison at a whim or turn armor into brittle scrap.

The implications for such utilizations of telekinesis are both terrifying and exhilarating. It is something we _know_ is possible to achieve, and we can only assume the reason there are not more – specifically _Ethereal_ – users of this sub-discipline is because it requires being able to visualize and operate on an atomic level – something that is extremely hard to do.

Yet it is a goal, and one we shall strive to learn and study. Because whoever can master Nanokinesis will have the ability to affect reality itself in a way our current utilization of psionics cannot come even close to displaying.

 **TELEPATHY** : This is another definition that has forgone a name change due to it being unnecessary. It is also a discipline which has also been greatly expanded as the full potential of telepathy itself is being realized more and more, in a similar way to how telekinesis has been. In particular revelations from Axis and Aegis have helped shape our understanding of aspects of telepathy we had previously not been able to predict or identify.

There are four identified sub-disciplines of Telepathy:

DOMINI: These are telepaths who use their telepathy in offensive ways. The most famous of whom for Humanity was Patricia Trask, who was capable of taking control of, and forcing aliens to turn on each other and otherwise sow chaos and devastation in alien lines. There is theoretically very little to stop a Domini from utilizing their control creatively, or as mercifully or sadistically as they want. It is these concerns about telepathy from which ideas which led to the creation of the Manchurian Restraints were born. Domini are respected and treated warily by allies for understandable reasons, and greatly feared by aliens and enemies of Humanity – also for good reason.

SOLII: The Solii take their telepathic abilities, and instead of using them to attack enemies, focus them instead on allies to protect them, fortify their minds, inspire or otherwise be the center of morale and determination when all may seem lost. It is the iron will of the Solii which have kept lines from collapsing, given outnumbered allies a sense of courage, and otherwise stood as beacons of hope on an ever-horrific battlefield. These are also the psions who are capable of enhancing the coordination of small teams of soldiers, turning them into fighting forces which cannot be completely matched by regular soldiers.

MEMETIC: This is the newest telepathic sub-discipline we have learned of, from the Zudjari Axis who is a noted user of the sub-discipline, as were several others in the Zudjari Mosaic. It is essentially the act of creating a telepathic 'virus' which can spread from individual to individual – psions in particular are targeted.

It functions as a passive command which is placed in a mind of an individual – not necessarily a psion – which will remain dormant until stumbled upon. When activated, the command will force itself into the psion's mind, and unprepared ones will eventually succumb to the command. Sometimes these commands involve infecting other individuals, or more simple commands such as committing suicide or killing others.

Memetics appear to be a largely untapped field of psionics, as even the Ethereals did very little experimentation with the concept of 'telepathic traps' out of the likely belief that such things were unnecessary. This is worth noting because it potentially allows a means for XCOM soldiers to be protected against telepathic attacks _in addition_ to the Manchurian Restraints. While an Ethereal or Hive Commander is likely to be able to resist, the average Sectoid will be caught unprepared and succumb to a memetic command.

There also exists the potential of putting these memetic commands into psionically integrated technology, and in particular psionic computers such as those utilized by the Sectoids. Putting them into objects is not something we have discounted, either as traps or additional layers of security. Right now research continues with Axis on the creation and experimentation of more complex and powerful memetic commands. It is a relatively simply sub-discipline to learn, but its application is currently limited without additional approval from the Internal Council.

BIOPATHY: If Nanokinesis is the atomic utilization of telekinesis, Biopathy is the telepathic equivalent. Unlike the former however, there already exists a decent amount of research and experimentation on the sub-discipline, even if only provided by Aegis. Biopathy is the act of utilizing telepathy on a cellular level to cause changes and outcomes to living organisms.

One may think that single-celled organisms are too primitive to be able to be affected by telepathy. This is incorrect, as merely the mindset of the psion needs to be changed. These organisms still respond to stimuli, light and darkness, food and instinct. A single cell can be understood and ultimately manipulated to obey the will of the telepath.

This can have cascading effects on living complex organisms. It can result in injuries being healed in moments, flesh hardening and changing before your eyes, and regeneration which can lead to extended lifespans. On the other side it can break down organisms at the cellular level, turning them into organic sludge and slurry. The strongest flesh forged of genetic manipulation can be undone with mere telepathic commands.

These feats have been reported by eyewitnesses such as Axis, and confirmed in footage released to us by the Battlemaster. There are only two known users of Biopathy – the Ethereal twins Mortis'Ligna and Sana'Ligna. Currently no Humans have demonstrated similar capabilities, although now that we are aware that this is possible at all, we are working to replicate it.

Though like Nanokinesis, users of this sub-discipline will need to acquire a specific mindset. To manipulate cells, one must operate on their level.

 **TELEPORTATION** : There was internal debate over how to handle the revelation that psionic teleportation was possible. Initially it was tried to be fit into one of the existing disciplines, but we quickly realized that no matter how much we tried, we could not fit it into an already-existing box – a new one had to be created.

Thus, the Teleportation discipline is the newest addition to the number of disciplines within the field of psionics. This is without a doubt one of the most intriguing of the disciplines in the context of how it handles and interacts with the Psionosphere. Of all the disciplines, Teleportation is perhaps the one where the Psionosphere is something one must know intimately to utilize, for the entire utilization of teleportation relies on the Psionosphere.

Much like how Gateways connect two points in the Psionosphere together, a Teleporter must do the same thing. The Teleporter will link two distinct points in the Psionosphere, create a portal, and move through it. Speaking with some of the few practitioners of Teleportation – all of them Agents of T'Leth – they have explained that initially it is like wading in a lake when you are blind. You don't know where you will end up or even what you are doing.

However, eventually one becomes attuned to the nuances of the Psionosphere. There emerges a pattern which one begins understand the Psionosphere, and how it is interposed over the natural world. Unfortunately, this means that Teleporters do not entirely think in terms of coordinates and points as useful in a technological or academic setting, but they do create something of a visual 'map' of the Psionosphere.

They are especially adept at doing this in their immediate vicinity. Veteran teleporters are often skilled enough to be able to walk through the Psionosphere in their immediate vicinity regardless of if they have been there before or not. However, this will not often stick in their minds, and they will only make an effort to memorize certain places – and memorization is perhaps the most reliable way to preserve information such as this, and the Psionosphere relies heavily on interpretation and metaphysical senses that cannot easily be translated onto physical mediums.

It is the most difficult discipline to master, and it appears that the Trask level of the individual determines how easily one can navigate the immediate Psionosphere – which is the area the Teleporter currently resides in. Range is not tied to Trask level, as all that is required are specific points in the Psionosphere to connect, and all it would affect is the number of 'jumps' a Teleporter would need to take if moving through unfamiliar Psionosphere territory.

It should be noted that Teleportation is a dangerous field to experiment with, and why all Teleporters have an innate sense of paranoia and caution when they use their abilities. Miscalculation could mean being stranded in space, landing underwater, or manifesting inside a physical object – which can cause significant harm or death if one is not careful.

Nonetheless, it is one of the most versatile and useful disciplines of psionics, especially in a war such as this, and we are actively looking for psionic candidates to begin training in this discipline. There are actually two sub-disciplines we have identified.

WALKERS: These are Teleporters that primarily use their abilities solely for teleportation of themselves or others. They are capable of creating portals large enough for groups of soldiers, and have an extremely detailed understanding of the immediate Psionosphere as well as a collection of other useful points they can always travel too. They are the ultimate contingency plan, and are very difficult to find, kill, or hold as a result.

TRAVELERS: These are Teleporters who are not only skilled in their own personal teleportation, but also the offensive usage of teleportation. These include opening portals to dangerous places and throwing enemies into them – or bringing elements to the current location such as lava, water, or poison gas. They can be especially creative and often have in mind the locations of many dangerous places they have stumbled upon, and are just waiting to turn them against their enemies.

 **SOVEREIGN LEVEL PSIONICS**

With the discussion on the capabilities of psionics, another point which must be addressed is the capabilities of the Sovereign Ones in the context of psionics. Already we have seen from the Agents of T'Leth that the psionic powers they use are blue in color, not purple or transparent. Speaking with the Chronicler and T'Leth himself, it appears that the color of psionics indicates the intensity, or 'purity' of the psionic power in question being used.

Blue-colored psionics are presumably a purer manifestation of psionics, while purple is a less pure manifestation. It is unknown for the moment exactly _what_ determines this potential purity. Currently it seems like only Dynamo, Aegii, and Teleportation psionics are affected in this way, while Telekinesis and Telepathy are not. The Chronicler has put forward the suggestion that it could have to do with genetics, as he and other Agents have been extensively modified on a genetic level.

Experiments are underway to test this theory, as it has not been explored by T'Leth himself or other species to his knowledge.

We can also only assume that Sovereign Ones are capable of utilizing psionics on a much grander scale than we are. We can only guess as to the Trask Level of T'Leth if such a scale could be applied to him, but it is estimated to be more powerful than even the Imperator (This is not confirmed, however). Yet there have been no actual demonstrations of power by T'Leth apart from the telepathic protection through the Sovereign Orbs.

It should be noted that it does appear that T'Leth and his Agents are keeping some secrets regarding psionics to themselves for one reason or another. The very nature of the Sovereign Orbs is unknown, and we are unsure if it is a byproduct that T'Leth organically produces (which would explain how it is telepathically linked to him) or a piece of technology manufactured somewhere unknown.

As of this point, T'Leth has flatly refused to allow the investigation of the Sovereign Orbs. For now, we are following this wish though we are planning to bring it up again in the future.

There does also appear to be, as demonstrated by the Chronicler in his fight with Quisilia, a means of actively locking down the Psionosphere or otherwise preventing teleportation. How this works the Chronicler has been vague on, only stating that he doesn't remember doing it, and any such ability would have been done directly by T'Leth with himself as a vessel.

Considering the Chronicler has not reported amnesia as a side effect of being an Agent, it is likely he is lying. Should we enter a situation where this knowledge is critical, I request we press him further and _not_ merely rely on him to do it again. T'Leth as well should be pressed on this particular ability – and if it could be extended to the Psionosphere as a whole.

The Agents of T'Leth are another mystery as to how they function. T'Leth appears to have a means to assuming control when he wants, but it is unknown if this is done at will or through some means the Agent utilizes. The Agents have declined to be examined closely and are tight-lipped about how their connection to T'Leth actually works, forcing us to speculate in response.

What we know is the following:

\- All or most Agents are altered on a genetic level

\- All Agents utilize extremely invasive and advanced technology and armor

\- All Agents appear to have a direct connection to T'Leth

\- All Agents can be 'possessed' by T'Leth when an unknown criteria is met

\- All Agents are extremely long-lived or _will_ be long-lived

\- Agents are the only ones who can handle Sovereign Orbs safely

\- All known Agents are psions or utilize some form of psionic powers

\- No Agents have allowed us to know their genetic makeup or Trask Levels

\- Some Agents appear to have knowledge of advanced psionic abilities that are withheld from XCOM

In the future we plan to press Sovereign Agents on the exact nature of their makeup and their connection to T'Leth. If he is interested in being our ally, we should also have an understanding of how his forces work. However, since the entire concept of an 'alliance' is new to him, we shall allow him time to adapt to the idea of sharing these kinds of secrets with allies.

 **PSIONICS AND INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY ADDENDUM**

Progress on integrating psionics and technology has been made, and we are moving towards physical prototype of various weapons and equipment which draw upon the Psionosphere and will hopefully manifest it in the ways we desire. If successful, it has the potential to revolutionize how this war is waged and even how our psions operate on the field of battle.

Preliminary reports on this will be delivered shortly.

In addition, we are working closely with ADVENT in terms of understanding and adapting Gateway technology for our own usage. Their discovery regarding the freeform targeting nature of the Gateway opens up significant possibilities which the Internal Council is excited about, and interested in exploring further. In particular we are providing assistance to Project Searchlight, which intends to map the Psionosphere for usage in the physical world as well as to be more understandable by non-Teleporters, as well as Project Exosphere, which intends to establish teleportation points on planets within the Solar System which we can then build Gateways to and take over these planets in surprise attacks.

Both projects have the potential to turn the tides of the war in our favor definitively, and as such we will continue providing them with whatever assistance they need without compromising T'Leth and his Agents as well as certain individuals within XCOM including Axis and Caelior.

 **CONCLUSION**

If nothing else is taken away from this report, the thing which should is that we are far from mastering, let alone _understanding_ the nature of psionics as well as the impact they can have upon reality. Their potential is far more than mind control, destruction, and lifting things into the air. We are already beginning to see that psionics becomes far more dangerous when used in creative and unexpected ways.

Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that the Ethereals are so overwhelmingly powerful, as it has forced us to make due with our limited Trask Levels to form into something even they have difficulty expressing. Nanokinesis, Arsenal Telekinetics, Biopathy, all of these skills and abilities that we have developed to give us the best chance of survival possible.

Our species will continue breaking new ground in the ever-growing field; we will take inspiration from wherever we can find it, from the Zudjari, Ethereals, or Sectoids. But above all of this, we cannot ever be _satisfied_ with what we have discovered. We must always continue pushing and exploring forward, for the day that we decide that we have accomplished enough, is the day which will seal our fall.

If we do not discover the secrets of psionics, then someone else will. We cannot afford to risk the chance that they will be on our side. Our species could quite literally depend upon it. The nature of psionics is too vast and terrifying for us to consider any other option than _Humans_ being the masters of the Psionosphere.

We will claim this title in time, of that I am certain.


	126. XCOM - Units: MELD Operators

XCOM: Units

MELD Operators

* * *

" _An Operator is far less limited than a psion. They can only destroy and dominate. An Operator can shape and create."_

\- Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Internal note by Engineer Fectorian upon report detailing the first contact with a MELD Operator_

If there is one impressive attribute about Humans that can be definitively pointed to, it is their developmental fearlessness when pressed into a corner. Historically Humans are largely cautious and hesitant before fully committing to radical ideas, yet once such ideas are popularized and mass-produced, they are adopted with an impressive speed.

Prior to the invasion, Human technological development was slower in certain areas, particularly that of artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and genetic modification. There were significant concerns about the future applications of this technology and how they could be abused, though as genetic modification was ironically among the most developed, there was a certain distaste and fear of genetic modification and alteration.

And like usual, when pressed, Humans quickly dropped their concerns and embraced what would enhance and protect them. Nanotechnology prior to the invasion was in the early stages of development, with the greatest concerns coming from theories and simulations. With the capabilities of nanotechnology within their grasp, it is notable that there does not appear to be any internal hesitation to utilizing it. This is most apparent with XCOM's usage of MELD, which has been adopted by ADVENT on a far larger scale.

However, it should be noted that XCOM has been hesitant to directly weaponize nanotechnology, possibly due to a fear of possible apocalyptic scenarios, though they have certainly used it in various ways almost from the very beginning. This appears to have significantly changed with the deployment of a previously unseen unit.

It was a soldier that had presumably undergone some type of extensive modification, and was now capable of manipulating MELD nanites. As of yet no body has been able to be recovered, so answers as to the internal workings of this unit are unknown. It appears to have unintentionally mimicked the Meat Puppets of Mosrimor, though in a much more primitive and crude way.

The capabilities appear largely the same, as the soldier was capable of manipulating the nanites to consume enemies and resources, as well as build simple structures and defenses. As of now I am unsure as to the full capabilities, strengths, and limitations of this unit, but considering its initial performance, it is likely a significant danger to Collective forces, as we cannot assume that there will be a Meat Puppet on hand to defend against it.

However, it does appear that like the Meat Puppet, this unit does have similar weaknesses due to being integrated so heavily with nanites. It is extremely vulnerable to electric attacks, and it is highly likely that all effective tactics against a Meat Puppet will also be effective against this newer unit. It remains to be seen if the Humans have something unique that cannot be replicated by the superior Meat Puppet.

What should be found concerning is the fact that XCOM has managed to _successfully_ integrate nanites into a host on this scale, and use it in operations. If this is only the first iteration of the unit, I suspect that future iterations will only grow more dangerous. We should make it a priority to capture one of these units intact to determine how XCOM will continue to evolve these.

It is also likely that ADVENT will develop their own counterpart in the future. This is something that we should be prepared to counter on a large scale, and not only against specialized teams or defenses.

* * *

 **XCOM Project File 0901**

Project Codename: "Pandora"

Project Type: Armor; Ground Support; Nanoweaponry/Nanotechnology

Unit Designation: "MELD Operator"

Authors: Head of XCOM Engineering Raymond Shen; Head of XCOM Research and Development, Dr. Moira Vahlen; the Commander of XCOM

Overview: XCOM has been working to develop additional means of utilizing the nanotechnology facilitated through MELD for some time. This has produced some of our most advanced technology and breakthroughs which have led to benefits that can be enjoyed by Humanity as a whole. ADVENT has continued to utilize MELD for both military and civilian purposes, but we can all agree that MELD has fundamentally altered our capabilities and expectations as to what is possible and can be created.

The project to create the MELD Operator was one of the most radical and ambitious which had been conceived. It was a highly invasive procedure where a subject would be fundamentally altered with MELD and would then be able to manipulate and control the MELD to shape it as they wished, be it for attack or defense.

Given our limited understanding of nanotechnology at the time, and the fact that MELD nanites were clearly designed more for genetic and enhancement work than pure creation and military usage, they have nonetheless had that potential, and it was something we began exploring when we had a stronger understanding of how MELD worked on a fundamental level.

As it turned out, the most difficult part of the project was not adapting the body for handling large quantities of MELD – as the substance already fuses exceptionally well to organic material – but how the MELD could be effectively managed and controlled in a way which would make it possible to be manipulated in a wide variety of ways.

Experiments began first to ensure that the MELD could be integrated as deeply as predicted, and when those tests were concluded successfully, development switched to the development of a device which would allow the Operator to control the MELD, as well as a specialized suit of armor to properly wield it. Both of these objectives were accomplished with the development of the Neural Regulator, and the Warden-class armor, respectively.

Armor System: The armor developed exclusively for the MELD Operators varies from the Titan armor utilized by our standard forces. It has far more in common with the Archangel armor in that it requires a physical connection to the user, as it connects to the Neural Regular of the Operator, which allows the Operator to utilize the vast reserves of MELD which are stored within the suit.

Unlike the Titan armor, the Warden-class armor was designed with a more streamlined and sleek approach. Due to the inherent durability of the Operators, speed and mobility was prioritized over pure damage absorption. However, the armor itself retains the Titan armor capabilities of self-repair, and in cases of extreme enemy fire, the Operator can have the suit create overlays of MELD armor, further increasing the durability.

There are MELD dispensers throughout the armor, which can all be remotely utilized by the Operator, though the primary ones are built into the wrists and gauntlets. This can be used merely for dispensing the nanites, or it can also forge melee weapons which the Operator can use to defend themselves in close-quarters combat.

The Warden armor also holds vast reserves of MELD, which are stored in a series of flexible tanks which are strewn throughout the body. Four run through the legs, eight are stored in the back of the armor, and two run along the arms. It should be noted that the nanites within the suit will _only_ be able to be remotely controlled by the first Operator using the suit. Other operatives will be unable to control the nanites unless there is a full system reset and fresh nanites are inserted into the suit.

The internal monitoring systems of the Warden armor are also capable to being controlled by the Operator itself, in which the Operator could withhold nanite repair of systems and utilize the dedicated nanites elsewhere. While Operators are not encouraged to tamper with the systems unless absolutely necessary, it should be noted that this is an option available to them.

Neural Regulator: Before we proceed further, it should be noted that like essential individuals to XCOM, as well as those who could potentially pose a significant risk to themselves and others should they become a threat, MELD Operators will undergo significant Manchurian conditioning to prevent a potential rogue operator. The danger of an individual with access to OIN and NoIN-class nanites _cannot_ be overstated, and in many cases could prove to be more dangerous than a rogue psion. We will insist on such restrictions should ADVENT develop an interest in similar programs.

Returning to the unit in question, the most essential component of the MELD Operator is the Neural Regulator. Acting as a brain augment, the Regulator is the component responsible for allowing the Operator to control and manipulate the nanites within their body and armor. There were no fewer than six possible designs for how to reliably and safely integrate an augment of this importance reliably into a subject. The final design resembles a skullcap which is placed 'over' the brain which allowed us to access every major section of the brain and program appropriately. This design is a major reason why the final result is as versatile as it is.

While the Regulator is not able to fully predict and translate what the brain is saying, it can do so with a high amount of accuracy as well as react quickly to the Operator choosing pre-determined templates. As it can operate at close to the speed of thought, it gives the illusion that the Regulator can allow the Operator to create anything, which is largely due to a significant amount of hours being devoted to the creation of templates and programs which takes broken phrases and thoughts and translates them into tangible results.

The majority of the time the Operator will not be consciously aware that the Regulator is interpreting their smaller-scale commands, and unless the usage is highly unique or exotic, they will likely be unaware of this limitation. Larger structures or projects are all stored on the memory of the Regulator itself, which the Operator has to consciously select and concentrate on.

Future iterations of the Regulator will make more free-form creation even easier, and considering the lines of research concerning JULIAN, as well as the assistance of the Andromedons, it is entirely possible that future iterations will have a limited machine intelligence to further assist in interpreting the commands of Operators and more accurately translating them.

It is also worth noting the possible adaptions and alterations which can be developed using the Regulator as a base, particularly as a means to further mitigate telepathic attacks without shutting down the body entirely or even preserving the full capabilities of the individual in question while the Regulator handles the telepathic attack. We are actively investigating this potential application.

Nanite Skin: One of the more radical capabilities of the Operator procedure is that of complete personalization. The skin of the subject was replaced and supplemented by specially-modified MELD nanites which can be completely controlled by the Operator in question. Obviously, this has significant implications for the intelligence capabilities of the Operators, such as the ability to change the skin tone, eye color, and add or remove bodily markings such as scars, wrinkles, tattoos, and more.

However, one thing to consider is that these are the only aspects which can be changed. The overall facial and bodily structure of the Operator will be unaffected, and currently at this time, it is unlikely to be easily modified. MELD Operators are incapable of perfectly being able to mimic someone else, even if they can modify their skin and eyes. Hair removal is required for this procedure, though it will grow back. Currently it cannot be changed or modified, though can be dyed or styled through more conventional methods.

We are actively investigating the potential of a MELD Operator specifically designed for espionage and not frontline combat.

The 'default' state for the Operator will be their original skin and eye color, though the Operator can set a new 'default' should they so desire.

If the Operator is in danger, they are able to harden their skin to withstand lethal attacks. This will turn their 'skin' grey and metallic, and render them far less vulnerable to physical attacks and far more dangerous if they engage in melee combat, as opponents would quite literally be getting hit with a metal fist. It should be noted that Operators can selectively harden portions of their body, and do not have to protect the entire platform all at once.

The nanites being so integrated into the skin also allows for almost immediate healing should they suffer damage. Superficial and ineffective injuries will be healed in minutes, assuming that penetration is possible at all.

Enhanced Bodily Capabilities: In addition to the skin, the entire body of the MELD Operator has been significantly enhanced beyond a baseline, or even extensively modified Human. The first improvement of note is the fact that all major organs have been laced with MELD which makes them more durable, more efficient, and capable of significant self-healing. Even a direct shot to the heart or lungs are no longer fatal, as such wounds can be healed in minutes in the unlikely event they are damaged.

The Neural Regulator is also connected directly to the nervous system of the Operator, which allows them a significant amount of control over what they can or cannot feel. They can adjust the pain threshold to what they desire, though they are advised not to shut it off completely unless absolutely necessary. It can also increase sensitivity if required, though how this may be useful is still to be determined.

The final major change of note is that the skeletal structure of the operative has been significantly enhanced, with MELD used to reinforce and cover all the bones, making them heavier, more durable, and almost impossible to break or damage. MELD nanites will also be capable of repairing them if they are even mildly damaged. The muscles have also been enhanced to support this new skeletal enhancement.

MELD Nanite Integration: Beyond the physical changes, there is the topic of the MELD which is intended to be used in the field. While an Operator has reserves of MELD that they can utilize if they wish, and are capable of replenishing their reserves through MELD Cubes (Of which every Operator has their belts filled with), their primary utilization will be through the Warden Armor.

These nanites will be specifically 'bonded' to the Operator in question, and this cannot be changed under any circumstances. Through this way the MELD is immune to being hacked or turned against the Operator or allies. By extension, this also applies to the Regulator and the Warden armor, which will be useless if attempted to be utilized by an individual who is not the Operator.

The Operator will use standard MELD nanites in the field, which will be capable of breaking down, building, healing, and killing enemies, allies, and components. MELD appears to be very effective on 'soft' or organic substances, and notably less effective on non-living substances. While it is a miniscule difference, the organic components of MELD also make it slightly more resistance to EMP than traditional nanites.

Please note that this _does not mean they are immune_. If affected by an EMP, they will cease working. They simply have a higher threshold, miniscule as it may be.

Capabilities: In theory, the capabilities of the MELD Operator are limitless. For the purposes of their deployment within XCOM, they should be able to do the following:

\- Attack and consume aliens

\- Reinforce allied forces, as well as heal/repair if required

\- Construct basic structures and fortifications

\- Defend against enemy nanoweapon usage

\- Survive against high-risk enemies such as Ethereals, Spectres, and Muton Elites and defeat them

\- Be capable of destroying an enemy fortification or base with limited or no support

MELD Operators have the potential to be as versatile and dangerous as psions if applied in the right situations. Due the capabilities of MELD replication, it is entirely plausible for one Operator to be able to destroy or mitigate an enemy force. It merely requires time and exponential growth. They are capable of consuming enemies (and fallen allies), raw materials, structures, vegetation, and nearly anything around them to complete their objectives.

They have unique roles in attack and defense scenarios. They are extremely valuable against high-value alien targets as they can likely match any non-telepath, as well as in defensive positions where they can repair fortifications, heal soldiers and repair equipment/machines/vehicles, and produce materials such as ammunition and even armor or weapons.

On the other hand, they are extremely useful in offensive operations, as they can create forward positions and dismantle enemy defenses while remaining relatively safe. Should their reserves be large enough, Operators could potentially be able to create trenches or wall off entire choke points to either trap or contain enemies in open ground or the more constrained cities.

While in theory an Operator is only limited by their imagination, the Regulator is not quite at that level yet, and what we will define as 'unique' creations will likely not be interpreted correctly at this point in time. However, all known melee weapons can be created, and we have gone to extensive lengths to ensure that the Operators will feel like they can do anything.

One day, I am confident that this will be completely true.

Optimal Deployment/Usage: This was covered above to an extent, but to reiterate, there is no non-optimal placement for a MELD Operator. They will almost certainly be useful in almost all scenarios although due to their limited numbers at this time, their deployment should likely be prioritized to only essential locations that must be held or taken. The direct targeting of dangerous aliens should also be considered an optimal usage of their capabilities.

All Operators should deploy fully equipped with reserve MELD Cubes, full reserves within the Warden armor, and always have access to areas with plentiful resources that can be stripped and utilized. Urban locations make optimal deployment conditions, while more open and barren locations are less beneficial to Operators as nanites can and will be destroyed and need to be somehow replenished.

However, once again, there are very limited scenarios where deploying an Operator would not be a good decision. The only ones which come to mind are enemy forces which are equipped specifically to handle an Operator – which is essentially those armed with EMP weaponry or gear. We should take care we are not lured into traps which exploit this weakness, because it is a near guarantee that the alien _will_ use it if the Operators are even a fraction as dangerous as we predict.

* * *

 **ADVENT Supplementary Document NM079**

Subject: XCOM MELD Operator Interview

Report Type: Interview ( _Audio Transcript_ ) – Original audio included

Location: [REDACTED]

Date: 2/16/2017

Author(s): Dr. Lien Mercado

Participants: XCOM MELD Developer Allen Qualis; XCOM MELD Operator Zara Venator

 _Audio Transcript Begins_

[Lien Mercado]: "Thank you for allowing me to conduct this interview, Dr. Qualis. I am aware that XCOM operates under strict security."

[Allen Qualis]: "Of course. ADVENT should be kept appraised of any significant progress we make. We expect our developments here to have an impact on how ADVENT will eventually develop their own interpretation of this technology."

[LM]: "I'm certain it will. Zara, good to finally meet you."

[Zara Venator]: "Likewise, doctor. Good to see your family is still doing what they do best."

[AQ]: "You know her…ah. EXALT."

[LM]: "I'm aware of her by reputation. We've never interacted before."

[AQ]: "I see. Carry on."

[LM]: "I've read the reports that you've provided to me on the project. Very radical and invasive. My first question to Zara would be how the procedure has noticeably impacted your body and increased or decreased certain functions?"

[ZV]: "Largely improvements across the board. I was already gene modded significantly, and all of that has been retained. However, everything does feel somewhat heavier than I'm used to. Not exactly slower, but I do feel more…dense…if that makes sense."

[AQ]: "The modifications to her body included the enhancement of the skeletal structure. This added a considerable amount of weight. Were she not modified, she would be significantly hampered."

[LM]: "But this has not impacted your performance significantly, Zara?"

[ZV]: "Not from what I can tell. Feeling denser doesn't mean I'm slow."

[LM]: "Has this been consistent with other Operators, Dr. Qualis?"

[AQ]: "To an extent. The original physique and body type of the Operator appear to play a role in this. Zara and several others have made this note before, while others have stated to not be noticing it. Females and males of smaller body types are more likely to experience this side effect. Combat performance has not been affected though, as Zara has confirmed."

[LM]: "Would this be due to the mass volume of the Operatives being less for those affected?"

[AQ]: "That is the most reasonable explanation. We are looking to confirm this with more Operators and develop a way to better handle these psychological adaptions."

[LM]: "Noted. Are there any other side effects that you feel worth addressing, Zara?"

[ZV]: "Cold. Not specifically _cold_ cold, but…something like it. Not physical. Difficult to explain, and I think it might have to do with the skin being…well, gone. Just nanites. The nervous system compensating for something. I'm used to it now, but it took a while for me to figure out why I wasn't getting warmer."

[AQ]: "This is something we are looking to actively fix with future updates to the Neural Regulator. This is an unintended side effect, and one we are still unsure how to fully solve."

[LM]: "But this has also not affected your performance."

[ZV]: "Not in combat."

[LM]: "Aside from that?"

[ZV]: "It's an irritating distraction. Mostly when I'm actually thinking about it. Like now."

[LM]: "Noted. Dr. Qualis, the Neural Regulator appears to be what ties everything together for the Operator. Details were not provided to me; could you give me some more information on how it functions?"

[AQ]: "Details on the Regulator are classified, even to ADVENT I am afraid. The most I can do is give you a general overview on it's functions and capabilities."

[ZV]: "Don't get made at him, Mercado, they're really tight-lipped about how this thing works. Lots of alien tech I'm guessing."

[LM]: "I'll take what I can get. Doctor, tell me what you can."

[AQ]: "The short version is that the Neural Regulator is the control center and means by which the Operator controls the nanites that are linked to them. Since the Regulator is currently the _only_ major brain augment in existence, much of the design and functions are experimental. However, the current iteration allows the Operator to control all linked nanites, and certain bodily functions."

[ZV]: "Like the nerves. I can shut off pain receptors whenever I want."

[LM]: "A potential risk, even given the benefits."

[AQ]: "It certainly is, which is why we only recommend they utilize that function when there are no other choices."

[LM]: "And how, precisely, does that _work_? Do you just think of it and it happens? Does this also apply to nanite manipulation itself?"

[ZV]: "Doctor?"

[AQ]: "Go ahead. Your experience is not classified."

[ZV]: "Yes and no. It's somewhat strange. My eyes are augmented, so there are some HUD things that I can do which are more or less concentrating on something I see and voila, it happens. That's primarily for stuff like big schematics, and pain tolerance. Other things, believe it or not, it _does_ appear to work by just thinking vaguely about it. That's how I could change my appearance if I wanted. I have to concentrate though, so it won't happen from a random thought."

[LM]: "Impressive. I'm sure I'll get a better idea when we get to the demonstrations. Doctor, I only have a few more questions that you may not be able to answer. The first is if this was based on any alien technology that has been recovered?"

[AQ]: "Like most of our advancements, it was derived from alien technology. I am sadly unable to specify which piece or pieces of alien technology it may have been derived from."

[LM]: "The Regulator, from what has been described, appears to have a significant amount of processing power. If there isn't already, is there the potential for it to house a primitive artificial intelligence should one ever be adopted?"

[ZV]: "Mercado, XCOM is radical, but they aren't going to stick an AI in our brains."

[AQ]: "In theory, Dr. Mercado, there exists that possibility. In practice though we have to actually _develop_ a stable artificial intelligence, and more importantly, having a true artificial intelligence placed within the architecture of this device would be a disaster. A more limited machine intelligence would be more preferable."

[LM]: "Thank you for the clarification. Your foresight for future iterations is commendable."

[AQ]: "We have to be prepared for how best to evolve our technology, doctor. The Regulator could certainly have uses beyond nanite manipulation."

[LM]: "I think that wraps up my major questions for now. Let us continue to the demonstrations."

* * *

 **ADVENT Supplementary Document NM080**

Subject: MELD Operator Scenario Testing

Report Type: Testing Report (Observed) – Test footage included

Location: [REDACTED]

Date: 2/16/2017

Author(s): Dr. Lien Mercado

Participants: XCOM MELD Developer Allen Qualis; XCOM MELD Operator Zara Venator

 **Overview** : After the interview with Operator Venator and Dr. Qualis, we then proceeded along a highly controlled path throughout the XCOM facility until we arrived at a medium-sized testing area. This area was a climate-controlled room with steel walls (painted white) and concrete floors with draining systems built into them. Showerheads are also observed on the ceiling, which Dr. Qualis explained was for cleaning.

The space was large enough to be able to conduct a significant number of small-scale tests with a limited number of participants. All testing is recorded at multiple angles from cameras implanted in the ceiling and area itself. One section of the room is a one-way mirror that observers can view the experiments taking place through.

As I was observing, I had no input on the tests which were conducted, though it is apparent that XCOM intended them to serve as an example of what a MELD Operator could do. Questions were limited, and while a transcript cannot be given, the information given will be reflected in this report. There were four tests conducted in total, and they will each be described in a satisfactory amount of detail.

 **Test 1: Appearance Alteration**

The first test was to demonstrate the physical appearance capabilities of the Operator due to their skin and all visible organs effectively replaced by nanites. This allows the Operator to have a significant amount of control over their personal appearance, although their body type or facial structure cannot be altered.

Operative Venator performed several complete transformations, the first transitioning to a brown skin type with brown eyes. The color looked highly authentic and it is unlikely observers would be able to notice it is artificial unless they touch her, as her 'skin' is unnaturally cold. She transitioned her skin color to black, with a green eye color.

This entire process took close to thirty seconds each time, and required noticeable amounts of concentration from Zara. It is unknown how quickly an Operator would be able to do this under pressure, and while it has been hinted that XCOM has answers to this, it was not disclosed to me at this time.

I should not have to explain the extremely large potential this development has to alter espionage operations, which is likely the reason XCOM is hesitant to provide significant details as to the true capabilities of this feature, as it could very well be already being used in their own operations.

However, one thing to note is that some skin colors may appear odd with certain facial structures. There are specific traits that accompany different racial and ethnic populations, and an odd skin tone may draw some attention. A further potential complication is that MELD Operators may appear much cooler under thermal imaging than unaltered humans, revealing their true nature.

XCOM confirmed that they are aware of this, but offered no further comments.

There were no mimicry example tests conducted, due to the inability to completely restructure the face.

 **Test 2: Fabrication**

The second test involved the Operator fabricating multiple objects with the nanites. To achieve this, Operator Venator wore what XCOM explained was the Warden-class armor, which was specifically designed to be worn by the MELD Operators, and appears to hold the majority of their accessible nanites and extends their capabilities tremendously.

Some scrap metal and electronics were placed within the testing area, and Operator Venator deployed her nanites in what resembled a golden-tinged cloud. Within fifteen minutes the majority of components were noticeably lessened, and casings of ammunition were being created before Operator Venator. At the conclusion she was responsible for creating over a dozen clips for ETC rifles. The conversion from one form to another seemed mostly conservative, with the initial and final masses being equal within my best estimates.

This test was repeated on a slightly larger scale, but instead of creating ammunition, she instead created a metal barricade that was large enough for her to stand behind, durable enough to withstand enemy fire (Confirmed with plasma discharges at it), and capable of comfortably protecting three armored soldiers.

Operator Venator confirmed that that design was one of the templates that was pre-programmed and not something she created purely on her own. The full construction took fifteen minutes, and XCOM has suggested that the speed of the creation of _any_ fabricated substance, structure, or material, is directly proportional to the amount of nanites which the Operator has access to at any given time.

 **Test 3: Durability**

This test was conducted without Operator Venator wearing the Warden armor, and focused solely on the durability of the enhanced Operator body. The most immediate thing which was apparent was the fact that Operators can harden their skin, which changes the color to a dark grey and noticeably machine-like appearance. Venator also informed me that this also enhances her close-combat capabilities.

Gauss, laser, and plasma weapons were tested against her with limited shots. All of these, aside from the laser, actively damaged the skin and showcased the healing capabilities of the enhanced body. The penetration, assuming there was any, from the gauss rounds was largely superficial and easily repaired. The corrosive properties of the plasma rounds were healed in minutes by the nanites.

It is assumed that these do consume nanites, and how the Operator replenishes them was not shared with me by XCOM, but it can be assumed that it is through replication, or insertion of some kind of canister or object which houses them. Given the usage of the Warden armor previously, it is likely the armor houses such tanks.

 **Test 4: Offensive Capabilities**

The final test involved showcasing the offensive and surgical precision capabilities of the Operator. The first part involved Operator Venator being placed in the room with a Sectoid clone which would demonstrate how the nanites would break down the alien and then use it as a gestation equivalent to replicate, and then return to the Operator to do with as she wished.

This was completed in seven minutes, and again XCOM wanted to note that it would have been faster or slower depending on how many nanites were assigned to that specific task. Due to Operator Venator using all of her arsenal, it went by very fast and there was a larger number of nanites which returned to the suit. This was confirmed with MELD level reports generated from the suit from before and after the process.

The second part involved Operator Venator being placed in containment with a Human test subject which had been appropriately armed and armored (in this case, wearing standard ADVENT Trooper armor) and was instructed to defend himself. It was not a long fight, as the Warden armor was able to easily withstand the shots, and the deployment of nanites against him soon rendered him incapable of fighting back.

During this process as the body was being converted, it was also being executed to showcase the precise capabilities of the Operator, as only the organic body was being converted into more nanites, and the armor and weaponry was left untouched. XCOM did confirm that if Operator Venator had wanted to, it could consume the armor as well, but in the case of wanting to recover specific technology undamaged, this now provided an optimal way of doing it.

A personal examination of the equipment after the body was consumed confirmed that the armor itself appeared almost completely untouched, and the weaponry was in perfect working condition. The Operators appear to be a highly potent weapon to utilize against the aliens, and it should be expected that their full capabilities are not completely know to us yet, and likely will not be until they are deployed extensively in the field.

The overall developments made by XCOM in this field will prove extremely useful once ADVENT begins to devote additional resources to the potential of nanotechnology, both military and civilian. This document will be utilized as a reference for possible future documents within ADVENT handling or addressing nanotechnology.


	127. Sovereign Ones - Mosrimor: Meat Puppets

Sovereign Ones: Mosrimor

The Meat Puppets

* * *

" _Do not, under any circumstances, touch it."_

\- Memo from Fectorian to assistants assigned to Sovereign Research at the Hall of Steel

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Meat Puppets

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

It has become extremely apparent over the course of fully researching these 'units', that there is a significant amount of technology and capabilities that Mosrimor has either hidden from us, or has yet to fully develop even if the means are within reach. While the research of Sovereign technology admittedly comes with risks, these units do not appear to have extremely exotic components involved in their creation, which makes these extremely masterful fusions of nanotechnology and biology merely 'conventional' for Sovereign Ones.

The implications are somewhat concerning, and it brings to light the potential issues we will face should T'Leth become more involved on Earth. Despite the Voice assuring us that T'Leth tends to not act openly, and appears to dislike the use of proxies, the chances of his intervention are presumably lower than one might assume. The Imperator – as well as anyone with a well-developed mind – are disregarding this advice and eventually preparing for his technology – or agents – to become more active on the battlefield.

To counter this, the Imperator requested Mosrimor (through the Voice) to provide units to serve as counters to the T'Leth Avatars. Mosrimor has complied, and turned over samples of his units to both myself and Fectorian for research and experimentation.

SECTION 1: Unit Biology

To the slight surprise of both myself and Fectorian, the unit assumed the form of a thin and malnourished Ethereal. It is unnaturally thin when compared to a healthy Ethereal body, and is seemingly made entirely out of nanites which project a black color. This color can be changed, but it tends to stay black.

Further inspection revealed that the unit was not made purely out of nanites, but covered a grown Ethereal underneath. This one appears to have undergone extensive modification as it is inferior in every way to a baseline Ethereal in weight, strength, and psionic potential. Major functions such as organs, eyes, and even lungs simply do not exist. There is no heart or organs, and the skeletal structure is elongated and weakened to the outside observer.

This becomes less concerning when it is apparent that this is merely a vessel for Mosrimor to act through. He has referred to the units as "Meat Puppets", which I believe tells us all we need to know about their purpose and function.

The only organ of note that appears to be preserved is the brain, which has been so completely infused with nanotechnology that it no longer resembles a baseline (or any) Ethereal brain in existence. The body itself is seeded with repositories of nanites which are stored throughout the body – ironically in places where organs would be. The outer appearance is seemingly meant to be deceptive – the Meat Puppets have far greater reserves than was expected.

Genetically, the Meat Puppet appears to be a slightly modified product, likely from one of the genetic templates brought by the Imperator. It is of no known Ethereal who is alive today. It has also been extensively modified to remove all non-essential functions rendering these Ethereals essentially genderless. However, Mosrimor has spoken through the Puppets with a distinctly male voice, although this could merely be a front.

SECTION 2: Production

This is a less than pure quality clone, and the only reason I can imagine that they can be grown in reasonable numbers is due to the fact that they are effectively brain dead from day one. None of the Meat Puppets have, or ever will achieve sentience. They were designed and grown solely for the purpose of being infected with Sovereign-class nanotech and turned into puppets.

I have observed the process in all of the stages. There are several in total.

The first is the growth of the clone in question. This can be accomplished with standard cloning technology (Even Sectoid cloning suffices) so long as it is designed to handle a body the size of an Ethereal. Due to the immediate insertion of nanotechnology, corners are cut extensively during the design and production of the clones. Were they not constantly healed and reinforced by nanotech, the body would deteriorate almost immediately and be unable to even walk without bones breaking, assuming it could even become that aware due to lacking _any_ essential organs.

Once the body has completed growing (A process of exactly six months – which means Mosrimor has had these units for some time), it will be moved to a sealed container and Sovereign-class nanites will be inserted into the container. Over the course of one week they will integrate completely with the body, reinforcing bones, muscles, and forming more complicated pieces of the body such as visual and audio receptors – which are _not_ places where their biological equivalents are, but instead in various places throughout the body, effectively allowing full-circle vision and perfect audio capture.

Once the bodily process is complete, a separate process for the brain itself will begin. This is done by surgical machinery which begins operating on the brain when the body is removed. The nanotech in the body assists in this process by almost completely destroying the skull and skin on the top of the head, exposing the brain for surgery. This process is overseen by the Voice and several other Meat Puppets.

The brain is modified to accept cybernetic implants which allow Mosrimor to remotely control it. This is technology that directly interfaces with the Psionosphere, which is presumably how Mosrimor is able to control it regardless of distance. Additional implants are integrated which allows Mosrimor to utilize the psionic capabilities of the Puppet. By the end, the brain visually appears heavily mechanized, and the skull is rebuilt and the entire cranium is sealed and reinforced by nanotech.

One thing of note is that despite the best efforts of Mosrimor, the Meat Puppets will not be able to maintain their organic shells forever. The nanotech is capable of extreme rejuvenation, but the body has no means of healing or fueling itself outside of the nanotech. It is constantly degrading, and Mosrimor has compensated for this by having dead or decaying portions of the Puppet replaced purely by nanotech.

This has essentially ensured that while a Meat Puppet will not be destroyed, it will slowly cannibalize itself over a period of three months until the brain and body inevitably deteriorate, leaving a shell which is now purely a nanite weapon. This process can be completely halted if it is placed in stasis, and it appears that Mosrimor keeps all Meat Puppets in stasis unless absolutely needed. It also appears that he has no interest in maintaining these as pure nanoweapons, as the Voice has confirmed that such Puppets were dissolved and the components returned to other projects.

SECTION 3: Psionic Capabilities

As the Meat Puppets are capable of performing psionic abilities, some time should be spent on discussing the ramifications of such capabilities. The most notable is that, should he wish, Mosrimor could theoretically accomplish close to the same outcome with a Sectoid or Human puppet. I can only assume an Ethereal was chosen due to the high psionic potential of our species.

This is important, as autopsies of the Puppets have confirmed that they have a far lower psionic threshold than a standard Ethereal – even a weak one. At best they are no more powerful than a moderately skilled Human psion, and far weaker than a Hive Commander. This is likely a consequence of the fast cloning and stripped clone itself.

It also appears to be slightly limiting in terms of raw abilities. Fectorian's report has confirmed that the Puppets have only a limited range of abilities, and while this could be due to Mosrimor holding back, I find such deception unlikely due to the fact that in engagements against T'Leth's Avatars, we will find out one way or another. The technology combined with the limited psionic potential of the Puppet leads to a fairly weak psion.

However, this is made up for with its nanotech capabilities. It is entirely likely that Mosrimor sees psionics as a useful bonus to his nanoweapon platform, and nothing further. I have held discussions with the Voice on the possibility of Mosrimor attempting a project with a more complete clone, which she has denied the possibility of ever happening.

For what reason this is, it will remain secret. This has provided us with a means of potentially enhancing our own psions or soldiers through psionically connected technology. There are possibilities and concepts which can also be added to the Avatar Project. The Meat Puppets will likely be a formidable opponent, and should Mosrimor not be placating us, more than a match for XCOM and T'Leth.

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : Mosrimor Meat Puppet Tests

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Engineer Fectorian

In recent days our Sovereign ally has been charged by the Imperator to more actively assist in the war effort due to the likely emergence of units or technology developed by the Sovereign One residing on Earth, primarily known as T'Leth. To this end I have put together a series of tests on the so-called "Meat Puppets" as Mosrimor refers to them, to determine their capabilities, durability, and adaptability.

Due to the new regulations suggested by the Battlemaster, all test subjects are accelerated growth clones of Human, Vitakara (all races), and Muton genome, which have been acquired from captives and additional sampling. They have additionally been cerebrally modified to respond to basic commands even if their full cognitive abilities are limited.

Due to the immediate deterioration of accelerated-growth clones, all tests were conducted within one week as further use tends to have noticeable adverse effects on testing. Tests were conducted by myself and teams of my operatives and soldiers. For a report on the internal biology and construction of the Meat Puppets, please refer to the report being compiled by Revelean.

SECTION 1: Durability

The first tests were to determine the durability and internal fortitude of the Puppet, and this was accomplished through a battery of tests which primarily focused on penetrating the nanite armor of the unit. We first began experimentation with chemicals and natural energy sources before moving to more conventional weaponry.

Considering it is likely to be deployed against ADVENT and XCOM, we have largely tested with equipment most likely to be utilized by them.

The Meat Puppet was capable of sustaining the full brunt of a napalm-class flamethrower directed at the center chest for upwards to twenty minutes. This did appear to consume a significant portion of the nanite reserves dedicated to repair and protection, but it is nonetheless an effective demonstration and appears clear that standard flame weapons will be extremely ineffective.

Acid-based weapons were noticeably more debilitating, as it only took a small amount to begin eating through nanites, and this could be applied over a longer period of time. However if the dose was small, the nanites were able to repair the damage quickly, which was largely by immediately discarding entire chunks of the dissolving armor – a notably clever tactic. To see how it would withstand more directed acid attacks, we placed the Puppet under a vat of acid and opened it, dousing it in acid to see what the immediate response would be.

It unsurprisingly did not react well to being doused with the most dangerous acid discovered on Earth. We unfortunately destroyed that particular unit as the acid ate through the armor faster than the nanites were able to repair it. We have determined that being doused with Flouroantimonic acid is an effective counter to the Meat Puppets.

The Meat Puppet faired far better against attempts at flash freezing. The nanite armor worked to break any ice or substance that built up during the course of the simulated attack. This was to be expected given the extremely volatile and versatile nature of the nanite skin, which would make any non-damaging attack largely ineffective.

Our final test was exposing the Puppet to chlorine trifluoride, or better known by the label of ClF3, an extremely volatile and dangerous chemical which has somehow become extremely popular with, and been integrated into ADVENT and XCOM. Despite the risks of this chemical (tests on it have nearly resulted in the destruction of entire engineering wings), it continues to see widespread use.

We first attempted a smaller-scale repeat of the napalm flamethrower test, only this time with ClF3. This resulted in the Meat Puppet being destroyed in nearly ten seconds from the sustained blast. We had fortunately structured the majority of these tests on one of this system's moons, as such tests are too risky to be conducted in the Blacksite itself.

We only conducted one final test which was producing a ClF3 grenade which was tossed towards the Meat Puppet. The smaller-scale explosion _did_ significantly affect it and consume the majority of it's nanite reserves, but it was able to recover despite being afflicted for nearly three hours to fully allow the chemical to burn itself out. It was able to operate to some extent during this period, but it generally stayed still to allow the nanites to attempt to constantly repair the body.

After chemical and element tests, we transitioned to more conventional weaponry. Plasma, gauss, and laser weapons were all utilized against the Meat Puppet (all of which are used by ADVENT and XCOM). It was extremely resistant against gauss and laser weaponry, as the armor is extremely durable against physical rounds, and has no notable weak points for a laser weapon to take advantage of. Plasma was most effective, largely due to the slightly acidic properties which consumed more nanites to contain and repair.

The final battery of tests were various levels of explosives. Grenades, both frag, anti-personnel (AP), and plasma were utilized (chemical-based grenades were excluded due to previous testing). Frag and AP were largely ineffective and easily absorbed and repaired by the puppet. Plasma grenades were noticeably more effective, but not debilitating.

Rockets and missile strikes followed. These were far more effective, and we accidentally destroyed one of the puppets when a rocket collided with the head of the Puppet, destroying it instantly as well as the central control of the Puppet. Rockets which directly collided with the Puppet penetrated completely, which in the right spots, would be fatal. Missile strikes were similarly effective. Near-direct hits appear able to destroy a Puppet, simply being in the radius of a missile strike will allow the Puppet to recover extremely quickly.

On a final note, Meat Puppets are capable of being destroyed by low-yield nuclear weapons.

SECTION 2: Offensive Capabilities

There were several series of batteries developed to fully explore the military capabilities of the Meat Puppets, which first operated on a small scale, and gradually expanded to medium and large scales. The first battery involved the Puppet being placed in a room with ten Human enemies armed with plasma weapons and XCOM-style armor.

The Meat Puppet was able to avoid or endure the majority of the opposing fire, while showing its noticeable swiftness as it directed the swarms of nanites that emerged from its body to infect all ten enemies within fifteen seconds. By thirty seconds all of the enemies were neutralized and on the ground as the nanites began consuming them to replicate. Armor is noticeably ineffective against nanoweapons, and the Meat Puppet is no exception. This experiment was repeated five times with different combinations of enemies (Mutons, Vitakara, mix of all species), and the Puppet acted almost exactly the same in all of them. There were no psionic abilities utilized.

The second battery consisted of the Meat Puppet against fifty opponents, composed evenly of all major races, and the initial armaments were plasma weapons and explosives, with XCOM-style armor. The Meat Puppet took a similar approach to the first experiment, with the nanites infecting a significant portion in seconds, although this time it utilized telepathy to force roughly half of the soldiers to briefly freeze. Some psionic energy attacks were utilized against stragglers before subsequently being infected with the nanites.

Further iterations on this test showed a far more diverse range of reactions from the Puppet. When the armament of soldiers was modified (some being given rockets, acidic or ClF3 grenades/flamethrowers), the Puppet _immediately_ targeted what it determined to be the most dangerous soldiers, and eliminated them quickly even at the expense of increased enemy fire.

It particularly focused on soldiers with flamethrowers or grenades. This experiment was conducted ten times to fully explore different armaments and compositions for the enemy soldier teams.

The final battery of tests was the Puppet against one hundred enemy soldiers, all with varying loadouts and species. Here we saw the actual true capabilities of the Puppet, as instead of merely consuming the enemy soldiers, they were instead taken over and puppeted, with their minds presumably controlled by the Mosrimor nanites. They were easily recognizable as they had a black nanite overlay, which is similar to the Spectre units, except that the body itself is largely preserved. This soldier is capable of utilizing all of the tools it could when it was alive, and retains their speed, with increased durability provided by the nanites.

This resulted in most fights turning into skirmishes between the dominated puppets, and the remaining soldiers. Curiously once this was accomplished, the Meat Puppet seemed content to observe and manage, with the occasional telepathic attack to support his own forces. Once a sufficient army had been developed (around twenty soldiers) the Puppet would return to having the nanites consume enemy soldiers and not dominate them. As far as we have determined, there is a very high limit, if any at all, on the number of individuals that can be dominated at once. One of the tests had the Puppet specifically ordered to assimilate all enemies, which was done successfully.

With this said, there are two notable downsides to a larger number of dominated individuals. The first is that greater numbers shows less sophisticated tactics, and are much slower and sluggish compared to when fewer individuals are dominated. The second is that that the more individuals dominated, the less the Puppet appears to actively contribute. This is likely because each added dominated soldier consumes more mental brainpower or processing power to command and effectively utilize. This is a possible weakness, which is why it appears the Puppet limits itself to twenty or fewer dominated individuals, as more than that has a noticeably adverse impact on adaptation and performance.

SECTION 3: Adaptability

Throughout the course of these tests, additional data on the adaptability of the Meat Puppet was gathered. As these Puppets are presumably a link to Mosrimor himself, we can also extrapolate how the Sovereign One may react to certain stimuli. In most instances the hardware – nanites – of the Puppet was highly reactive regardless of circumstance.

The nanites would harden when the physical weaponry was utilized or against flame-based weapons (excluding ClF3), would change to extremely fluid to negate cold-based attacks, and would discard entire portions of itself if it was of benefit, as demonstrated during the acid attacks. All wounds or damage was healed or repaired as fast as possible, and the Puppet drew from a far larger amount of nanite reserves than initially suspected.

However, it only appears to adapt it's combat tactics when necessary. It is only as creative as it needs to be to win. If _dismissive_ could be applied to a Sovereign-dominated puppet, it would be the word that would be most accurate here. It is capable of speech, but never utilizes it flippantly, and will do the bare minimum to emerge victorious in the fight, while also not going out of it's way to be flashy or impressive.

This does not mean the Puppet is less intelligent or dangerous – only that it will be as invested in a fight as the quality of the opponents. Dangerous opponents will be taken seriously and the Puppet will employ more diverse, creative, or eloquent tactics. Basic enemies will simply be consumed without significant ceremony.

It is entirely possible that Mosrimor does not manage it at all times, and only takes control when internal sensors or programs of the puppet indicate danger. This could account for sudden divergence of tactics and abilities. Psionics are also not utilized unless there is a notable threat or was specifically directed to in the tests.

Overall, the Meat Puppet is an extremely dangerous and useful product of nanotechnology, as well as the capabilities of Sovereign technology in general. I suspect that even one of these units will be more than capable of handling whatever ADVENT of XCOM can use against it, provided they are also not utilizing certain acids and chemicals.

This is a one notable weakness of the Meat Puppets – Against general opponents they will fare extremely well. They will not fare as well against specialized teams who are geared to destroy them. The Meat Puppet has notable weaknesses that will be exploited, and right now there are no counters to them – Mosrimor should make note of this, and prepare accordingly as well.

* * *

 **XCOM Autopsy SOV01**

Species: Ethereal

Unit Identity: "Mosrimor Avatar"

Codename: Purple Shroud

Alien Autopsy Overseer: Head of XCOM Research and Development Dr. Moira Vahlen

Sovereign Technology Overseer: The Chronicler

Nanotechnology Oversight and Disassembly: Head of XCOM Engineering Dr. Raymond Shen

 _Audio Notes of the Chronicler_

"Encountering Mosrimor in the field, or at least this body was not expected, not quite yet, and especially not from him. Having conversed with T'Leth, this is an interesting development and provides some explanations as to the relationship the Imperator likely has with this particular Sovereign One. Mosrimor is not the strongest or smartest Sovereign known to him, and he is likely wary of the Imperator and the feeling is likely reciprocated."

"Mosrimor is highly conservative, even for a Sovereign One, and this is reflected in how he manages his proxies. While some of this should perhaps be elaborated on in a full report, he has one of the more lenient relationships with them due to his paranoia and desire to survive. Having him be so involved when his life is not immediately at stake implies that this was a decision forced by the Imperator to assist in the war effort, and not one chosen by Mosrimor himself."

"However, according to T'Leth the abilities the unit displayed in combat were similar to previous encounters, and were indeed the equivalent of avatars for Mosrimor, though due to his paranoia, all of them are constantly controlled and monitored by him. They are closer to puppets, and do not bear very much resemblance to the more symbiotic relationship Sovereigns usually develop between their avatars."

"That Mosrimor has taken the base form of the Ethereal is also unsurprising, as he is quick to take advantage of the strongest species of the cycle and turn them to his own advantage. Which ironically was often not those of his proxies. This is because for reasons T'Leth has been unable – or perhaps unwilling – to determine, these avatars often appear to be psionically weaker than other examples of their species demonstrate. The fact that we were able to beat it with relative ease either shows that we were unusually effective – or Mosrimor is not comfortable with the avatars yet, as this was one of the first, if not the first times they have been used in combat."

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Moira Vahlen_

"The recovered specimen – despite being in quite unsatisfactory condition – is fascinating from a biological and functioning standpoint. Put more simply, I am not convinced this specimen was ever fully alive, or even functional without the nanotechnology keeping it functioning. Physically it appears to be an Ethereal, though Aegis noted that it would be considered extremely malnourished and thin by Ethereal standards."

"It has also appeared to preserve the psionic capabilities of Ethereals to an extent, and has some understanding of Dynamo and Aegii psionics, and as there is a Sovereign One behind this creature, it is likely that it could also employ telepathic and telekinetic psionics if it wished. Of course, the significant merging of nanotechnology and the physical body may cause interference we sadly cannot test at this moment."

"Briefly returning to the specimen at hand, as it was already bisected by Aegis during the fighting, we were saved some time in cutting into the internal bodily functions. We were surprised to note that this specimen does not appear to have _any_ natural organs – the brain as the lone exception - again returning to the underlying question on if this specimen was actually _living_ at any point."

"We expect that a full disassembly and autopsy will shed additional light on these questions raised."

 _Audio Notes of Dr. Raymond Shen_

"The implications of this creature are…troubling. From the footage from the battle, as well as the reports from the soldiers who fought it, it appears that this hybrid had both the advantage of nanotechnology while also managing to retain the psionic capabilities of the Ethereal body. While in theory there is nothing preventing this, we can say with some certainty that extensive integration of nanites into the body has an adverse effect on the psionic capabilities of soldiers."

"However, this appears to be less true than we initially supposed, and implies that roadblocks to managing nanotechnology as well as psionics simultaneously are psychological rather than physical. This has opened up additional possibilities for the MELD Operator program, and something we will need to study extensively to determine how best to integrate psionic potential and the wide-ranging capabilities of nanotechnology."

"The nanomachines utilized by this specimen do not appear to be based on MELD, and seem entirely mechanical in origin and function. They are also unlike anything that I have seen in terms of their size and structure. The individual unit is even smaller than a MELD unit, as well as based on a hexagon shape as opposed to the triangle base of the MELD unit."

"Our hope is that we will be able to examine the cybernetics attached to the brain from the recovered body, but due to the extensive damage, we may be forced to wait until more of these units are recovered before we gain anything substantial."

 _Report_

 _Overview written by the Chronicler_

 _Physiology, Psionic Abilities written by Dr. Moira Vahlen_

 _Nanotechnology written by Dr. Raymond Shen_

 _Countermeasures written by the Chronicler and the Commander of XCOM_

Overview: We have currently designated this as a "Mosrimor Avatar" because in function, that is exactly what it is. The purpose of this unit has – historically – been twofold. T'Leth has confirmed that there have been multiple iterations of this concept, with the only major differences being the body used as a base.

The first is management. This was the means by which Mosrimor managed his proxies and gave them orders. It is capable of speech and basic telepathy, and is intimidating enough on its own to convey any message Mosrimor wishes to send. Contrary to the assumptions of Dr. Shen, there are no programs that automate the Avatars with Mosrimor only assuming control when he desires. They are _consciously_ directed by Mosrimor, although his attention will usually not be fully on one at any singular moment. Should he begin taking a more direct interest in what his Avatar is doing, you will _immediately_ notice far more diverse tactics, abilities, and capabilities.

Sovereign minds are not as linear or limited as our own. Mosrimor is perfectly capable of handling several hundred Avatars passively at one time while simultaneously plotting his ultimate plan, pointless as it may be.

Having Avatars serve as proxies for oneself is not new or unheard of, as even T'Leth does it, obviously. Mosrimor is unique in that he wants almost _nothing_ to be known about him, and does not trust anyone or anything to keep his secrets. While this has ensured his survival, it has also constrained him as he is constantly suspicious, incapable of accepting new or alternate ideas, and refusing to adapt for fear that it might be a trap.

That he has found the Imperator is quite amusing to T'Leth, as that was quite possibly one of the worst decisions Mosrimor could have made, as the Imperator is unlikely to be trusting of a Sovereign, and has the psionic power to challenge Mosrimor on issues and force his cooperation – which appears to be the case here. In a rare reversal, a Sovereign is likely stuck with an alien, and not the other way around.

It is entirely possible that Mosrimor could leave, but the fact that he is still aligned with the Imperator indicates that he has no backup plan for this cycle, and abandoning the Imperator would hurt him more than help as he'd be forced to start over. This is not to say that neither benefit from each other, but that both are likely suspicious and paranoid – which explains why the Collective has not been extensively utilizing Sovereign technology.

If the Imperator is highly suspicious of Mosrimor, it would follow that seeding his military with their technology is a questionable idea. And the reason he pressed for these units is, in all likelihood, to handle myself and other Avatars of T'Leth.

Which brings us to the second purpose of these Avatars – to be the militant arm of Mosrimor. While obvious, it needs to be stated. Nanoweapons are dangerous, and if there is one area Mosrimor excels in, it is in creating dangerous nanotechnology and weapons based on it. A nanoweapon that he directly controls is one which is more dangerous, as he understands the capabilities better than most.

These Avatars have typically been utilized not necessarily for direct combat, but harassment and subtle eliminations. This is a general sign that his location is close to being compromised, and he is simply concerned with killing as many as possible who stumble even remotely close to where he is hiding. By the time armies reach his main base, he is long gone, though his Avatars make sure to put up a significant fight.

When the planet isn't simply destroyed, anyway.

While capturing one of these units is quite intriguing, it is not worth the risk. However, it remains the only means of directly communicating with Mosrimor, so I suggest that we should decide how best to utilize this.

Physiology: The body that serves as the base for housing the nanotechnology is significantly bizarre and at the same time, understandable. We were able to confirm that there are no organs of _any_ kind within the body, and this includes eyes, lungs, heart, intestines, and so on. The question then becomes how the body itself is maintained and kept 'alive'.

The short answer is that it doesn't appear to be.

While we cannot confirm this without a "live" specimen and a more intact corpse, the body has already begun degrading at an accelerated rate, which Aegis has suggested is due to this being an accelerated-growth clone. This was already suspected due to the fact that Ethereal cloning usually takes a _significant_ amount of time, and if it was irreplaceable, it would not have been allowed to be destroyed. That this clone is likely grown without ever experiencing sentience bypasses the issues associated with cloning psionically awakened species.

The body physiology is also modified apart from the removal of organs. The first layer of skin has been replaced by nanites, and the muscles have been treated – presumably with MELD – to be more durable and stronger despite the supposedly frail frame. The skeletal structure has similarly been treated with nanites and is surprisingly strong, despite being far thinner than baseline Ethereal bones. Devices were also found throughout the body which are presumably visual and audio receptors.

The brain is the one organ that remains, and it has been extensively modified with cybernetics. While unfortunately none of the components were in a state to be analyzed or reverse-engineered, there is a general consensus that this is the means by which Mosrimor controls the Avatars. The recovery of an intact corpse would likely have implications for future iterations of the Neural Regulator and the MELD Operator Program.

Finally, there are reserves of nanites which were stored throughout the body, usually where organs would be stored. They could be found in the chest, arms, legs, and neck. The canisters were usually cylinders, although the one in the chest was likely spherical, if it had been recovered intact. These all appeared to be managed by the cerebral cybernetics.

Psionic Abilities: The psionic abilities of the Avatar appear to be rather limited and weak for an Ethereal, which is likely a combination of the poor genetic structure and quality of the Ethereal clone in question, as well as possible limitations with the nanotech. This is a means to subvert the requirement of a traditional Avatar, but the tradeoffs do appear to be rather significant.

The psionic abilities displayed were primarily from the Dynamo and Aegii disciplines, and were strong enough to withstand Dynamo psionics from allied forces, as well as other physical attacks. Aegis and Geist confirmed that the Avatar _was_ attempting telepathic attacks during the conflict, but was able to be held at bay, once more indicating the lesser capabilities of the Avatar.

We do not know if Mosrimor will adapt his tactics in future conflicts, but we can safely assume that the psionic capabilities of the Avatars are _not_ fully realized or understood yet.

Nanotechnology: The nanotechnology which the Avatar utilizes is every bit as dangerous as we would imagine a nanoweapon of this type to be. What is possibly worse is that this is directed by a true and imaginative intelligence, and not bound to programming as the Spectre nanoweapons are. We are currently classifying this as a OIN-class (Organic-Intelligent) nanoweapon, while also exhibiting NoIN-class (Non-organic-Intelligent) capabilities.

This is currently the most dangerous classification of nanotechnology that has been developed.

The nanites utilized by the Avatar appear to be just as versatile and effective as MELD, if not more so. Fortunately, they also appear to have similar weaknesses, especially as they relate to high voltage. The full capabilities of the Avatar are currently unknown, but the implications cannot be understated under any circumstances.

We fortunately had a team able to effectively handle the Avatar, which included psions, two of T'Leth's Agents, and a MELD Operator. Squads and militaries who do not have a similar quality of specialties on hand will almost certainly find a difficult, if not impossible fight ahead. This is also not assuming that the Avatar has begun preparing for a conflict. This one was engaged before it could properly prepare; future engagements will not be certain.

I must reiterate that we do not know fully what these units are capable of. Treat them cautiously and kill them as quickly as possible.

Countermeasures: We currently have determined several effective ways to handle the Mosrimor Avatar as of the time of the writing of this document:

\- Psionic Support: Telepaths to prevent mental attacks on our soldiers, Dynamos to weaken the armor and force him to dedicate psionic shields to protect himself, and Aegii to actively destroy the body or protect/box in the nanites or other psionic attacks. Preferably all three at once, but Telepaths and Aegii should be prioritized in any engagement.

\- High-Voltage Weaponry: The utilization of WHEEE cannons and EMP weapons should be a priority for engaging this unit under any circumstances. While it will not completely destroy the body, as it exists on an organic body, it will negate its most dangerous attributes. The lightning attacks Crevan utilized show that it is vulnerable to electric attacks, and this should be pressed wherever possible.

\- Chemical Weaponry: We can assume that chemicals such as acid will have a significant and detrimental effect on the Avatars, and it is recommended that soldier utilize specialized ammunition as well as taking ClF3 grenades, as it is extremely unlikely that it would be able to withstand them.


	128. ADVENT - History: The Capture of Beijing

ADVENT: History

The Capture of Beijing

* * *

" _The Imperator is not merely just our enemy because he has sent his minions to conquer our species, it is because he is negligent; apathetic to the consequences of his actions. His judgement in the deployment of Isomnum is proof of this, yet it pales in comparison to this creature he has unleashed not just against our species, but any others who dare challenge him."_

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

 _Transcript of press statement by Commander Laura Christiaens following the Capture of Beijing_

[Laura Christiaens]: "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Before I take questions, it is time to appraise the public on the current situation and our planned response, as well as several additional announcements regarding the larger war effort."

"First I can confirm that we have currently lost control over Beijing and several subsequent cities following decapitation strikes led by Isomnum's forces. We are moving several legions from North Korea and Russia to gain a better handle on the situation. XCOM is significantly increasing their support to us as well."

"I can also confirm that we have already ordered an operation to take back control of Beijing, and as Isomnum has yet to leave, we are hoping that we can trap him there before he can leave. This army includes our soldiers, the PRIEST Division, ADVENT special forces, and our armor compliments. This operation has been authorized and is taking place as we speak, in conjunction with supporting XCOM forces."

 _Several call outs by reporters which are silenced by Christiaens._

"Questions will be next. In addition to this, I can confirm that Chancellor Vyandar is recovering from the attack against her life. While she has sustained heavy injuries, she is being treated and has personally told me that she intends to give her own statement as soon as possible."

"Concerning the other conflicts going on, we are continuing to isolate the Sovereign African States through diplomatic and military means. We are reinforcing the Egyptian borders and preparing in anticipation of possible retaliatory attacks. Diplomatic relations with the remaining African states are proceeding well, and Libya and South Africa are interested in continuing to halt further alien interference."

"Several of the Eastern American Legions are being deployed to Florida to ensure that the aliens make as little headway as possible, and we are doing the same with the attacks on Brazil. There are no further updates to make at this time. Your questions may begin."

[Q1]: _"Is the situation in China the result of the aliens from the Paradise videos released a while ago? Are they a new species?"_

[LC]: "Not a new species, no, but modified aliens already in existence which we believe is the result of tampering with older precursor technology. There is the distinct possibility that the Imperator is working with one or more precursor aliens through one way or another. We do not know for certain, only that it has caused internal division even within the Collective. For reasons that are plainly obvious. Yes, you?"

[Q2]: _"Has ADVENT confirmed the identity of the individuals in the livestream being commanded by Isomnum?"_

[LC]: "Yes. It is authentic."

[Q3]: _"The footage shown appears as extremely religious in nature. What does ADVENT know about the "One Who Brings Paradise" if anything at all?"_

[LC]: "Quite possibly the aliens the Imperator may be working with. It could very well be a religious cult, as telepathy is heavily utilized upon the so-called 'converts'. If this is supposed to be a legitimate religion or just a telepathic disease created by these sadistic aliens is something we have yet to determine."

[Q4]: _"Could this entity be something real and unlinked to these aliens the Imperator may be working with?"_

[LC]: "Possible, but unlikely. We do not have the information to confirm or deny. In any case it would not be classified as a deity or anything of that nature."

[Q5]: _"What is the current situation with the Chinese government now that the majority of the Communist Party is lost?"_

[LC]: "We are working with surviving CPC members and surviving military officials, as well as leading figures from Taiwan and Tibet to reform and then afterwards assimilate the Chinese government into ADVENT. Specifics will be announced when China has been fully reclaimed."

[Q6]: _"Has the dissolution of the Chinese government been a decision made unilaterally-"_

[LC]: "The majority of the Chinese government is dead, their military is completely outmatched against Isomnum's forces, and we are investing a significant amount of time, money and resources into defending, retaking, and supporting the hundreds of thousands of refugees which are currently residing in Russia and Mongolia. _Yes_ this decision was made unilaterally because _there isn't anyone left._ You!"

[Q7]: _"Commander. Has this been authorized by the Congress?"_

[LC]: "Yes. The documents will be released at the same time as the new government is announced."

[Q8]: _"Was ADVENT aware of the fact that XCOM had another Ethereal working with them and it was the same one who attacked Japan?"_

[LC]: "Most high-level officials were aware of Caelior's defection. The majority of ADVENT was unaware per the request of XCOM."

[Q9]: _"Will ADVENT be taking custody of all captured Ethereals from now on and will there be an investigation on what – if anything – XCOM is keeping to themselves?"_

[LC]: "Captured Ethereals will be decided on a case by case basis, but it is unlikely ADVENT will hold them. XCOM is better equipped to handle them, and as we can see, they can get results. No, there will not be an investigation as XCOM is outside ADVENT jurisdiction and we will not subject our closest ally to something so baseless. Next – you."

[Q10]: _"What is the extent of the Chancellor's injuries?"_

[LC]: "She is scheduled for multiple cybernetic limb replacements. I will not confirm more than that at this time. She is lucky to be alive – thanks in no small part to the Commander of XCOM himself and his soldiers."

[Q11]: _"Does ADVENT still believe that Isomnum is acting on his own without the support of the Imperator given the events of the last few hours?"_

[LC]: "We are reevaluating. We find it personally difficult to believe that the Imperator is against the events which have taken place, otherwise he would have made a statement and cut off his supply of forces from the Paradise Station. We do not believe the Battlemaster authorized this, and may continue to further divide the Ethereals. As far as we are concerned though, it does appear that the Collective is supporting Isomnum, even if only parts of it."

"That will be the end of questions for now. There will be another conference held when the operations in Beijing are more established. Please direct remaining questions to Minister Kyong for the remainder of the scheduled time. Thank you."

* * *

 _Message sent on the CODEX-encrypted network_

Imperator,

Most recent times have forced me to reflect on the past, on the nature of our species. We were not perfect, and there was much we could and should have done for the galaxy at the height of our power. But if there was one thing I can say as a positive, it is that we restrained ourselves. We allowed the galaxy to develop independent from us even if our Empire had the power to rule.

I fear the wrong lesson has been taken from our defeat.

You are one of the Imperators, the pinnacle of our species in intellect and power so we believe. I feel like you would not find it incorrect to state that you are a radical. You have no intention of remaking the Empire that once was, and instead are intent on forging a new and dangerous path despite the obvious risks such an approach provokes.

It is a matter of communication. For too long you have shrouded your true intentions and plans from those you internally considered compromised or risks to your command. A shrewd and calculating move which is not conducive to a leader, certainly not one who is leading the last of a species. I have to wonder why you bothered including those of us who have been excluded at all, unless your plans so radically changed that those who you _knew_ would not support your approach had to be kept in the dark.

Aegis was the only one who understood what you were doing; he began to speak out and as a result he was pre-emptively silenced. It is no wonder he left when his supposed leader was just as much of an enemy merely for asking questions you had not decided were worth answering. Knowing what I know now, I can see why you would want your work kept secret.

It was sickening when I walked the twisted halls of Paradise, and this feeling has only grown when you elected to keep such a place active. It is bad enough that such experiments continue to be tolerated by Revelean and Fectorian. It is another to keep open the gates to a hell ruled by a mad entity who you merely mean to use to fight in a conflict between entities we have no place in.

However, the only solace that could be taken was that your Paradise experiment would be confined to the station. It would not spread to infect the other parts of the galaxy.

Yet you fail to do even this.

No species deserves what has been unleashed on Earth. I need not describe what is taking place. You know exactly what is happening. You knew what would happen when you sent Isomnum to fight, even knowing who and what he was. Do not act surprised this happened, or that the Battlemaster took the steps he did. I can only come up with two explanations for how such an act was allowed at all.

The first is that you intended for this to happen. You are many things, Imperator, but you are no fool. And though I find such manipulations distasteful, neither am I. It is easy to predict what the Battlemaster and Isomnum would do. You knew this would happen, and you knew where Isomnum would turn to next. So you allowed it, maybe to see how your pets would fare against the Humans and the Sovereign One you fear so much. Maybe because you wanted to see how the Collective would react. Maybe because you were just curious. Or maybe it was planned all along without notifying anyone.

The alternative is that you are as surprised as we are. That this happened because of your own apathy and incompetence. An issue you as of yet refuse to correct. I find this almost worse than it being done intentionally, as it shows that you have no control over this mad entity and if it happens on Earth, it will happen again.

I suspect that this situation would be resolved without your intervention, but this is a catastrophe and crime that needed to be swiftly and immediately dealt with. And I know that you have no plans on doing so. The Humans will rightfully condemn us for this, and they will see through the thin veil of Isomnum 'going rogue'.

There will be consequences for this, Imperator. If you will not accept responsibility for what you have unleashed, then there is little more to say and I will do what I must.

\- Sana'Ligna

* * *

Battlemaster,

While I'm certain that you have your own war to wage, you requested any significant updates on China, and it is safe to say that there have been a large number of major and frankly quite disturbing developments which have taken place over the past day. I would not be surprised if this proves to be the trigger than ends the conflict in a much faster and more destructive way than originally projected.

I will break this down more thoroughly:

ASSAULT AND CAPTURE OF BEIJING: To the surprise of our analysts, Isomnum decided to attempt a strike directly into the heart of Chinese territory, striking at their capital which was not expecting an assault yet and was suitably ill-prepared for the attack. There was a notable civilian population still alive, and the smallpox infected were still quarantined.

This was likely accomplished through utilizing the teleportation capabilities employed by the soldiers of the Bringer, but the results were immediate. Without Aegis to provide the needed telepathic protection, the majority of civilians and soldiers (both ADVENT and Chinese) were compromised and are more than likely insane at this point – or brainwashed to serve the Bringer.

What had remained of Chinese government was directly targeted by Isomnum himself, and their capital was turned into ground zero for what we are now seeing in China. It does appear that an evacuation was at least attempted, but against the combined forces of Isomnum and the Bringer, it was never going to work.

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF CHANCELLOR VYANDAR: In addition to directly targeting the Chinese government, he also went after Chancellor Vyandar who was currently residing there – also of note is that the Commander of XCOM was in the vicinity. Supposedly the most powerful of the Bringer's soldiers were sent after her.

We suspect that they intended to capture – not kill – the Chancellor given their treatment of former President Qin and the majority of the Communist Party. The forces invaded ADVENT-Chinese Joint Command and did encounter staunch resistance – in particular we noted one of who we suspect is an agent of T'Leth who decimated a significant amount of enemy forces.

This is the teleporter to be clear – we have yet to identify her by name, but considering that she carries a sword, she is fairly identifiable. For better or worse, she seemed much more skilled than even the Bringer's opposition. She was ultimately the one who was responsible for saving the Chancellor and all of the other survivors from what we learned.

The Chancellor herself was severely wounded, though to what extent we do not know yet. We also do not know where she was taken, though it is likely a secured XCOM facility. The majority of her guard was killed (though not her husband), and the Commander also escaped unharmed. We expect the Chancellor to make a statement as soon as she has recovered.

If nothing else, it highlights how effectively and easily we could attempt assassinations of this nature. Though I suspect ADVENT will attempt to patch these vulnerabilities as soon as possible, and it is likely that T'Leth will be involved in further protecting important leaders of Humanity – which is something we can use.

CURRENT SITUATION IN CHINA: Disturbing.

What is happening there is completely unnatural and unnerving, which admittedly is an apt description for all things regarding the Bringer. But seeing it on such a large scale is a different level of disturbing. Why the Imperator has allowed this at all I have no idea, and it will only rally Humanity to ADVENT more thoroughly. I would speak with your Avatar, as she doubtless did not intend for the Chinese to be defeated quite like this.

The entire population appears to be under a psionic spell which has corrupted their minds so thoroughly that they are actually partying and engaging in activities that no Human in their right mind does. Cannibalism ranks among the most common which has been observed, and more disturbing is the number of people who are _willingly_ sacrificing themselves to become food.

There are a number of pseudo-religious services and rituals which are taking place throughout the cities, many of which involve the removal of eyes and tongues, which are sometimes molded into some kind of art piece. Sometimes limbs and fingers are sacrificed. Other times there is quite literally Human sacrifice, though instead of it being carried out by one of the Bringer's soldiers, the victim slits their own throat with a smile on their face.

The arguably more concerning note here is the sheer amount of _control_ the Bringer and Isomnum have on the population. They have turned their minds from not only _accepting_ these unnatural actions, but actively _trying_ to carry them out. For Isomnum, this is merely to spread terror to the rest of the world – hence the livestreams which were probably his idea.

For the Bringer, I am not sure how much of this is an act. From what I've seen of the Paradise footage, as well as what has been described, this does not seem atypical, which begs the question of why the Bringer was allowed to assist Isomnum at all, as the Dread Lord is likely the only one who would let the Bringer operate with no restraints whatsoever.

I do enjoy how we keep giving ADVENT blatant propaganda victories. It is a pleasure to serve under those who have such a sound grip and understanding of military strategy, tactics, and the flow of information. I pity Keeper attempting to explain this to Betos.

ADVENT PLANNED RESPONSE: ADVENT has wasted no time in responding. We're looking at nothing short of a complete invasion of Beijing and for some reason it appears that Isomnum is not preparing to leave or stop the party going on. He quite possibly thinks that ADVENT would not be able to beat him, though he is taking a massive risk.

XCOM is also likely going to converge on the city, and the unexpected emergence of Caelior may prove to be the tipping point – also assuming T'Leth doesn't have more of his operatives become involved. There is, of course, nothing stopping the Bringer's forces from leaving or taking Isomnum with them, but Isomnum could very well feel like leaving would be cowardly and unnecessary.

A clash is coming in the next few hours. We shall see who emerges victorious.

MEDIA RESPONSE: Horrified and livid.

Shocking. I don't see how _anyone_ could have _possibly_ predicted this.

ADVENT has been working to block and take down streams that are currently playing in China, though appear to have largely given up and are hosting it on a secured channel that is age-restricted. All other ones are taken down when there is a legitimate one up now. ADVENT appears to have largely been attempting to censor it due to the horrific nature of the stream, and not because they want to analyze it independently.

News stations and media outlets are only showing heavily censored footage, and nothing of the sacrifices, murders, and cannibalism taking place. This has definitely affected the anchors, as all of them are visibly shaken and afraid. Chinese refugees are speaking out and calling for the execution of all aliens, as well as various creative deaths for Isomnum and the Bringer's forces.

ADVENT is no doubt taking notes on everything they see, gruesome as that may be, and admittedly we are as well. We don't know if media outlets are doing the same, but they could very well be. Of course, you have the idiotic conspiracy crowd which is insisting that the footage itself is a false flag for ADVENT to impose stricter religious controls over the population – as well as a number of racists celebrating (who have been promptly arrested) as well as 4Chan making edgy jokes about the entire event being a metaphor for communism.

But the universal reaction is unbridled hatred for Isomnum and by extension, the Collective. Pretty much no one is believing that he was acting on his own – and quite honestly they are justified in thinking so even if the Collective itself did not sanction these actions. The Imperator should have forced Isomnum and the Bringer to be recalled at minimum.

LIKELY OUTCOMES: Given the imminent invasion of Beijing by ADVENT there are a number of ways this situation can end:

The first is that ADVENT and XCOM attack, and Isomnum decides to make a stand or is otherwise unable to leave. Given the number of forces ADVENT is moving, as well as XCOM pulling out every trick they can, it is unlikely that Isomnum and his forces will emerge victorious unless they somehow fight their way out, taking losses. The (unlikely) alternative is that Isomnum somehow wins and continues his conquest of the continent.

The second is that Isomnum and his forces leave before ADVENT arrives, ceding Beijing but opening the door to similar attacks across the world (though how feasible that is, we don't know). This is the tactically intelligent decision to make, but it does not appear to be one he is interested in pursuing at this current moment. However, this could change.

The third solution is an internal removal of Isomnum by the Imperator. He has certainly done enough to warrant his forces being taken away. The Imperator could force a recall of the Bringer's forces and Isomnum himself to face consequences for his actions. This would cede Beijing (and China) back to ADVENT, but would ensure that Isomnum is kept alive and properly dealt with. Possibly a means to weaken the propaganda ADVENT will use against us if he is executed.

There is ultimately no solution to this where the Collective gains anything significant. Isomnum is too compromised as an asset, and we aren't going to be able to mitigate the fallout with anything short of executing Isomnum on a live broadcast, as well as blowing up Paradise station. If I were to give a recommendation, the third solution will allow us to salvage this as best as possible.

Please forward this to the Imperator should you get the opportunity.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	129. Ethereals - Dossier: Caelior II

Ethereals: Dossier

Caelior II

* * *

" _You have got to be kidding me!"_

\- The Hunter, during the Second Battle of Korea

* * *

 _Internal Document sent to the Internal Council of XCOM_

Commander,

Per your request, I have decided to perform a full review of Caelior and see if he is cleared for deployment on a psychological and capability level. Since his original awakening, he has regained full functionality of his limbs and his mental faculties are in working shape for an Ethereal (At least according to the limited data we have on the species).

 **Current Psychological Profile:** Shortly after the capture of Caelior and his subsequent reawakening and reconditioning, I was tasked with developing a therapeutic template to gather a Human-based psychological profile, using the dossier provided by Aegis as a base for developing the planned sessions with the young Ethereal.

This has – in addition to assisting our more thorough understanding of Caelior – also highlighted some interesting aspects of Ethereal psychology and the Ethereal Empire that Aegis did not explicitly mention – not necessarily out of intentional desire, but because they were never something he considered important.

First, there was clearly very little psychological and mental services provided throughout the Empire. Caelior was initially confused as to the concept of therapy sessions and the role of psychologists utilized in a non-military or non-scientific fashion. This is not to say they didn't _exist_ – further discussions with Aegis revealed that they were a highly specialized and small field that only the extremely mentally ill were ever sent to, which was usually solved with some form of psionic therapy.

This has been something of a suspicion of mine for a while now, namely that Ethereals are highly resistant – if not immune – to mental diseases or illnesses that afflict our species and presumably others. Due to their high control over their genome it is likely they would have been able to detect and eradicate mental diseases, and their reproductive systems would ensure that such disorders wouldn't suddenly manifest.

Ethereals are a remarkably resilient and stable species from a mental standpoint – likely by design – and it takes a significant amount to 'break' them, and even those who are 'broken' – such as the Ravaged One as the clearest example – are still capable of mostly rational thought and function. An argument could be made for Ethereals such as Isomnum, though those are based more in personality disorders than a negative mental condition.

However, Caelior most certainly proves that Ethereals can be mentally shaken and be forced to work through and adapt to shocking revelations. The Ethereal mind is bent towards stability, and when such stability is upended, they tend to react in shock or in violence. The emotions they express are usually anger or similar feelings which fuel violent actions. There is a desire to demand answers and punish those who have presumably wronged them.

Reviewing this with Aegis, he noted that the Imperator may not operate from that mental framework, so this is more reliable for non-Imperator Ethereals.

Caelior is characterized as arrogant and proud. This was, as we know, because he was a propaganda tool during the Synthesized War and while he _is_ among the most powerful Ethereals to exist in terms of Trask Level, the Empire saw fit to manipulate his power to rally and embolden their people. Caelior took this particular revelation through a series of responses.

The first being shock that he was largely a tool the entire time, and that no one bothered to correct him – Aegis included – until now. However, what was curious was that the emotion that Caelior ultimately settled on was _confusion._ He was not, as I had initially predicted, angry. He was confused as to _why_ he was used as a prop when he's said that it wouldn't have changed anything. He said he would have been perfectly content if that had been the best position he would have fit in.

In my professional opinion, that is not how the Caelior of the Empire would have reacted. This is after he was beaten, captured, and had the truth revealed to him all within the span of a very short amount of time. He received a _significant_ bucket of cold water to his pride and power, and that has naturally forced him to reconsider some things.

It definitely stems from the now-real fear of his own mortality. Caelior realizes that he could have very likely died that day, and it was due to his own arrogance and someone being better than he was. He was unsure about his own capabilities and abilities; questioning how much of it was built in his mind and not something that an opponent smarter than him would be able to exploit.

It was a good starting point, so we worked together to help catalogue his known weaknesses – both ones he knew about himself and those which were noted by others. They were personal issues (arrogance, pride, etc.), training gaps (vulnerability to telepathy, etc.) and strategic issues (namely, that he knows very little of outthinking an opponent, only smashing them into pulp).

With these in mind, we began tackling them in various ways, some more easily than others. His training gaps were the easiest, as he could be taught much more effective ways to shield his mind. This initially encountered some difficulties, because Aegis is obviously the best teacher for this, and Caelior was mistrustful of him since Aegis – willingly or not – was complicit in keeping the truth from Caelior, even if Aegis regretted it later. For an initial period, he was tested by Human psions – in particular Geist and Vahlen – who were structured and somewhat harsh in their instruction. Both of which were needed and benefitted Caelior immensely. After a period, he was willing to train with Aegis, even if he does treat the older Ethereal with some wariness.

His strategic weaknesses were also straightforward in how to deal with them. Initially I gave him some reading material on various Human conflicts (at the suggestion of the Commander and Creed), to begin giving some of the basics. He appeared to respond better to multi-media material, such as videos or audiobooks/podcasts. A surprising but curiously effective method was introducing him to the RTS video game genre, which while crude and not necessarily reflective of real-life management and command, nonetheless coveys important – if highly simplified – concepts of overall strategy in political and military matters.

Once he had the basic concepts, Aegis had the quite exceptional idea of going through various conflicts of the Synthesized War with Caelior and explaining the good and bad aspects to the decisions made throughout. The Commander suggested also applying it to the _current_ conflict, and one of the most interesting sessions was our discussion on how he lost in Japan – and he quite correctly identified the reasons for how and why he lost – as well as other battles which have been won and lost by ADVENT and the Collective.

His personal issues were more involved and something I suspect he will continue to work out for some time. These have mostly been in-session, and involve, for lack of a better word 'soul-searching'. Interestingly, the personality traits which have caused him the most trouble – namely his inflated ego – have been cut down quite a bit since his defeat.

The main struggle he has is reconciling the fact that he _is_ absurdly powerful – with the fact that power alone means very little if your opponent is smarter than you are. It's something of a difficult concept for Ethereals to grasp – not something exclusive to Caelior. Ethereals _as a species_ are arrogant, and not without reason. But the issue developed because they _never_ had any legitimate conflict until the Synthesized – and had literally thousands of years believing they were superior and powerful.

I am under the impression that Ethereals are not necessarily as smart or clever as they think they are. Most of their problems could be solved with their psionics, and not as much critical thinking was needed for the average Ethereal. They didn't have to worry about diplomacy when they could just dominate anyone telepathically. Nothing could touch them, and this inherent arrogance shows itself in Caelior.

He's gotten better about not relying on his power, and thinking through his actions before going through with them. However, this issue does tie in with another one that became very apparent during our sessions – notably his views on aliens. Ethereals tend to consider themselves superior to other life, and Caelior is not an exception.

It is something which admittedly I doubt even Aegis has abandoned, even if he hides it. However Caelior is in a unique situation because he was _beaten_ by a supposed 'lesser' species. It's difficult for him to reconcile this fact after being told that his species is superior to all others for most of his life. The good news is that he's…open to reconsidering. He's ironically most comfortable around Humans, and treats us warily. He's still not quite dropped a habit of doing the same to the Vitakara and Andromedons, but he is continuing to work on it, and I think perhaps some effective demonstrations (particularly by the Andromedons) would go towards convincing him that they are also worthy of respect. That is ultimately what seems to trigger a positive response in his brain. If he can be _beaten_ by someone, he will automatically treat them more cautiously and warily, which is not _quite_ as equals, but it is a step in the right direction. I will be utilizing some ideas around this concept in the future.

Now, overall, I will say that Caelior is mentally stable from a deployment standpoint. While I would not quite say that he possesses the mindset of a fully-developed Ethereal adult, I _can_ say that this entire experience has matured him, and now that he understands his situation and how he was used, he is actively willing to try and improve himself. Having and continuing these sessions also plays a significant role in this, as Caelior often did not receive detailed personal attention, even within the Empire. He is much more agreeable and attentive if there is someone who appears to genuinely appear to care about him and wish to help.

I would consider him one of my better patients, compared to some Humans I've had in the past. Not everyone is interested in improving themselves.

 **Current Physical/Psionic Capabilities:** Caelior is an extremely powerful Ethereal, far beyond any of our own Telekines, at approximately 237 on the Trask Scale – more powerful than Aegis even. He is in good shape for an Ethereal (It doesn't seem like they even _have_ out of shape examples of their species), and is stronger and faster than any living Human – which does include those who have been genetically enhanced.

I could go through the various tests XCOM has conducted during his stay here, but honestly showcasing when he threw an aircraft carrier into Tokyo demonstrates his sheer power – which is not even close to his full potential according to Aegis, who has described Caelior as capable of destroying entire fleets.

As such, much of the training directed by Aegis and Iosif had focused on his area-of-effect capabilities – as well as those over long distances. Those, as it turns out, he is very good at, so the training then shifted to more direct and focused uses of telekinesis. Doing multiple things at one time independently, for instance. Caelior is notably able to do this easier than our own telekines, which is speculated to be due to his additional arms on a psychological level.

However, this _was_ an area he initially struggled with, and over the course of several months he has been able through dedicated training to be able to pull off feats which our own Telekines wouldn't be able to mimic on such a scale. He is not what Aegis considers to be a _master_ of telekinesis, but his own capabilities are more developed than they were before. This did help in Caelior reconciling with Aegis to a degree, even if it isn't completely forgotten.

As mentioned earlier, he has also improved his own telepathic defenses significantly. He is still having issues maintaining concentration in the face of distractions, but when completely focused and drawing upon a certain emotion as an anchor, his mental defenses are extremely difficult to penetrate. He is not able to use offensive telepathy, but will be able to defend himself much better in the event it happens to him again.

 **Manchurian Restraint Testing:** We would clearly be fools to consider the Manchurian Restraints as insurance on faith alone, and there were a battery of tests that were run to make sure the Restraints were both installed correctly, as well as working for a number of scenarios. These involved having Caelior attack XCOM, ADVENT, and alien targets, with appropriate modifiers as to who is giving the order.

Due to his unique situation, the Restraints are more involved in Caelior than even the standard psion and MELD Operator. He can _only_ accept commands from XCOM and certain ranks of ADVENT. Aegis is _not_ included on this list, and he will immediately be forced to reject all commands given by those who are not 'whitelisted'.

All alien interactions – such as being contacted by another alien – will be reported to a superior and he cannot respond to them without XCOM permission. He cannot attack XCOM or ADVENT personnel unless explicitly ordered to do so. He is physically incapable of leaving Earth at this point in time, and his body will terminate itself if moved off-world. This restriction will be lifted when we have reliable interstellar space travel.

In light of all these factors, I feel qualified to say that Caelior is clear for deployment in our own operations. While I am not sure he can be _completely_ classified as 'loyal', he is definitely willing to fight the Collective, and the Restraints ensure that he will not turn on us unexpectedly.

\- Haley Yates, Head of the XCOM Psychology Division

* * *

Coverage of the Second Battle of Korea has been intermittent as ADVENT has restricted journalists from the front lines due to the inherent dangers, yet very recently there have been first rumors, and then confirmed reports of another Ethereal engaging Collective forces under the direction of XCOM. Further contact with XCOM's Central Officer Jackson, as well as interviews with several military officials have confirmed not only that XCOM has another Ethereal ally, but also his identity.

During the first reclamation of Japan, the Ethereal Caelior who led the attack was defeated and taken into custody by XCOM and was presumed to be reliably detained. However, it appears that Caelior has been turned or otherwise defected to XCOM as he has been confirmed to be the new Ethereal ally of XCOM. Central Officer Jackson has confirmed that they will be releasing a later statement and Caelior himself will be interviewed on his change of heart.

"We are aware that there is some concern and hesitation regarding this development," Jackson said in a statement. "This was a decision that we came to after significant review, both with ADVENT and Aegis to ensure that there are minimal risks to combat personnel. Caelior has undergone highly restrictive Manchurian Restraints, which will ensure that he will not act against the interests of Humanity in the future."

When there were questions on if Caelior had actually defected, or was simply being controlled by XCOM, Jackson offered a clarifying statement. "The Restraints are a contingency, one which I will note is applied to our Psions, as well as those in ADVENT and their government officials. The Restraints are not necessarily indicative of loyalty, or lack thereof. Caelior is a willing defector, and has been forced to understand some difficult revelations about himself and the Collective, and is willing to make amends for his previous actions against our species."

XCOM did not offer further clarification on the details of what convinced Caelior to defect, or what could be meant by the revelations learned by the Ethereal. Regardless, Caelior appears to be making good on his intentions as he has proven to be instrumental in pushing the Collective advance out of Korea and allowing ADVENT to maintain one of their most entrenched bases.

ADVENT officials have released statements as well. Commander Laura Christiaens said the following in her own brief statement. "We can confirm that the Ethereal Caelior is assisting in the defense of Korea. XCOM has assured us that he poses no threat to ADVENT personnel or interests." This sentiment has been echoed by several other ADVENT officials.

Chancellor Vyandar has currently not commented on the development, but directed us to Commander Christiaens statement. The Commander of XCOM similarly directed us to the statement by Central Officer Jackson, and it appears that both ADVENT and XCOM are withholding further details until the situation with Korea – and possibly China – is resolved or contained.

This development marks an extreme shift in the war, as the defection of a second Ethereal is likely to shake the Collective, as Caelior was among their most powerful, and with his defection along with Aegis, there is a distinct possibility that this will spark serious discussion in the possible viability in continuing the conflict, as the longer the war continues, the more unwilling certain Ethereals may be to fight it.

Several Vitakara defectors were surprised with the development, although they are emboldened. "I hope that this will encourage more soldiers to realize that the Ethereals are just as conflicted in participating in this conflict as everyone else," Runi'lindas'vitiary, a Vitakarian who is currently residing in Russia said. "The Collective is not omniscient. They are not unbeatable. They are not _right_. When you're told that defection will lead to death – it is a lie. One Ethereal they can dismiss as a fluke. A second shows the cracks in their system, and ADVENT will continue to bring it down."

The response from the Collective has so far been muted, and currently they have not responded to a request for comment.

 _\- Article: New Ethereal Ally Emerges in Korea – Update 6_

* * *

 _Notable Twitter activity following the end of the Second Battle of Korea_

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm - Mar 11, 2017

XCOM decided I could have my account back.

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Really?

 _Really?_

Caelior, I am disappoint. #sad #traitor #boo #disappoint #incredulous #mildlyshocked

 **The Hunter** FuckTheCreator – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

For once, I agree with you Quisilia. This is ridiculous. You Ethereals really need to get your issues sorted out.

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to FuckTheCreator_

It may have gone over better if I didn't learn that everyone has been using me my entire life.

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Unfortunately for you those days are over.

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Oh yes, because XCOM is 100% telling you the truth and could in no way be manipulating you. They would never, _ever_ , do something like that. Assuming you're actually talking right now, and this isn't just an elaborate hoax? #sarcasm #conspiracy #manipulation #theyareusingyouyouidiot

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

Oh yes, because you are 100% telling me the truth and could in no way be manipulating me.

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Also, _Aegis_ confirmed this too. Am I really supposed to believe _you_ over him?

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

And since you don't believe it's me

 _Attached is a selfie of Caelior standing in an unidentified XCOM base with Aegis and a few unidentified XCOM soldiers in the background who are seemingly oblivious to having their pictures taken._

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Relying on the XCOM puppet Ethereal certainly is a compelling argument. Come now, is that the best you've got? Just say you defected because of the memes or food. I could respect that more than a random conspiracy about how every single Ethereal lied to you, lol. #memes #unlikelyconspiracy #traitor #XCOMpuppet #aegis #dontbelievethelies

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

I'd rather believe an XCOM puppet than the Imperator's puppet.

 **The Hunter** FuckTheCreator – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Oof

I like you a lot better now than when you were a boring incompetent child.

I'm glad I held off killing you for now.

 _Attached is an image of the Hunter in a selfie holding up a pistol and has several filters on it to give it a melodramatic and edgy atmosphere._

 **Quisilia** TheGreatQ – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheLittleStorm_

Not a bad comeback Little Storm, not bad. #learning #reactionmeme #decentburn

 _Attached is the Leonardo DiCaprio toast gif._

 **Caelior** TheLittleStorm – Mar 11, 2017

 _Replying to TheGreatQ_

You should get used to that. I'm just getting started with you.

* * *

To the Battlemaster,

While I am aware that there are a significant number of major operations taking place, this report has been marked as a priority due to the unexpected emergence of Caelior against our offensive in Korea. As of now there has been a retreat called as our forces are not prepared to engage a psion of that power and ADVENT itself is already remarkably entrenched.

Prior to his arrival there was slow, if steady progress being made against the trench lines, and it would have only been a matter of time until the lines began falling. Unfortunately, the arrival of Caelior ensured that any progress gained was soon lost as there is unfortunately no practical defense against a telekine of that power, and it effectively rendered all of our long-range offensives completely null and void.

This clearly raises a significant amount of questions regarding how XCOM intends to utilize powerful captured enemies and opponents. We originally assumed that Caelior would be held in stasis or kept in an induced coma indefinitely, if not outright executed due to the risks he would naturally pose. We were not expecting them to utilize Caelior in this manner.

XCOM UTILIZATION OF ETHEREALS/ENEMIES: Prior to this we had assumed that XCOM typically stored or otherwise imprisoned dangerous entities that were dangerous to hold, either terminating them after a certain period of time or rendering them in a state where they had minimal stimuli with the outside world. Due to the capabilities of Caelior, this was expected.

We anticipated that XCOM would work towards two goals with Caelior captured. The first would be gathering a significant amount of biological material on another Ethereal, which is likely extremely beneficial for their biomedical and genetics operations. The second would be the extraction of any information on the Collective and advanced techniques as it relates to the psionic field of telekinesis.

Afterwards, we expected Caelior would be terminated or permanently restrained with no further comment by XCOM. This has clearly not happened.

Reconsidering what XCOM is capable of, one thing we did not fully take into account was the fact that they had been working on – or already finished – development of the Manchurian Restraints. With this tool at their disposal, it follows that they would be capable of effectively controlling Caelior with presumably minimal strife. The reason this was not considered more thoroughly was due to two reasons:

The first is that we suspected Aegis would object to such a treatment of another Ethereal. This implies that either Aegis was overruled – and _allowed_ it anyway – or that Caelior is actually _willingly_ assisting XCOM. As unlikely as this is, it is a possibility. Both outcomes are concerning as it implies that XCOM has enough influence to dictate terms to Ethereals or is persuasive enough to ensure their compliance.

The second is that – even with the Restraints – it is a major risk where any flaws could potentially be catastrophic for XCOM. Regardless, it appears that the benefits outweighed the risks according to XCOM.

CAPABILITIES DEMONSTRATED BY CAELIOR: The capabilities displayed during the assault on Korea are in line with his already demonstrated capabilities, namely large-scale telekinesis which was effectively utilized against Heralds, Custodians, and our infantry majority forces. Missile platforms were rendered ineffective as physical projections can be mitigated easily by a telekine of his power.

As expected, the Executor platforms unfortunately were not able to withstand directed telekinetic attacks, although the good news is that it will be extremely difficult for any telekine who is not as powerful as Caelior to repeat his actions, as attacking the platforms required his full concentration and the design was able to withstand nearly twenty seconds before beginning to bend.

This was also done at a fairly long range, and once more indicated that Caelior – like most psions – is handicapped by his own line of sight. In an open battlefield however, this is a limited concern.

One thing of note was that to previous deployments, Caelior this time appeared to demonstrate something akin to _restraint._ As opposed to previously acting like a one-man army, Caelior instead actively used the forces of ADVENT and XCOM to his advantage, and many of his actions were to support them. In particular he targeted barricades, heavier units, assisted overrun areas, prevented missile strikes, and used his abilities to destabilize enemies as opposed to exclusively killing them.

He also didn't advance forward without additional support from XCOM and ADVENT. He could have very easily gone off on his own…but he didn't. He's clearly received some additional training, even if these decisions are being commanded by XCOM and enforced by the Manchurian Restraints. He did not speak much, if at all that we physically picked up. It is likely that all communications were kept internal.

Also, according to the deployed Hive Commander, Caelior has also received some additional training in telepathic protection, which was a weakness of his prior to being captured. Again, it is unclear if this is something Caelior pursued himself or something forced upon him by XCOM. In either case it will make him less susceptible to telepathic attacks in the future.

LIKELY UTILIZATION OF CAELIOR: Caelior's use is likely to be highly limited and specialized. Even though he – on his own – is extremely effective against our own ground forces, XCOM likely knows how we will plan to defend against him, and in the majority of cases, his assistance will not strictly be necessary – and could elicit immediate retaliation from us.

It is likely that he will only be deployed against critical points of defense for ADVENT, or against priority targets such as Ethereals, Hive Commanders, or Harbingers. He will also likely be used in major ground assaults, possibly in areas such as Australia. Theoretically he could be deployed anywhere, but realistically we will likely be able to predict his location of deployment within acceptable parameters.

His most useful application is as an anti-bombardment defense, as he has demonstrated in the past capabilities against spacecraft. Aegis is able to defend against bombardment, but Caelior would be able to reliably destroy bombardment craft and if ADVENT and XCOM have integrated Gateway links, he could be rapidly deployed across the world to different sites of bombardment.

We will likely need to take this into account for future bombardment plans.

PROPAGANDA EFFECT OF CAELIOR UTILIZATION: This is going to be a significant morale boost for ADVENT and XCOM, there is no question about it. Whether Caelior is assisting XCOM willingly or otherwise is irrelevant, because XCOM will not allow him to openly contradict the script they have no doubt written for him. This will be touted as a 'defection' and a rallying point for encouraging additional Vitakara defections and rallying Humanity completely under ADVENT – and XCOM.

The fact that XCOM has not one – but _two_ – Ethereals on their side will improve Human morale significantly, and it remains to be seen how this will internally affect the Collective. Depending on how well Caelior has been coached, this could be very hard to explain away. ADVENT will no doubt suppress any speculation on the nature of the Restraints, and will paint Caelior as a proper defector.

This is also assuming XCOM has told ADVENT everything. There is a possibility they have not.

FURTHER ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Suppression or not, we will need to attempt to raise the possibility that Caelior is not acting of his own free will and under XCOM control. This is a viable tactic as it is a legitimate question that now puts a _significant_ amount of power in the hands of XCOM – who is _not_ an ADVENT affiliated party, even if they are allies. This could serve to possibly increase tensions between the two organizations if Caelior is indeed under their full control. If nothing else, observing the reaction will be telling.

Second is that our strategy regarding bombardment must be reworked to account for two Ethereals – one of them being Caelior. We cannot continue to utilize the same tactics unless we want to start losing large amounts of spacecraft. This is a solvable issue, but one that needs time dedicated to it.

Third, we will need to prepare to eliminate Caelior completely. Recovery is ill-advised as he is already compromised (willingly or not) and XCOM would certainly have put contingencies in the Restraints to prevent them from being reversed or otherwise taken out of their control. Thus, we must prepare to eliminate him as soon as possible.

While I understand that the assassination of an Ethereal – even one compromised – is not ideal, the alternative is that we are facing two highly powerful Ethereals being used against us and we should not put the lives of these traitors before our own forces. A further draft of measures to take will be developed shortly, but know that it should be one of our responses.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	130. Sovereign Ones - T'Leth: The Agents

Sovereign Ones: T'Leth

The Agents of T'Leth

* * *

 _Those who herald the twilight of the galaxy do not spring from the tainted waters of the Poisoner; they are not the twisted and artificial replications of the Black Fleet; nor are they the armies which emerge from the corpse of a dead god. Such emissaries are driven by their puppetmasters, by forces far older and more powerful than they are._

 _For all the masters of this galaxy have an agenda. They all have purpose. They scheme, plan, and conquer. They wage limited war through their pawns; hiding in the shadows and refraining from sharing their true nature. For deep within their souls is the crushing grasp of fear, for they know they alone cannot stand against the legions of metal; the trillions who follow the Mockeries of the Gods._

 _But there is one who disdains the petty and pointless conflicts that make up the war that shadows the universe. One who does not cower and hide. One who has no goal other than to destroy those who could challenge him for rule over this galaxy and all others. Yet even the Warmaster does not act alone._

 _They will emerge from the planets and homes thought familiar by so many, their flesh and bone reshaped by the hidden forges of the Sovereign of War. Their faces will be replaced by masks as they release the obligations of their previous lives in service to the one who reveals the darkest truths about the galaxy. A galaxy of illusions and schemes, a galaxy of unending war and conquest._

 _The truth is enough to instill in them the desire to burn it to the ground._

 _They do not come from hidden places or created in the image of others, they come from the lowest; the forlorn, the_ _ **shaken,**_ _the_ _ **abandoned**_ _. Such creatures who have lost their ways in life, who see no alternative to the curse placed upon the galaxy than to ensure it is destroyed by their own hands._

 _There have been many armies and species who have been destroyed from within as the Warmaster awakens and begins calling – for many, many are susceptible; many listen to his promises and schemes – For the Warmaster is no fool, he is no different than the other false gods of this galaxy. He is merely more direct – more straightforward._

 _A god that can be_ _ **trusted**_ _._

 _Yet the Sovereign of War cannot ever be trusted to do anything more than destroy and annihilate. For countless cycles he has been the force which brings the other false gods to their knees, he has destroyed trillions of beings and planets and slain several of the false gods themselves. Yet he is a bright flame that soon turns dark when the Mocking Fleet and their legions arrive._

 _Let there be no misunderstanding – mere war means nothing, even between gods. It begins, ends, and begins anew. It heralds nothing, it indicates nothing. Yet there is a sign of the approaching end. The harbingers of the apocalypse will not be the shining armies under the false gods, they will not be specters of the harvested who cling to their power._

 _Beware those who wear armor of cold stone, for they are the heralds of the apocalypse. Yet do not fear, for they will fall to the Leviathan, as will all others._

 _\- The Tome of the Leviathan_

* * *

 _Entry from the personal journal of the Chronicler_

Entry 324: T'Leth says that I am the first. Not the first one to have this…connection…if it can be called that. There have apparently been many others. But the first Human. Something that I've found surprising, but considering the…state…T'Leth seemed to be in when there was first contact, perhaps it is not unreasonable.

There have been so many questions and revelations. Were I not painfully aware of the reality of this situation, I would expect to be going mad or still in some kind of dream. Many things make sense now, much more does not. T'Leth still does not appear to be fully awake, and so getting answers from him is more of a challenge than would be anticipated.

Yet even with these limitations…there is so much to have learned. The revelation that I am speaking with something millions of years old is…humbling and terrifying. I have felt the vast gulf in our consciousnesses, and I don't see how anything can compare to it. It has seen and experienced things I would likely not be able to comprehend.

It's taken different shapes and forms when I speak to it. Always the same voice, but the forms are different. Some of them are oddly pleasing to look at, others are regal and intimidating, others are simply horrifying to look at. Aliens. Life from the stars. Dead now if T'Leth is to be believed; harvested or killed by his brethren, himself, or something else.

I can't say it's thrilling to know that even if our species manages to go beyond the Earth, there is a non-zero chance that we will encounter something more dangerous and powerful than we are. I've mentioned the possibility of T'Leth beginning to take a greater role in the development of our own species, as the knowledge and power he could bring would shape our species into something far more powerful than if we stumbled in the dark on our own.

T'Leth was…in disagreement over the idea, and in fact almost seemed offended when it was brought up. I am not certain he fully understood me. He surely would have done such before; in one of these previous 'cycles'.

Of interest are the others who came before me. And what happened to them. T'Leth has said little about my predecessors, albeit what _has_ been said has certainly been interesting. Some of the names are impossible to pronounce, and in some cases I would not know how to describe them, but one consistent theme was that they all seemed to find T'Leth on their own, much like I did. There is some kind of connection, and if T'Leth lacked this and rejected me, then I likely would not be in the position I am today.

I wonder how many times that has happened? T'Leth did not say, and I did not ask.

One thing I asked was if I should recruit others to fill the role I have now. More eyes and ears for T'Leth, perhaps some trained warriors and scientists. Yet I was dissuaded from this. T'Leth seems to want to handle the recruitment himself, and does not want an army. Just agents placed throughout the world. I wish he would tell me the full plan, as it now merely seems to be waiting.

Until then, I will use my apparent immortality to learn and grow. Learn to understand these concepts and future technology that T'Leth has demonstrated. And even if it is not a stated goal for T'Leth, I suspect he would not have revealed it to me if he did not want me to understand its importance. I may be the first Human agent of T'Leth, but there are others.

And they are waiting to be awoken again.

* * *

 _Audio Recording between Chancellor Saudia Vyandar and the Chronicler_

[Saudia Vyandar]: "So. This entire time you've been a spy."

[The Chronicler]: "I'd prefer the term 'observer'."

[SV]: "And please tell me what one of the purposes of a spy is?"

[TC]: "Point taken. Although a spy implies eventual hostile intent. I had no such intent for you."

[SV]: "And what _was_ your intent then?"

[TC]: "To assist in EXALT's eventual subjugation of the world. As your advisor I could work to ensure that…well, it would not interfere with T'Leth's plans. Much like how EXALT influenced the world through well-placed individuals, so too was I to do the same for him."

[SV]: "There is a lot that makes sense now. You were always around, you never seemed to age, no one actually knew much about you, nor cared to ask."

[TC]: "And you never noticed. There was no harm done."

[SV]: "You affected _all_ of our minds."

[TC]: "I appreciate you saying this as a statement of fact. Obviously. Otherwise someone would have noticed something was off back when I entered the precursor to EXALT. And considering how things have turned out, I think it's fair to say that I am most certainly your ally, even if I withheld the truth from you."

[SV]: "Oddly enough, yes. I should be furious at you right now."

[TC]: "And you're not. I can sense that much. I can say that I never lied to you. Perhaps that has something to do with it, as well as the fact that I only acted in the best interests of EXALT."

[SV]: "Perhaps not lie, but you failed to impart some crucial details. Like the fact that you actually work for a being older than the entire modern Human race."

[TC]: "And how exactly would you have taken that? Would you have even believed me?"

[SV]: "You can answer that question for yourself. You know what it would have taken to convince me."

[TC]: "Indeed, but that wasn't my directive. T'Leth…prefers his observation to be more subtle."

[SV]: "I'm surprised you never took command. You'd been around long enough that you probably could have done it without issue, and that's without taking into account your telepathy."

[TC]: "Yes, I could have. But that was not my role. Mine was observation and influence. Such responsibility…well, it was not what I was born for or trained to do. No matter how T'Leth has trained me, my skills do not pertain to directing the course of the Human race. That is for you, and I'm pleased that you were the one to fulfill the directive of EXALT."

[SV]: "Flattering. I wonder, did you plan to ever tell me?"

[TC]: "If you succeeded? Yes. Until that point, there was no need. It would be a…distraction. You consider T'Leth a possible threat. A concern."

[SV]: "Am I wrong?"

[TC]: "I'm simply commenting on your reaction. And…yes and no. Some concern is warranted for an individual of his power. But T'Leth has no interest in controlling or acting against Humanity – not unless we provoke him, of course."

[SV]: "Oddly considerate of an individual with his kind of power. The Commander does not exaggerate, so I trust his assessments of these Sovereign Ones. I remain surprised that one would refrain from assuming direct control of anything they pleased."

[TC]: "Most of his kind would. I've learned that much."

[SV]: "I suppose we're lucky."

[TC]: "Very."

 _Momentary silence._

[SV]: "You're connected to him, yes?"

[TC]: "Yes."

[SV]: "What is that like? Constant? Or you only talk to him when you want to?"

[TC]: "I would say it's more like _he_ talks to me whenever he wants. We're connected. He passively sees everything I see, think, and feel, or at least that is how he explained it to me once. I feel nothing, or if I do, I've blocked it out. But when he wants to take control…well, I notice that, and I merely become a spectre of sorts. Watching as my body acts and controls power at a level I could not reach on my own."

[SV]: "Does it hurt?"

[TC]: "Yes."

[SV]: "Could you die?"

[TC]: "No. My body has been modified to survive the process. But I still feel everything. A liquid fire inside me, hot and cold at the same time. I suppose that is the price for controlling such power. We instinctually stay away from that which hurts us, but T'Leth ignores my human brain screaming about the dangers because to him I'm a tool to be used at full power – and I can take it."

[SV]: "Callous."

[TC]: "He isn't uncaring. If that were the case, he would not have modified my body to withstand it. I don't consider my use as a tool to be a detriment. I suspect that is likely the highest someone like us can achieve in the eyes of a Sovereign. Only a Sovereign can probably understand another Sovereign. Humans…we have a ways to go yet."

[SV]: "I see. I also don't suppose you'd say if there are other Agents of T'Leth in ADVENT?"

[TC]: "No. What need of Agents does he have when I can speak to the Chancellor of ADVENT or the Commander of XCOM whenever I wish?"

[SV]: "Contingency plans. I'd do that."

[TC]: "I suspect we're lucky you're not a Sovereign, Saudia. You'd be a dangerous one."

[SV]: "I agree. Which is probably why it's best I'm not."

* * *

 **XCOM Report SO017**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Authors: The Commander of XCOM; Haley Yates, Head of the XCOM Psychology Division

Subject: The Agents of T'Leth

Overview: Since the arrival of the Chronicler and the subsequent revelation of the wider…galactic conflict between the Sovereign Ones, we have made some attempts to determine a more accurate profile of the so-called Agents of T'Leth, including their numbers, capabilities, equipment, and technology. Admittedly, much of this T'Leth and his agents are hesitant to give or allow us, which implies that they want to keep some secrets to themselves.

We would be fools to assume that T'Leth and his agents do not have their own agenda or plans. We have not seen much to indicate that it is necessarily _nefarious_ , but they are all highly private about their plans, intentions, and even their pasts. Getting any significant amount of information out of them after they joined T'Leth is close to impossible, although we have been able to ascertain some things, and perhaps in the future T'Leth will be more open and willing to treat us as a proper ally.

Purpose of the Agents: In simple terms, to act as the eyes and ears of T'Leth. His more 'active' connection to the world and galaxy that he observes through passively; which according to the Chronicler means that he's listening and observing at _all_ times, even if he doesn't make his presence known.

This raises a number of questions regarding the free will of the Agents, as T'Leth appears to be ingrained to such a degree that they aren't even aware he is in their minds unless he makes an obvious effort. While it may be a bit outlandish to say that T'Leth is passively controlling all of his agents, it isn't out of the question to think that they are inherently driven or prevented from doing certain actions – or even having certain thoughts.

The personality in this case is not so much kept intact as it is constrained. It is likely the aberrant personality developments will simply be prevented from happening in the first place without symptoms or thought manifesting that are contrary to what T'Leth desires. In short, this appears to be evidence that a personality is 'locked in' whenever an individual joins with T'Leth. Not because change _can't_ happen, but because it simply won't be _allowed_.

It's notable that none of the Agents spoken to consider this a major issue. They either accept it and don't have an issue with it (somewhat suspicious) or deny that happens at all and that they still retain their free will (unlikely given what the Chronicler has said). In neither case did they hold any sort of negative opinion against T'Leth or any actions he'd take – even if the cost was their autonomy.

To be clear – I do not think T'Leth is doing this out of malevolence. A being like that cannot be comprehended as easily as a Human, Vitakara, or even an Ethereal. T'Leth may simply not realize that this is questionable and may even consider him bestowing such importance on mortal aliens as benevolent or a great honor.

Perhaps this is the best they can do? We will have to observe a bit longer.

The other role the Agents play is as emissaries of T'Leth. A means for him to communicate his words or will without exposing himself. Their minds are protected by him, and cannot be broken into easily, if at all. If necessary he can directly assume control of their bodies and turn them into pure weapons of psionic destruction and power.

Interestingly, he only has chosen psions for this position. This implies that non-psions he would not be able to use in the same way, psionically at least.

Emissaries, observers, and weapons. This is the purpose of the Agents. If there are other agendas, we are unaware of them – and the Agents might be as well.

Tactics and Capabilities: We have limited exposure to their actual operations, and have only observed several Agents in action so this should be assumed to be incomplete. The Commander has said that the 'tactics' typically employed by Agents are usually simple and straightforward since they are close to impossible to stop, let alone kill. They operate as one-man armies against forces and enemies much larger than they are, and very rarely have support or even need it.

It does appear that Agents seem to heavily favor the Dynamo, Telepath, and Teleportation disciplines of psionics. They are capable of highly destructive usages of power, are capable of protecting allies and dominating enemies telepathically, and have a seemingly inherent ability for teleportation. Some have demonstrated exceptionally difficult or borderline theoretical aspects of psionics such as Nanokinesis.

Each Agent does appear to have something of a specialization or style in their combat capabilities (this will be elaborated on below), and even facing enemies such as Ethereals only seems to amuse them. They are rather arrogant in battle, and heavily reliant on their armor and genetic modification. This could be due to T'Leth occasionally taking control, but this has not been confirmed.

All Agents demonstrate _exceptional_ control over psionics, regardless of what discipline they follow. Their own psionics is colored blue, instead of purple, and the reasons for such have not fully been determined. Dr. Vahlen has speculated that it could be a 'purer' manifestation of psionics, but has admitted that they would not know what a 'pure' manifestation even would be, or if it matters at all. Something speculated but unconfirmed is that it means nothing and is an illusion or pointless manifestation that T'Leth's Agents like to maintain.

We can only speculate as to the upper limit of the capabilities of the agents, but we are fairly certain that they have not been reached yet. We do know that the upper limit can only be achieved if they are under the control of T'Leth, who is capable of performing actions which they would not be able to fully achieve on their own.

Number of Agents: Currently there are nine known Agents of T'Leth, and the Chronicler has not been explicit if there are more than that. He has confirmed that there are no hidden agents in ADVENT or XCOM (Which we should give as much weight as it deserves – little), but did not discount the possibility that there were other independent agents – or if all of them were Human.

Recruitment is also a closely guarded secret. It appears that T'Leth is exceptionally picky about who he chooses to be his agent, and the only pieces of information relating to this which could narrow down some criteria are that they must be psionic. Age does not seem to matter due to wide range of ages already within the known agents, nor does gender as a third of known agents are women. They are all Human, but it's unknown if this is just due to T'Leth residing on Earth or not wanting to expand to other aliens now.

It is extremely likely that T'Leth has more agents which do not fulfill a combat role, such as scientists or geneticists. We know that he maintains multiple bases around the world, and it's reasonable to assume that they are still occupied. The evasiveness of the Chronicler as it relates to this also provides circumstantial evidence that there are more agents which have not been disclosed to us.

What T'Leth intends to do with them is unknown. As is the case with Agent Nara, they will likely only be revealed to us when necessary.

Known Agents: These are the known Agents of T'Leth. All of them have been interviewed and have had limited observation. Please note that some of this is incomplete and/or speculative based on information available – or a lack thereof.

 **Christopher Williams** : This is one of the Agents with Harper who joined in Australia, and thus we can learn a decent amount about who he was, although much of it is not important. He was part of the Australian military before transitioning to the Australian Resistance. He participated in several operations when Agent Gertrude was in operation down there, and was obviously one of the survivors of the Chosen Assassin's attack.

He's one of the youngest of the group, and strikes me as someone who is a bit over his head. The fortunate thing is that he has no immediate family outside of his parents who were evacuated and are now residing in South Korea. Nonetheless he isn't unhappy with the direction his life has taken, and he simply does not know a lot about T'Leth's operations – at least nowhere to the extent the Chronicler does.

 **Roy Weaver** : Former Australian Special Forces, and also one of Harper's crew, Roy is probably the most dangerous of the team and quite clearly agreed to the Chronicler's plan because it would help sate his vengeance. He does not interact with aliens at all, and goes out of his way to avoid them. I will note the irony of this while he is linked to an alien much more powerful than any of the species that attacked Earth, but I suppose a crucial difference is that these species have directly affected him negatively – T'Leth has not.

He was actually willing to fully demonstrate his combat capabilities to us, and demonstrated a thorough understanding of Dynamo psionics and appeared to make the ground explode in a small area. We aren't quite sure how T'Leth's Agents are learning such complicated techniques so quickly, but Vahlen theorizes that it is likely linked to a kind of memory transfer which T'Leth has no doubt mastered.

He is not a danger to us, but I'd suggest that we make sure he isn't alone with any aliens. While I doubt he'd hurt them physically, I wouldn't put it past him to mess with their minds.

 **Derrick Ellison** : The third of Harper's crew, Derrick Ellison is another soldier of the Australian Military with a wife in the States (who he communicates with regularly), two sisters, and both parents who were safely evacuated to South Korea. He's definitely the most well-adjusted out of all of them, which is perhaps notable because he's the only one with a spouse and keeps in contact with his family.

Outside of that there isn't anything worth noting, at least not beyond the fact that he is an Agent. We don't know if he has told his wife of this development, but if nothing else keeping an eye on him may reveal how T'Leth handles this sort of situation. In combat he prefers to use weapons over psionics, and when he does, telekinesis is his preferred discipline – although there have been no demonstrations of Nanokinesis observed.

 **Norma Anderson** : The last of Harper's crew, Norma is the lone woman and Australian immigrant who joined the Australian Air Force. While she is not a pilot, she primarily specialized in logistics and electronics. She's also accomplished with firearms, which has since transitioned to T'Leth's particle beams. Prior to the invasion she's made slow progress on pursuing a higher education degree in military logistics, but this has clearly been postponed.

Unfortunately, her family was unable to be evacuated and as far as she is aware, they are all dead or captured. Vengeance is definitely a driving force, although not quite to the degree of Roy. Talking to her will not really reveal anything significantly out of place, but it is definitely there – just hidden below the surface.

She has become very closely attached to Harper since the attack, and assists him in pretty much everything. While I did not press (either of them) there is clearly a developing relationship between them which appears to have had a positive stabilizing influence on both of them. Interestingly, Norma does not appear to primarily serve in combat roles, but provides some kind of support through T'Leth's network. It is unclear what this _is_ exactly, or if it is physical or telepathic.

 **Lincoln Harper** : The former leader of the Australian Resistance appears to have taken up a similar role under T'Leth. He was a senior and ranking member of the Australian Military, and was instrumental in the early days of the war in harassing, damaging, and weakening Collective influence in Australia, to the point where his operation was directly targeted and eliminated. However, they failed to actually eliminate the leader and he later accepted a position under T'Leth.

Prior to this the Chronicler and Harper had been working together, albeit with the latter unaware of the role or capabilities of the former. It's possible that the Chronicler was observing Harper to see if he could qualify, or merely wanted to ensure that Australia was under watch. Agent Gertrude reported that there was a base the Chronicler managed, which could explain why the Chronicler was operating in that area at all, even if he had claimed at the time that he was representing ADVENT.

While it may appear that Harper has taken a more direct and active role as opposed to the strategic position he had previously employed, we suspect that Harper is far more aware of what T'Leth is actually planning as well as the full scope of his operations than anyone else brought with him. He has clearly been given an officer or leadership position, as most other Agents defer to him if in the same space. Only the Chronicler appears to outrank him in this.

He's been observed to be a powerful user of Dynamo psionics, although we likely suspect that this is only one ability set he has mastered. The Commander has wondered if the usage of someone such as this in the role of a soldier is perhaps misdirection; to make observers think that T'Leth's Agents are destructive warriors who don't need (or want) to use subtler or more cerebral methods of strategy or warfare when in reality it is the opposite.

Something to consider. It is unlikely T'Leth willingly ignores the training or past of his Agents. We should not assume that Agents are only capable of performing what we have previously seen.

 **The Chronicler** : We all know who the Chronicler is, so I won't focus too much on what we already know about him. We know he is very old, though exactly _how_ old is an open question that the Chronicler has refused to answer. We suspect it has to be several hundred years – if not longer – as Chancellor Vyandar has stated he's been around for as long as she can remember, and was likely in EXALT since the beginning.

What he was doing before EXALT is also unknown, and while I doubt he was amassing a secret army for T'Leth, he was unlikely to be sitting idle. But what is certainly fascinating is that the Chronicler has been around during some of the most pivotal moments of our species, and I cannot help but wonder what role – if any – he might have had in them. It is certainly somewhat unnerving to consider that the world as it exists today could have been because of T'Leth, even if unknowingly.

The Chronicler says that T'Leth had not become fully 'awakened' until recently, but we all know better than to take this at face value, and the definition of 'recently' could be very different to a being millions of years old than to our own Human minds. Something to consider, but I am slightly more inclined to believe the Chronicler in this instance. I suspect that if T'Leth had an _active_ interest in shaping our species, the Chronicler would have had a far more active role in EXALT.

Now, one thing that I had not seen actively documented is the fact that the Chronicler is one of the most knowledgeable and intelligent Humans in our entire _species_. The title isn't for show, and he has the equivalent of doctorates in most – if not all – fields of study and an absurd knowledge of history not just of Humans, but other previous alien civilizations from previous cycles.

Yes, he has written these down. He said he will consider releasing them to us for review if there is some interest.

It's fascinating to comprehend just how much knowledge is packed into his brain. I suspect he has a perfect or near-perfect memory as I inquired about several highly obscure historical events and asked if he knew anything more. He did, and answered within a few seconds of me asking the question. That level of recollection is not normal, and I suspect people will be put at ease with his old-man persona which he continues to adopt.

He's openly said that if he wanted to, he could de-age his face (his body is in perfect condition) into something younger, but he actually prefers it this way. People are less suspicious of the elderly according to him, and it allows him to move with fewer people noticing him and also tend to underestimate him in most matters.

This is a very dangerous and highly manipulative individual. There is a reason he's more or less the second in command to T'Leth, as there is no one alive who can compare to him in knowledge, intelligence, and power. He outclasses all of our psions in raw power and finesse, he can read alien languages which we've never encountered, he has seen more than any of us can really understand.

Treat him cautiously.

 **Lavallic ir Nara** : For the unaware, this is the most recent Agent who was revealed to us, and one of the most suspicious in my professional opinion. Lavallic ir Nara is almost a complete mystery, and was only introduced due Dr. Vahlen's request for Sovereign assistance on the Spartacus Project. Nara describes herself as a genealogist first and foremost which is an…odd choice to assist in this project if true.

I am suspicious as to that as Vahlen confirmed that her understanding of alien genetics is almost as good as her own, and has personally written several dozen reports on the malleability of the Human genome and the possibility of creating eventual off-shoots of Humanity. This appears to be research conducted by T'Leth, though for what purpose is unknown. She stated that the research was purely for herself, but we should take that with a grain of salt.

Nara is a rather…unpleasant woman to be around. For some inexplicable reason she seems irritated and disgusted with everything and everybody for no apparent reason. Interviewing her revealed nothing, as she did not want to reveal her past or history. She is not extremely old from my estimation, although thanks to the gene therapy she could very likely be far older than she actually is.

She also appears to fulfill a support role, and no psionic abilities have been demonstrated although Vahlen confirms that she had strong telepathic defenses. This unpleasantness extends to the other Agents, especially Fiona, notably – she seems to hate the woman for some reason, and the feeling is mutual. The only one she appears to tolerate is Crevan, and even then she's more distant ever since he told her to knock it off – or perhaps used stronger language.

I've put her face into the database and there are no matches, closely or otherwise. A long shot, but there is _no_ trace of this woman and if her face didn't turn up something, her unusual height should have (she is nearly as tall as Saudia). We don't know her nationality, with our best guess being somewhere in Europe, perhaps the Nordic countries due to her accent (what little of one there is). The woman is undeniably brilliant in what she does, but she certainly isn't going to make any friends.

It raises the question of why T'Leth has her working for him, because she's the one exception to the normally cordial Agents.

 **Fiona Dorren** : While we also know fairly little about this woman, we thankfully know enough to put together a history, and unlike Nara, she appears genuinely younger. Enough to not be inclined towards lying. According to her she had something of a rough childhood and was forced on the run at an early age and eventually ran into Crevan, who presumably introduced her to T'Leth.

However, I consulted with Zhang and attempted to pin down a few more details. Unfortunately, Fiona did not want to provide the names of anyone from her past. Not a single one, including her parents. That is…suspicious. While I don't necessarily believe that she is lying, she is definitely leaving some important details out. It may be against T'Leth's policy to have his Agents give their life stories, but it does have the effect of making them not completely trustworthy.

Her accent and ethnicity place her as reliably British, although like Nara, no luck with facial recognition. Which she would definitely stand out from a crowd due to her green eyes, prominent scar, and dyed grey hair (she said she likes the color). Like the other Agents, she did not allow us to take samples for genetic analysis. I bring this up because she became _very_ defensive when I brought up the topic.

She explained that she doesn't especially like the usage of genetic modification, even if it has its uses. She did not elaborate further, and I suspect there is another hidden story there. It seems to be a continuing pattern.

Aside from that, she's one of the most personable and friendly of the Agents. She regularly spends time with the soldiers, duels the Templars, and makes an effort to make friends. The soldiers like her and she makes a good impression on them.

Her melee skills in particular are of note, since she is the only Agent to employ a sword. One interesting thing that Leng noted during her training duels was that the style of fighting she employs is unlike anything he's really seen. He was very confused, and even more so when she explained that it was her father who taught it to her. Perhaps another lie.

More likely it is some kind of alien style that T'Leth introduced her to. In fact, one of the Dath'Haram currently with us described her fighting style as "eerily like a Bladedancer." When pressed on the specifics of what was different, the answer was along the lines of 'there's more twirling', which I took to mean that…Bladedancing is not as choreographed? It wasn't entirely clear, aside from the fact that the fighting style she uses is not common.

Her other main specialization is that of teleportation. She uses it frequently in combat, and there doesn't seem to be anyone – the Chronicler included – who is as good at it as she is. But like most of the Agents, she's very tight-lipped about how it personally works for her. Her method of teleportation seems slightly different from other psions we have observed. While most appear to go through a portal, it appears that Fiona doesn't need to even create that and can teleport anything at will.

Again, it is not clear. I suspect that it is due to being an exclusive focus, as she has yet to demonstrate any affinity for other psionic disciplines.

 **Crevan Machas** : We're back to having little to no information on who Crevan Machas _is_. He's presumably been an Agent of T'Leth for a while, though after the Chronicler, and before Fiona, so potentially recruited prior to the Collective War. Once again facial recognition turned up nothing, though considering what Crevan can do, this isn't surprising.

He is an oddly unnerving individual to be around, and there isn't an obvious explanation as to why. He is extremely professional – if somewhat cold when addressing the average person – he is not arrogant, he is clearly educated and intelligent. But people tend to feel nervous about him and usually while around him. A few psychological reasons for this could be his height, as he dwarfs many men and almost all women, and he has an interesting tendency to rarely blink. It happens, but it's so intermittent that it gives the illusion that he doesn't, and his intense gaze does not downgrade the effect either.

Speaking with him, his tone also appears somewhat dismissive and impatient at times, but he is highly cooperative and straightforward. He flat out told me there were subjects he would not talk about and that bringing them up would waste his time and mine. Respectable, and he clearly knew what I was doing.

One thing which sets him apart is that he does not wear the stone armor the other Agents bear, instead wearing some kind of flexible robes and light armor without a helmet. He wears fingerless gloves for reasons I'll get to, and typically carries a staff with a small Sovereign Orb inside it. He's certainly developed a unique style, and I wonder if he's secretly a fan of fantasy books, which would be rather amusing to consider.

In combat his most common ability appears to be utilizing Nanokinesis to shoot lightning from his fingertips or otherwise utilize the elements. He's also been observed to set objects and enemies alight, or outright kill enemies with Biopathy. If you understand anything about these topics, you should know how extremely _difficult_ this is, and the fact he does it with such ease demonstrates how skilled he really is.

We have not seen many instances of how he uses the staff, but considering what we know of Sovereign Orbs, it likely provides a passive telepathic field for allies, or perhaps can be directed at a specific opponent. Crevan did not go into the details of how it worked or what the purpose of it was. We are still unsure of what his _role_ precisely is, though we speculate that it is a kind of front-line support. Crevan did not disagree with this assessment.

Crevan appears to have the closest relationships to the Chronicler and Fiona, the former from a professional standpoint as both men clearly respect each other and Crevan also acts as something akin to an executive officer for the Chronicler. The relationship between him and Fiona…while not quite a parental relationship, there are certainly elements and Fiona has stated that he's been her teacher for years and she is comfortable around him.

He may be among the more mysterious of the Agents, but I do think he is a useful and reliable ally, if one to keep a watch on.

* * *

 _Document recovered from operations in the Inner Galaxy._

 _Note: Religious document in tone, appears to be written as a fable or lesson, though descriptions indicate a possible identification of possible Sovereign Avatars. Recommend acquiring the full religious text for full analysis. – Sicarius_

/\

 _And the day comes when war descends upon all; anticipated or not; wanted or not. Those who run from the war will find themselves in the center of it; those who believe that simply staying away, staying impartial, they will be among the first put to the sword by the blade of the Sovereign and Harbinger. Their armies descend upon the worlds, caring not for those who live in peace and harmony._

 _The guilt or innocence will mean nothing to those who only live by the commands of their masters._

 _None shall be spared; the old and young alike will be taken and slaughtered._

 _None shall be given pity; the cowering and prostrate will be given no special leniency compared to the defiant and brave._

 _None shall emerge whole; families will turn against each other in desperation; a last attempt to salvage the life they held so comfortably._

 _Yet there is life; there is hope for those who accept the protection of the Goddess. For the time will come when the cities of her creation are targeted and surrounded by those who wish to subject them to the horrors of death, slavery, and torture. Many cities shall fall, yet the Goddess will protect all those who rely on her._

 _The day of reckoning will come when those who have turned away from Her truth and love will see the black constructs march on their homes; they will see their loved ones killed before them by the hands of metal and stone; they will see – and they will fear. But even those who have spurned the Goddess will be afforded protection in their time of need._

 _One such woman once stood in the center of the place she had called home; the dead bodies of her family, neighbors, friends, and colleagues were piled around her. Fires raged around her, burning the once-pristine buildings and fields from which they had one day toiled. A short distance away stood the butcher of her people._

 _It was a towering, faceless creature. Stone covered the body and claws. Eyes glowed an artificial blue, and unnatural energy flowed off of it, even as blood flowed off of the blade and onto the ground. An automaton of one of the Sovereign; a warrior who only served the bloodthirst of the master it served._

" _Why?" The woman demanded, tears flowing down her face._

 _The butcher of stone stood silent, and briefly contemplated the question. "Because you are a puppet. Because your Goddess must die. Because the cycles must end."_

 _At this the woman was shaken to her core and fell to her knees, for she had long ago dismissed the Goddess as false, yet now she knew that she had made an unforgivable mistake. She knew that no forgiveness could be afforded to her, and prepared to meet the same fate which had befallen her kin._

 _Yet the Goddess heard her unspoken plight, and knew the contrition in her heart, and resolved to not let another of her innocent creations die. And so she dispatched Lucen, the greatest of the warriors who commanded the Element. Her Champion descended upon the place of battle in shining white light, and the butcher of stone stood back aghast._

" _She is no believer!" It roared, the bloodstained sword pointed upwards at the holy enforcer. "Why do you intervene?"_

 _The rich and commanding voice of Lucen answered. "She is of my creations, and I will not have her die to you or your master."_

 _One hand pointed to the towering figure of Lucen, the woman forgotten. "So be it!"_

 _And so the two entities fought, with their power further annihilating the place which had once held such vibrant life. The stone warrior fought as ferociously as his master, yet it could not stand against the holy power Lucen commanded, for she was the chosen of the Goddess and would not perish by the hands of a simple butcher._

 _Sixteen hours they fought; deep into the night until Lucen struck the final blow, and the extension of the Sovereign of War fell silent forever._

 _When the time of darkness falls upon you, and all seems hopeless, do not despair. Be at peace, for the Goddess has heard you._

 _And you will be protected._


	131. ADVENT - History: The Battle of Beijing

ADVENT: History

The Battle of Beijing

* * *

" _Today we stormed hell, and emerged victorious."_

\- Commander Laura Christiaens

* * *

 **ADVENT Military After-Action Report 1099**

 _Operation_ : Ragnarök

 _Author_ : Commander Laura Christiaens

 _Recipients_ : Chancellor Saudia Vyandar; Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes; Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado; Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan; Director of ADVENT Intelligence Elizabeth Falka; Central Officer Ariel Jackson; the Commander of XCOM

This operation is currently among the largest since the formation of ADVENT, and in the aftermath it is clear that such dedication was warranted, as if we had not planned as extensively and utilized our many resources to take back the city, we would not have succeeded as completely as we did today.

Our operation was successful, and there is confirmation that Isomnum has been killed, as have all the ranking soldiers of the entity identified as the Bringer. The city is still under lockdown until we confirm that that all compromised individuals have been eliminated, but this is likely to take days or even weeks to fully confirm.

Despite the possibility of a follow-up attack against the nation, we are not expecting the Ethereal Collective to stage an additional assault, as they appear to be focusing their resources on South America, North America, and Africa. They are more than content to let us determine the aftermath of China and the surrounding region, assuming that it will cost more for us to rebuild than potentially defend against additional assaults.

We should endeavor to prove this a mistake for the Collective. Nonetheless, there are several major points to be discussed in the aftermath of this entire campaign waged by Isomnum. Despite it ending in our victory, there has been a cost that will take a toll on our citizens and soldiers. Excluding the psychological impact of the livestreams just before the assault, which were mitigated as much as possible, these are the following:

 **Civilian and Military Casualties** : I suspect that we will never obtain a complete count of the number of casualties of this battle, but I find it difficult to imagine that there will be another singular battle which even touches the sheer amount of dead who are only _estimated._ Based on shared data from what remains of the Chinese government, close to seven million civilians were evacuated, while most opted to remain unless the conflict became noticeably closer and worse.

This means there were close to fifteen _million_ civilians left at the time Isomnum assumed control over the city, and all of them have been compromised. This is not taking into account the ADVENT personnel – estimated to be thirty thousand military, administrative, medical, and peacekeeping units – who are also believed to be lost. Casualties from the operation itself are close to twenty thousand, mitigated from expectations thanks to allied Ethereals, XCOM, and the deployment of the Pantheon and Order of Terra, along with significant tank support.

Nearly all of the compromised civilians were utilized by Isomnum against us, in traps, head-on assaults, mobs, and in nearly every possible combination. It will take weeks to fully document the amount of dead, as there are only three million been positively identified while just over a million are unidentifiable. There are millions more who have not been counted yet, although we have successfully documented eighty-two percent of all ADVENT personnel participating in the battle who were killed in action.

Once identified if possible, all bodies are being processed into deployed incinerator units across the city upon the suggestion of XCOM to ensure that the psionic plague dies completely. The remaining Chinese government initially objected to the treatment of the dead, but was overruled due to the risks involved.

Bodies of Bringer soldiers have been quarantined and most have been confiscated by XCOM for controlled autopsy and testing. We have formally established a joint ADVENT-XCOM research post in Germany which will contain and hold the remaining bodies so we can perform experiments of our own – a compromise as XCOM did not want any research being done without assurances that it would be conducted safely. As such, they will work to assist us in properly containing and researching these highly altered and irregular specimens.

 **Continuing Operations in the City** : As we speak, military operations are continuing to clear the city of any remaining threats. The death of Isomnum did not end the hundreds of other smaller fights throughout the city and while most are over quickly, they are tedious and will take hours to perform at a time as these involve completely sweeping skyscrapers, bunkers, museums, and essentially every aspect of the city.

Currently we estimate at least two weeks at current manpower to ensure that the city is completely purged of all psionic taint, but it could take longer to be certain. A perimeter is continuing to be maintained as we cannot afford to let a single compromised civilian escape, else it could spread faster than we can stop it.

 **Recovered Alien Equipment and Technology** : There is notably very little 'technology' that has been recovered, though the equipment of many of the Bringer's soldiers is being quarantined and cleansed for later study. The armor itself appears as good as, or even superior to XCOM's, and the weapons appear exceptionally sturdy and dangerous.

XCOM has also claimed Isomnum's body for study, along with a number of undisclosed artifacts which they have not shared at this time, though they promise to do so if their theories and research bears fruit.

 **Intervention of Sana'Ligna** : The unexpected arrival of Sana'Ligna is being handled by the AEGIS Division at the moment, and they are preparing to send a delegation in conjunction with our own Diplomatic Service. At the moment Sana'Ligna has refused all formal talks of her situation until she has finished treating the wounded in Beijing. XCOM has assigned a squad to watch her closely with Aegis also close at hand.

While we initially suspected a defection, it is beginning to appear like this situation is not as clear cut as we assumed or were hoping. The Commander of XCOM is also going to Beijing to talk, and will be accompanied by Chancellor Vyandar. Until we fully know her allegiance, it is imperative that she be kept away from insufficiently protected personnel and institutions.

This is an extremely dangerous Ethereal, regardless of her reputation. She is a biopath, and that alone shows she is a powerful telepath. Do not antagonize her yet, but do not assume she is an unconditional ally.

 **Psychological Impact of Battle** : It is likely that most if not all of the soldiers who participated in this operation will need significant counseling or therapy for the events they witnessed. This went far and above what we require of our soldiers, and they were required to perform actions that they could not have properly trained or prepared for.

Despite the knowledge that all the civilians were compromised, it simply does not change the fact that they were gunning down living and unarmed men, women, and children. Sometimes babies and pregnant mothers were among the dead. No one can walk away from that in the right frame of mind, and it is recommended that all personnel involved should be rotated away from China to one of the European theatres and not placed into combat duties until they are cleared by an on-staff psychologist.

None of these people are in a combat-ready state and they will not be put into one without reason.

I suspect that the entire tainted atmosphere of the battle has also lessened the stability of their minds. Isomnum's own abilities caused multiple mental breakdowns, and there are already reports of soldiers feeling intense feelings of terror, nausea, horror, and other emotions to a debilitating effect. Some even claim that there was something watching them the entire time, eyes visible in the sky.

This is corroborated enough times that we assume that this was something induced by Isomnum or one of the Bringer telepaths. Nonetheless this only reinforces the need for these soldiers to be given proper psychological help and not expose them to combat again for the time being until cleared.

 **Media Treatment and Information** : Currently we have elected to only allow media personnel into strictly quarantined areas, speak to only sanctioned military officers, and be prepared to be evacuated at a moment's notice. Too much of the city is still dangerous and not cleaned up yet. Bodies still line the streets and while it is important that the cost of this battle be known, it is not necessary that it be seen by the public.

We have – on the suggestion of Kyong – shared certain pieces of footage from the battle with media sources so they have a clearer picture of what has happened and why we are limiting access. While there is the chance that this could be altered and distributed to paint our actions in a poor light, Kyong has provided assurances that this won't happen. Media personnel will be providing feedback of their own as they review. We still expect that footage of the battle will not be shown to the public, and the aftermath will continue to remain sanitized.

Right now, the focus is on our victory, and it should stay that way for a while.

 **Future Operations Against Psionic Plagues** : This operation has shown to us what we did well, what we could have done better, and what we need to do next time. This operation could have – without a doubt – been handled in a far cleaner manner with fewer lives lost. However, we did not anticipate the bloodbath which ultimately happened, and will know this for next time.

First: The usage of Aegis to create a psionic barrier over the city worked perfectly and will be repeated in the future, either by Aegis or a team of sufficiently powerful Aegii psions from the PRIEST Division. This effectively trapped the enemy, and will play a significant role in future operations of this type.

Second: These psionic plagues typically affect regular citizens and keep them alive. They are thus as susceptible as anything else to attacks, and their danger is in sheer numbers, nothing else. They will not be ignored by the Bringer or any other thing which induces a plague, and _will_ be used against us even if they will fail. Knowing this, we can plan for far more efficient disposal of these enemies.

Operations will begin by launching enough chemical and gas attacks into the compromised area to effectively saturate and poison everything inside it. The exact gas has yet to be determined, but there are a number of options. The gas will be contained properly by the psionic dome, and it will eventually kill everything inside that does not have sufficient protection.

Once this is achieved, we will launch an attack and likely have a far easier time removing the actually dangerous enemies than continuing with them _and_ a mob of mindless thralls. Airstrikes against chemical plants in the area should also be performed, as we found that effective when conducted in the latter stages of this operation.

It is ultimately safer for our soldiers, and is more bloodless than the alternative.

* * *

Battlemaster,

As anticipated, the battle has concluded, Beijing has been taken by ADVENT, and Isomnum – including all Bringer forces – are dead. This battle was exceptionally bloody for all sides, and ADVENT is estimated to have sustained significant, although proportional, casualties for an operation of this size and scale. We have been able to acquire a significant amount of information from this entire situation, some of which is extremely concerning and you would have no doubt heard of.

SANA'LIGNA: To our surprise and that of ADVENT and XCOM, Sana'Ligna unexpectedly showed up during the conflict and began assisting against Isomnum. I checked to see if she had been deployed upon the request of yourself or someone else, but it appears she has decided to do this completely on her own which bodes exceptionally poorly. We cannot afford to have _another_ defection so soon after Caelior appeared, and Mortis is going to cause issues when he finds out.

With this said, there is a _small_ possibility that Sana does not intend to defect, but instead merely wanted to intervene and she will soon depart. Or she wanted to speak to Aegis or Caelior and this was the means by which she could prove herself to gain such an audience. Alternatively, she could want to speak to T'Leth, or the leadership of ADVENT or XCOM to ascertain the 'truth' of the situation for herself, which would be a highly dangerous action and if she returns, it should be ensured that she is not compromised by the Sovereign One.

I would advise that a delegation led by yourself or another Ethereal peacefully retrieves her in the event that she does not return. She is currently on her own with XCOM, and it isn't out of the question that if they do not believe she is an ally, that they would kill her or do to her what they did to Caelior. She would no doubt defend herself, but with Aegis and Caelior – as well as T'Leth – that may perhaps be more difficult than expected.

BRINGER SOLDIER EFFECTIVENESS: If there is something exceptionally useful to take away, it is the effectiveness of the Bringer soldiers against ADVENT. With only a tiny fraction of their numbers, they were able to successfully wage a mostly successful campaign throughout the country and were reliably facing forces while outnumbered and outgunned – and _winning_.

This indicates that psionics _needs_ to take a larger priority in future conflicts, as ADVENT has difficulty holding against trained and powerful psions, and XCOM and T'Leth cannot be everywhere at once. At least in this instance, the Bringer soldiers performed exceptionally well and did us a massive favor. While I understand that the situation should not have happened to begin with, here is what I propose instead:

We have Paradise and the Bringer – this operation will not be shut down else it would have already been done. There are plans for them. However, instead of doing nothing with them in an attempt to keep them confined, I instead propose that they be further used – and _controlled_. Let the Bringer grow his psionic soldiers, and when the time comes, harvest them.

Take them away, subject them to mental conditioning to ensure their viability and loyalty, and use them against ADVENT. Keep them in stasis, or otherwise isolated so they have no contact with Paradise again. Separate them from _any_ Paradise personnel or any unauthorized personnel at all. These are not individuals. They are weapons of mass destruction and should be deployed as such.

This accomplishes two goals – it gives us a powerful tool to deploy against ADVENT while we work on bolstering our own psionic forces who will ultimately replace them, and more importantly, it deprives the Bringer of additional resources. He will not be able to force any surprise betrayal when his entire army serves us.

The Bringer is unreliable and your distrust of the situation is accurate. But the best way to undermine this entity is not isolating it – it is taking everything it makes – and perverting it in its eyes. Forcing its followers to follow the Imperator and enslaving their minds to bind their loyalty to the one who is not their god.

A poetic solution, and I would urge that you share it with the Imperator.

ADVENT PURGE TACTICS: The tactics exhibited by ADVENT as they took the city were notably brutal and practical. They treated the city as if it was infected with a psionic plague and eliminated everyone within it, regardless of if they were man, woman, or child. This was an admirable solution to the problem and something which should be recognized as such.

We've had plenty of examples of the practicality of ADVENT, but this should be considered the final proof that ADVENT will take whatever actions are necessary to achieve victory regardless of the consequences or cost to themselves or their soldiers. It is very likely that they will consider adapting these tactics in the unlikely event that they use XCOM or ADVENT strike teams on allied planets arriving through teleportation. A simple operation to execute any and all aliens will have a beneficial effect for them, and if they were willing to do such to their own species, they will not hesitate when the victims are aliens.

We should prepare accordingly.

ADVENT PROPAGANDA OUTCOME: ADVENT is unsurprisingly celebrating the death of Isomnum openly and jubilantly. Even the media critical of ADVENT is stating how they did an excellent job, and of course thanking all the brave soldiers for taking part in it. Across the world in places where there _isn't_ active conflict going on, there are celebrations taking place.

This is especially the case for the millions of Chinese refugees who are currently residing in neighboring countries, and it is safe to say that anti-alien sentiment is being fostered in all of these which unfortunately is not without reason. I would be remiss to report that morale has _also_ risen among Collective personnel who are quietly celebrating his death. The agent who reported the news was in a better mood than I had seen her in months.

I suspect that the only one who will _not_ ultimately benefit from this is Isomnum – and the Bringer.

INTERVENTION OF T'LETH: In this battle we saw more of T'Leth's Agents in one place than we have ever had before. Noted ones such as the Chronicler and Fiona were present, along with the ones Quisilia encountered in Australia. But _all_ of them were involved, if spread throughout the city and moving to different flashpoints.

T'Leth is also speculated to have _personally_ played a quiet role in the conflict, as the teleportation capabilities of the Bringer's soldiers seemed to not work to escape, else they would have done so. We know T'Leth is capable of this (if not knowing _how_ ), and it could theoretically be assumed that for him to attempt something like this without being physically present, he needs his Agents to provide him with enough information.

There are also reports of soldiers seeing six blue eyes in the sky looking down at them. This should be concerning. T'Leth is now involved in this war, and there is no going back.

OTHER CONFLICTS IN CHINA: Other conflicts and skirmishes in China have died down and ADVENT is cleaning up across the country. It is assumed all Bringer forces not in Beijing were recalled to Paradise, and the only ones that were left were Isomnum's soldiers, Custodians, and the Mutons he didn't squander.

There are reports of towns which have needed to be purged due to being infected through the Bringer, but those have been limited and there are Priests confirming if towns are infected or not. The civilian populations in most of the southern country is close to zero, having either been infected or died in the initial assaults.

For now though, it appears that the conflict has ended in China. It is weakened though, and susceptible to future attacks as it will take years for the country to recover fully – even with ADVENT support.

CHINA'S FUTURE: It can be reasonably assumed that China will become a full member state of ADVENT after this. Considering that the majority of the Chinese administrative and military leadership is dead, and ADVENT expended a _significant_ amount of resources protecting – and then retaking the country – they are going to want something in return.

In the end I suspect that the Chinese will be more than happy with the arrangement, although given the history of political division in the country, it may not be as smooth as ADVENT is hoping. There is a distinct possibility that the country of China could be broken into two or even three parts. We will be watching the diplomatic situation closely.

VENADIAR REPORT: The Hunter shared quite a bit of interesting information from his own observations. He did his job well, which is surprising, but we should not complain. His treatment of the Creator's Assassin may have perhaps been a little harsh, but she should not have been interfering anyway, so there is little sympathy to offer. As far as we know she escaped and has likely returned to Paradise Station.

He reported that the equipment provided worked exceptionally well against psions, and rendered even the Bringer's soldiers helpless and poisoned. Considering the effectiveness of this weaponry, I would highly suggest that we consider the formation of a specialized anti-psion team to utilize this technology against ADVENT.

They already have a psionic advantage over us, even taking into account Ethereal support, and that needs to be mitigated as much as possible. And what is important is this – ADVENT and XCOM will not be able to produce or reverse-engineer it even if they attempt to figure out what it _is_. We will have a weapon they cannot replicate, and that cannot be overstated in its importance.

Consider it.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 _Interview Transcript with ADVENT Gunner Angela Juliin and ADVENT Psychologist Darin Winston after the Battle of Beijing_

[Darin Winston]: "You said you saw something; during the fighting?"

[Angela Juliin]: "Not just then."

[DW]: "Explain it to me?"

[AJ]: "It's difficult to say; describe I mean. It was something I felt the moment I stepped through the shield."

[DW]: "Isomnum and his forces were affecting the area telepathically. Even XCOM and the PREIST Division couldn't funny suppress it."

[AJ]: "No, no, it wasn't anything like that. Trust me, I felt what Isomnum could do…"

 _Silence for six seconds_

[DW]: "We'll talk about that later if you want, let's go back to what you were feeling at the beginning."

[AJ]: "Alright."

[DW]: "What did you feel?"

[AJ]: "Like something was watching me. Subtle, but I was on edge and didn't know why. It was just a feeling that only got stronger."

[DW]: "Do you know why?"

[AJ]: "No, I-wait, there was something. There was one of the XCOM soldiers, a psion who wasn't wearing much armor and carried some kind of staff. It had a blue orb on the top."

[DW]: "Why do you think it's tied to this man?"

[AJ]: "Because I kept looking at the orb. It was glowing. I wanted to touch it. It was calling to me."

[DW]: "Calling as in…?"

[AJ]: "I can't explain it. I wanted to see what it was, hold it, and I can't explain why."

[DW]: "Could it have been this man that gave you that feeling? Was it the first time you'd encountered him?"

[AJ]: "Yes, but I don't think it was him. I don't think he even noticed me. It was something else."

[DW]: "What do you think it was?"

[AJ]: "I don't know, but later I looked into the sky, and through the psionic fog I saw six glowing orbs; eyes. It couldn't have been anything else."

[DW]: "Could they have been psionic illusions?"

[AJ]: "I don't know."

 _Prolonged pause_

[AJ]: "I'm afraid of what it could be."

[DW]: "Why do you say that?"

[AJ]: "Because it helped us. What…what Isomnum did…I think he woke something up."

[DW]: "But if it helped us, that's a good thing, yes?"

[AJ]: "Today? Yes, but whatever this thing is, an alien, entity or god…it isn't going away. It's still here somewhere, and if it had tried harder, I won't be able to resist if it wants me. I…don't know if XCOM is working with that thing or not, but I don't want to be near them again."

[DW]: "Do you really think XCOM-"

[AJ]: "I don't _know_! But I don't want to be near them again. Please…"

[DW]: "We don't have any control over where XCOM goes and does. But I'll mention this in my report and try and get you placed somewhere where that isn't likely. No promises, but I'll do my best. Is that agreeable?"

[AJ]: "Yeah, yeah it's fine."

[DW]: "Good. I think that will be enough for our session today. Go home, sleep, pray, talk to some of the others."

 _Prolonged pause_

[DW]: "You're not the only one who experienced something like this. It'll help if there are others to talk to."

[AJ]: "Do you think I'm crazy?"

[DW]: "No. I don't. But I do think there are things we don't know – and that ADVENT knows what they are doing. Go get some rest, you deserve it."

 _End of transcript_

* * *

 _XCOM Post-Beijing Interview between XCOM Soldier Kane McTaggart, and XCOM Psychologist Haley Yates_

 _Transcript begins_

 _Prolonged silence_

[Haley Yates]: "Well Kane, you came here willingly, so I assume you want to participate."

 _Silence_

[HY]: "I'd think congratulations are in order. You won, and from this report, killed Isomnum personally. Not to mention fought exceptionally well in the battle itself."

 _No response._

 _Yates sighs_

[HY]: "Kane, you just finished killing the one you've dreamed about since your incident. Do you feel anything from that? The Commander just wants to make sure you're in a viable mental state before deploying you again, and I can't do that if you stay quiet."

[Kane McTaggart]: "It isn't fair."

[HY]: "What isn't fair?"

[KM]: "Isomnum died too easily; too quickly."

[HY]: "You beat him to death with your bare hands for nearly twenty minutes. I would disagree with that."

[KM]: " _Once!_ He died _once_. Do you know _how many_ times _I_ did?"

[HY]: "And you came back. He won't."

[KM]: "It doesn't matter if they were _real_ or not. I felt _each_ one as if it was. And he only has to endure it _once_."

[HY]: "Killing him didn't help?"

[KM]: "Not enough. One death isn't enough. I thought – hoped it would be – but it isn't. It can never be."

[HY]: "But you understand that there isn't really anything that can be done. Resurrection is not something XCOM can do, sadly."

[KM]: "I am aware. But you wanted to know how I feel."

[HY]: "And what will you do?"

[KM]: "The Warlock and the Battlemaster still live. I will kill them both next. Maybe that will be enough."

[HY]: "Putting your energy to good use then. I'm glad to hear it."

 _Silence_

[HY]: "You kept Isomnum's helmet."

[KM]: "Yes."

[HY]: "Why, if you don't mind me asking?"

[KM]: "Because I can't destroy it."

[HY]: "Do you want to?"

[KM]: "Yes."

[HY]: "Why not then?"

[KM]: "Because I need it. I need _something_ to remind me what I did…"

 _Kane trails off_

[KM]: "I need it to remind me that Isomnum is dead. Dead and not coming back."

[HY]: "But that's something you know. You killed him yourself."

[KM]: "I killed him once before, and I woke up. This…I have something this time. Something that I can see and _know_ I won't wake up from."

[HY]: "I see, in which case you should thank the Chronicler for removing it."

[KM]: "I will do that."

[HY]: "I think this has been productive, and even if you'll ignore it, I think more of these sessions would be good for you."

[KM]: "Will I be cleared for duty?"

[HY]: "You don't seem worse than you were before, if not necessarily improved mentally, so in all likelihood yes. The final decision will be made by the Commander. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

[KM]: "A request."

[HY]: "Yes?"

[KM]: "The Shoggoth which participated. Do you know which one it is?"

[HY]: "Not personally, why?"

[KM]: "I want to see it. Do you know where they are kept?"

[HY]: "I'll find out for you, and get you the necessary permissions. Just give me a couple hours."

[KM]: "Thank you."

 _End transcript_


	132. ADVENT - Organizations: Order of Terra

ADVENT: Organizations

The Order of Terra

* * *

" _We are not a ceremonial unit. By the end of this war the aliens will fear our standards just as they fear the sight of the soldiers of XCOM."_

\- Jamie Foster, Lord Commander of the Order of Terra

* * *

 **Proposal 0293**

 _Latest Revision_ : 1/17/2017

 _Designation_ : The Order of Terra

 _Program Type_ : Close-Combat; Extermination Tactics

 _Authors_ : Jamie Foster, Lord Commander; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Prince Mason, of the British Royal Family

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : Throughout the course of this conflict, the battle has primarily taken place over distances with weapons of range, as all modern conflicts have been conducted as such. However, there have been developments in the ranks of our enemy which put forward units to which we have few or little counters. For those who argue that melee combat is of a bygone era, there is much showing otherwise.

We only need to look to the past itself to see that our guns can only protect our soldiers so much when the combat becomes close and personal. In the trenches soldiers once fought with spades, shovels, bayonets, hands and teeth to survive. The brutality of close quarters combat in war is not something that can ever be eliminated, no matter how much it appears to be sanitized. Modern soldiers simply are not trained for an enemy that understands the weaknesses of close quarters combat – and actively works to counter them.

We see this principle no clearer than in the Battlemaster himself, who is widely recognized for his dangerous capabilities and considered one of the deadliest combatants to ever walk on the face of this Earth. Yet this alien only carries a sword, and while he is certainly augmented with his psionics, that does not mean he does not use the weapon he carries.

But also look beyond the Battlemaster to the infamous Oyariah Titans, who are incapable of the psionic feats and yet simultaneously still pose significant threat to our soldiers as they actively train to subvert our soldiers who become reliant on their guns, and then become further reliant on psionics and special forces to ensure their survival.

The Ethereal Collective has correctly identified a weakness in our military, as we have units and legions for almost every aspect of combat – except this one. Close-quarters units are lacking in ADVENT, and even XCOM has realized the benefits of a melee-oriented unit as their own Templars prove. The Collective itself remains primarily oriented towards ranged combat, of course, but unlike us, they have elected to plug this notable gap where we have not.

This must change, and we have an opportunity to do it better.

 **BATTLE ROLE** : It must be made abundantly clear that the Order of Terra is not, and _should_ not be used in all circumstances. This is a specialized unit which should only be called in when certain conditions are met. These are soldiers who do not belong in the trenches or in purely open battlefields. They are designed to be most effective in choke points, close-quarters, and other areas where their kit and weapons can be leveraged for maximum effectiveness.

They should primarily be used for operations which would normally pose a higher risk to soldiers performing them – such as clearing buildings of hostiles, advancing down streets filled with hostile soldiers, and engaging melee-oriented alien units. They are especially effective if utilized against alien forces in close-quarters or for flanking operations as the aliens will no doubt be unable to properly defend themselves in most circumstances.

Yet understand that these soldiers are likewise not invincible. They cannot simply be thrown at the enemy without proper planning in usage. They, like every other aspect of ADVENT, are a tool, and tools have specific functions and uses – and are not to be used in every single situation and circumstance. The Order of Terra will not be the most dangerous unit, have the most soldiers, or participate in the most battles.

But for doing the job they have been structured to perform, you will find none who can do it better.

 **FRONT-LINE SOLDIERS** : On the front of the line, these will be the soldiers to assume the most risk and will be properly equipped to face it with maximum survivability. This is the first category where soldiers of the Order will fall into, and they are the following:

SQUIRE OF TERRA: These soldiers make up the front line of any Order unit, and they are distinguished by being equipped with shields designed to withstand all modern weapons including physical rounds, laser, and plasma. Their shields have been designed with charge coils which additionally act as a means of further mitigating damage caused by plasma fire.

Their weapons consist of gauss carbines which they will fire while moving towards opposing enemy lines, as we do not intend for them to not have any way to defend themselves before this point. The shields will have places to brace the weapons and properly hold them as well as being quickly and safely removed when necessary. They have also been provided with a sidearm of their choice, between a pistol or SMG. These are only to be used if the primary weapons fail.

Their melee weapons are twofold. The first is a short melee weapon based on the Roman gladius which provides more mobility and flexibility, as well as being enhanced to stab and penetrate. The other weapon is a collapsible and enhanced spear which provides exceptional range with little fear of immediate retaliation.

Their armor has been designed to be among the toughest in the ADVENT military; this has the effect of making them slower and less flexible than others, but in return they are extremely difficult to kill even in the event that they lose their shield. This soldier will not die to even multiple direct hits. In combat they will fight side-by-side and form a near-impenetrable wall which will clear a path for ADVENT to follow behind.

KNIGHT OF TERRA: The Knights are intended to be more flexible front-line soldiers, who protect the flanks and engage faster opponents in close-combat, as while they are still heavily armored, they have been equipped in such a way as to be able to move faster and quicker than their slower counterparts.

Their armor is lighter, though still capable of withstanding multiple direct attacks, and designed in a way reminiscent of knights of the medieval period minus any superfluous additions, of course. They are similarly equipped with a shield which will be offered in several different types, chosen by the Knight themselves, though it will be lighter than the shield carried by the Squires.

Knights will be equipped with two or three weapons, depending on their choices. They will usually be equipped with a gauss or ETC-powered rifle to provide support at range until they are in a position to initiate close combat. However, they may also choose to carry a shotgun or merely a sidearm which they can more easily use in conjunction with their shield.

Their melee weapon is an enhanced longsword, which has been adapted from technology provided by XCOM to their Templars. It will have some additional features, such as the ability to detach the pommel of the sword and use it as a backup MELD-grenade, which will be able to be replaced at the conclusion of battles.

In addition, Knights will be allowed to use and train their own Molosser Hounds, which will further assist them in combat and provide an additional intimidation factor for the Knights, as aliens appear to view the Molosser Hounds much more fearfully than many Human operatives. We expect this to continue here.

 **SUPPORT SOLDIERS** : These are soldiers of the Order who primarily provide support or reconnaissance roles to the remainder of the Order Unit. Currently there is only one designated unit, but should additional positions be created, it could greatly expand.

SAMURAI OF TERRA: Samurai units are designated the target elimination role, and their kit is designed to carry this out. They are responsible for identifying and removing targets of interest through whatever means are available. These targets also include those designated by Commander personnel. Samurai are not equipped for front-line combat and their armor is far lighter and more flexible to enable faster mobility.

They are equipped with sniper rifles as well as allowed access to specialized ammunition, and are also equipped with a sidearm should the need arise to use one. Their melee weapon is an enhanced katana which they will use in close-quarters and if they take a more direct approach in acquiring information behind enemy lines. They can also fulfill the role of scout or spy, though they are not specialized as such.

They also have access to equipment no other soldier in the Order has, most prominently a grappling hook and retraction system which allows them to achieve crucial vantage points at irregular angles to take out or otherwise reach targets. Manual and automatic methods for this utilization are provided, and in some cases the grappling hook can be modified to perform offensive functions.

 **COMMAND SOLDIERS** : There are a number of units who will be less common, but exceptionally important to ensuring that the Order is operating in the most effective manner possible, and leading the Order of Terra to continued victories. This will cover all major management roles, of which there are currently three.

STANDARDBEARER OF TERRA: These fulfill the roles of officers for each Order unit, and they are expected to lead their own, as well as coordinate with other nearby Order units quickly and effectively to maximize the effectiveness of all nearby units in proximity to their own. They are responsible for giving orders to their subordinate Squires and Knights, as well as coordinating with their respective commanding Lord on deployment areas.

They are equipped with a sidearm, as that is a weapon that can be effectively wielded while also maintaining the standard they also carry. This standard will bear a design by the unit in question, and serve as a rallying point and as it has also incorporated Shieldbearer technology, will provide an additional defense against enemy plasma fire.

Due to the vulnerability of their position, they are equipped in armor heavy enough to be compared to the Squires, which reduces their speed and flexibility, but they will be sufficiently protected, and should not be unaccompanied while on the battlefield, even if they are close to the front lines. This is a position with high risk, but also among the most important.

LORD OF TERRA: These individuals are responsible for managing multiple Order Units, and planning the overall strategy for assaults and operations. While they have a notable strategic role, they are expected to personally participate on the battlefield itself to ensure that they are worthy of their position by taking part in plans of their own design.

While the predominant title given is "Lord", there is of course the option for females of this rank to assume the title of "Lady of Terra" instead. This decision will be made personally by each appointee to this rank, and cannot easily be changed afterwards. For the sake of this document, this position will continue to be referred to by the default title.

The Lord is equipped with weapons of their choosing, and unlike the previous roles, they are not locked into specific types of weapons. Multiple combinations and styles can be assumed, so long as they are appropriately trained and effective with them. These are typically suited to the combat style of the Lord in question, and as such there is a notable amount of variance between them.

The Lords are also armored similarly to Knights, although with more ornate helmets and red capes which are intended to showcase their presence on the battlefield. They are intended to be noticed and seen, as they are to provide an inspiring presence on the battlefield and attract the attention of enemy forces. They are also permitted to have a Molosser Hound at their side as well.

Due to the more intense nature of this position, as well as the responsibility and symbolic importance, Lords undergo genetic modification to increase their natural attributes.

LORD COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF TERRA: The leader of the Order of Terra, the Lord Commander is the final authority for all operations and has a significant amount of responsibility to ensure that the Order is being utilized correctly, and to its fullest extent. Chosen from existing Lords, they have many of the same expectations in participation in combat.

While they are not necessarily expected to participate in _every_ battle, they are expected to have a presence in major ones and continue to show that they are worthy of holding the title of Lord Commander. In many respects, much of their gear, attire, and enhancement is similar to the Lords, with the exception that the cape they wear is black instead of red.

A final notation is that for enemies of note, the Lord Commander is expected to personally fight them, either through dueling or otherwise leading the charge against them with no exceptions – Ethereals included. All Lord Commanders understand the heavy risks of their position, and the expectations. No one is promoted to such a level otherwise.

Lord Commanders who fail to meet these requirements will be stripped of their title and dismissed.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : The Order of Terra will recruit through military and civilian vectors. Information about the Order will be properly circulated through military channels and there will be regular rotating visits to various bases and military stations to both integrate the Order more fully into the ADVENT military forces and to attract potential interest.

Civilian recruitment will focus on online and event-based recruiting. Medieval-based events in particular will be targeted for advertisement and we are looking into holding events showcasing the skills and capabilities of our soldiers, either through duels or other organized tournaments. Coordination with leagues who host certain similar events should be approached.

In addition, there will be targeted online advertisement spearheaded by ADVENT Intelligence, we will utilize all relevant social media personalities and channels to showcase the Order and attract additional interest in closed and private events. Thanks to the success of previous similar endeavors, we are confident that recruitment will spike as a result.

Once candidates have applied, they will be screened and selected based on certain criteria. This will primarily be physically-based as this is an exceptionally physically demanding institution, and while training will certainly ensure improvement, we should not focus on completely starting from scratch. Other factors such as melee or close-combat skills, or previous military service will also be taken into consideration.

When the individuals have joined, they will undergo a minimum of one month of physical training to determine what position they are best suited for. When this has been achieved by instructors, they will enter into specialized training for their particular position, and when this has been concluded, they will be placed into a unit and begin coordination training as well as further personal training. This will continue as long as necessary or when they are needed. We expect the initial process to ultimately take no more than three to five months before a unit can be properly considered combat-ready.

 **CEREMONY AND PROMOTION** : Unlike some other aspects of ADVENT, we have taken the step of incorporating additional ceremonial – and optional – aspects to the Order of Terra on the suggestion of Prince Mason who initially pioneered this concept. The medieval period was one that had certain ceremony, especially in regards to certain roles which are incorporated today. This presents an opportunity to pay homage to the past while modernizing it for this era.

Today, while the monarchies and royal families of the world have little to no power, their symbolic and historical importance should be recognized, and instead of merely condemning it to fade away, properly utilized for the betterment of ADVENT and humanity as a whole. Thus, in certain instances if such a royal family exists and there is a soldier of that country, it would be prudent to allow an official promotion conducted by the monarch or leading member in question as it was in the days of old.

While such an event would be ceremonial, it would legitimize the remaining royalty in the world in a way that ultimately showed their subservience to ADVENT, as well as such ceremonies of promotion providing a morale boost to those in attendance. This would be completely optional of course, and dependent on the nationality of the soldier in question, but it nonetheless is something which can and should be offered and supported.

However, due to the scale of the Order, it is advised that such knightings or promotions be reserved only for promotion to Lord, or the Lord Commander of the Order of Terra. This will ensure that numbers are kept at a manageable level.

 **TECHNOLOGY AND ENHANCEMENT** : Much of the weaponry has been based off of designs utilized by XCOM for their Templars which enable melee weapons to be far more dangerous and usable than they would be otherwise. Enhanced by MELD, these weapons have an overlay of nanites which can be altered into different states at the press of a button or switch.

Those incorporated into the weapons of the Order of Terra are a 'default' state where the weapon is hardened to a razor-sharp edge which is extremely difficult to chip or break. The other state is a 'heated' state which is caused by nanites vibrating together to create friction and emanates a 'glowing' orange effect which has been observed to melt through most substances after direct exposure – including the armor of the Battlemaster.

The downside to such weapons is that nanites do occasionally need to be replaced for the weapons to function correctly, but we do not expect this to be a significant issue, as all Order soldiers are equipped with extra MELD cells and we have an established surplus to prevent any such shortage. In the future we are looking to add additional states or further increase the effectiveness of the ones which already exist.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : Members of the Order of Terra are expected to follow protocol and rank. Squires, Samurai, and Knights are only answerable to their respective Standardbearer, although if they have none they are expected to follow the directions of the nearest superior – which can include the nearest ADVENT Officer. Standardbearers have no direct authority over other ADVENT military personnel of lesser rank unless there are none of similar rank in the immediate vicinity.

Lords have limited authority over non-Order personnel, though it is advised that it be coordinated through Officers and the Lord can be overridden if certain commands are deemed too dangerous or questionable enough. This requires a majority of Officers, or an intervention by the Lord Commander. The Lord Commander has much greater authority over local ADVENT military forces, and those in the vicinity are expected to follow them completely.

 **CONCLUSION** : With the development of the Order of Terra, we will be fixing a weakness in our armed forces which has been in existence since the formation of ADVENT. Furthermore, this is only the first iteration of the Order, and we expect to expand on it as the war continues and additional roles are designated and ultimately filled.

We will have an army which will be yet another tool to achieve our objectives with increased efficiency and safety to our soldiers, and it will be superior to that of our enemies. In that, you can be assured.

* * *

 _Memo sent to Chancellor Saudia Vyandar following the Battle of Beijing_

Chancellor,

Now that the fighting has largely calmed down and operations are continuing within expected parameters, I, along with my staff in conjunction with ADVENT Intelligence, have conducted a review of the performance of the fledgling Order of Terra to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and if they succeeded or failed to meet our expectations.

The good news is that they succeeded and performed well within expectations.

Further elaboration is as follows:

 **FRONT LINE COMBAT** : As expected, the Order performed well in front-line combat utilizing the Squire units effectively, and the equipment in conjunction with the technology incorporated in the Standardbearers was enough to ensure that there could be a continuous and steady march forward regardless of enemy forces composition.

This was additionally facilitated with the ability for Order units to have limited ranged capabilities which assisted in preventing indefensible mob rushes or mitigating them to a manageable level. When combat reached into close-range, the melee weapons provided proved more than sufficient in defending the line and ultimately defeating whatever was standing in their way.

 **DURABILITY AGAINST PSIONICS** : Psions proved to be the biggest challenge to the Order of Terra, as it is to most ADVENT military units who are not sufficiently protected through allied or friendly psions. They were capable of resisting many minor uses of Dynamo psionics, though direct concentrations of destructive energy were often too much for them to overcome. This was however mitigated through the use of shields and armor.

Defenses against telepathy cannot be properly measured, as there was notable allied telepathic protection which mitigated the worst of such attacks, though there were cases where direct attacks had the effect of driving Order soldiers insane or otherwise forcing them to commit acts against their allies or themselves. They performed similarly to the majority of ADVENT military forces in this regard.

Aegii psionics were not heavily utilized offensively against the Order of Terra, and cannot be properly measured.

Additionally, like standard military forces, the Order of Terra is vulnerable to concentrated and broad telekinetic attacks, and there is little viable measures which can be taken. It _is_ estimated that Order soldiers are potentially more difficult to kill telekinetically in certain ways to due to the construction and composition of their armor, though this has not been confirmed.

 **MOB DURABILITY** : While we did not expect the Order to be specifically tested in the face of mob rushes and attacks, they were forced to adapt to one here and performed exceptionally well. Their ranged capabilities damaged the effectiveness of mobs before reaching the shield lines deployed, and once on the line, were almost never broken solely through force as they were killed efficiently and quickly using short-range melee weapons and sidearms.

This stonewalling of mobs additionally allowed the mobs to be thinned from allied fire from behind, further lowering the chances of the line being broken. As a result, there were very few instances of the line breaking and subsequently leading to additional and potentially preventable soldier deaths. However, this should be quantified by the fact that these were unarmored (if psionically enhanced in some cases) human civilians, who did not utilize any complex tactics. This may not be the result if attempted by smarter or more dangerous mobs.

 **OVERALL DURABILITY** : In general, the Order of Terra proved to be durable and capable of effectively holding their own in battle. While this cannot be exactly used as a baseline battle, it is fair to say that it was far more mentally taxing and dangerous than the average military operation, regardless of how far off baseline it is from normal engagements. Facing a primarily psionic army is an additional point in their favor.

The equipment, weapons, and tactics worked as expected, or exceeded expectations in some cases, and proved that there is a place for the Order of Terra within ADVENT military strategy, especially given their effectiveness in clearing operations and managing front-line attacks which will provide us with more tactical opportunities in the future.

 **CLEARING TACTICS** : We expected the Order of Terra to perform well in clearing operations, and they exceeded them by their effectiveness and speed. Due to the heavier armor of the Order soldiers, as well as the utilization of damage mitigating tools like shields, this gives the soldiers significantly more confidence and safety assurance than standard breaching gear.

Eliminations with melee weapons and sidearms in quick and efficient manners were carried out with notable lack of hesitation, which reflects the training they have undertaken. This had a compounding effect on future clearing operations, due to the sheer number, multiple successful ones cascaded into a rhythm where entire skyscrapers were cleared in under four hours.

Notably, there were _no_ casualties in these clearing operations, which is an achievement in and of itself.

 **SYNERGY WITH OTHER ARMED FORCES** : The Order of Terra synergized better than expected with standard armed forces, and allowed them additional flexibility and safety where none had existed before. Previously when faced with hostile enemy fire, they would be stuck in certain positions and could only move when enemies were defeated or gone, or risked charging to a forward position. Now they simply had to move behind Order shield lines and fire between them as the line consistently and steadily advanced.

This had the further advantage of ensuring that everything behind the shield lines was safe (barring grenades or other forms of artillery), and allowing near-unrestricted movement. They also provided snipers with cover as the enemy was almost exclusively focusing on the oncoming Order soldiers, and not at possible snipers or other ADVENT personnel. Tanks surprisingly worked quite well, as they could fire over the shield lines, and served as mobile sniping nests for ADVENT and Order personnel to contribute downrange.

We intend to continue using them in urban environments.

 **TACTICAL SYNERGY** : Tactically the Order of Terra provides us with additional flexibility, especially in urban environments. We now have a reliable means of securing streets and choke points as well as continuing to advance through them with more mitigated risk to our soldiers. This draws focus where we want it, and enables potentially more successful deployments of flanking squads and special forces.

Upon the deployment of the Stormtroopers, we expect them to synergize exceptionally well with the opportunities the Order of Terra provides.

We also now have a far safer method of clearing buildings and other dangerous locations, as well as properly countering melee-focused alien units. While the Order has not faced such yet, we are now very confident that they will be able to face them and emerge victorious again and again. We still maintain that the Order will be of limited use in open areas and non-urban environments, but they will prove exceptionally important in the fights to come which can best take advantage of what they offer.

Prince Mason had a good idea here, and he should be recognized for it properly.

\- Commander Laura Christiaens.

* * *

Battlemaster,

In addition to the deployment of special forces units, we have also become aware of the fact that ADVENT has utilized this battle to unveil an entirely new military division that has apparently been in development for some time. This division is recognized as the "Order of Terra" and appears to primarily specialize in close quarters combat.

Further research appears to confirm that both the name and general purpose has been heavily inspired by the Human medieval period, with some inspirations taken from older Japanese history. The period is among the most popular historical periods among Humans as well as the most well-known, which is quite curious as many people will tend to know about this period as well as Human history in the past century.

Curious priorities.

The name itself is a mixture of English and Latin, as "Terra" is the Latin word for "Earth" according to most translations. If you are wondering why the languages have been combined, it is because this is a noticeable Human tendency and they particularly have a fondness for using Latin in places where normal words would be too 'boring'.

Questionable naming conventions aside, the Order of Terra is a curious development and one we should watch closely, especially as they are likely going to be utilized directly against us following the successful deployment in Beijing.

We have been aware that ADVENT _has_ been developing a division or unit designed to fulfill a close-quarters combat role, though until now we were unsure of the designation, equipment, or numbers. We estimated that they would be a fairly small and situational unit to counter the Titans, although they would have gear and weapons of high quality, based on the types utilized by the XCOM Templars.

This latest extrapolation was correct, as all of the weaponry is clearly taken from the original XCOM Templar designs and applied to multiple weapon types. However, the division appears to be far larger than we intended, and thanks to the tactics employed during the Battle of Beijing, we were able to determine more accurately how ADVENT intends to utilize this new division.

To put it clearly, the Order of Terra has _not_ been developed as an exclusive anti-Titan or anti-melee unit, but has utility beyond it. While they _can_ fulfill these roles, and in all likelihood _will_ , that does not appear to be what they have been conceptualized for. ADVENT instead designed them around exploiting the same weakness that all modern military units have – an overreliance on ranged weapons.

The "Squire" unit in particular is egregious, as it is deceptively simple, but effective. It incorporates a hardened shield which takes the brunt of any ranged fire and allows the soldier – and anyone behind them – to advance forward in relatively safety. In large numbers these form moving walls against entrenchments, made more irritating by the fact that ADVENT also elected to provide mounts on the shields to hold rifles to not deprive them of the advantage of ranged weapons, while allowing them to safely transition when in close-range.

Looking over the Titans, there are enough similarities to think that they took some obvious inspirations from their own tactics, which tells _me_ that we should be deploying the Titans in more combat situations.

There are obviously ways to mitigate these tactics. Explosives and grenades are the most obvious, as those can be thrown over the shield lines or under the shields of the Order soldiers. The majority of these soldiers are slower than the average ADVENT soldier, and they can potentially be outflanked and killed with lethal wounds, although their armor is heavy enough that anything short of dedicated snipers will allow them at least _some_ kind of chance to respond.

It remains to be seen if ADVENT will deploy them in open fields or outside urban environments. At this moment it remains unlikely as even ADVENT wouldn't be confident enough in them to throw them against our Heralds, Sectopods, and Executors. Not when they fulfill a far better role as a specialized division for urban conquest or trench defense.

While we _do_ know that their numbers are higher than we speculated, they are fairly small in the context of the greater ADVENT military. They will be involved in major military operations, and utilization for major defensive points should also be expected, as well as hard counters against deployments of Titans and potentially Berserkers.

There is also the distinct possibility that the Order of Terra leadership intends to target _you_ specifically, as they seem to want to be the ones to ultimately kill you. The Lord Commander himself has stated that he will fight the Battlemaster should they ever meet on the battlefield. I highly doubt he would fight you alone, though this is an opportunity to discuss the modifications the Order potentially uses.

Curiously, it appears that the majority of the Order of Terra is not genetically modified, but only use advanced weaponry and armor. None of the Squires, Knights, and Samurai are modified, although some use modified animals as companions (primarily the Molosser Hounds). However, the commanding officers – the Lords – appear to have undergone genetic modification to some unspecified degree, and should be treated as if they are Lancers or XCOM soldiers. This applies to the Lord Commander as well.

The other unit of note is another officer-type, the Standardbearer which would seem to be a useless ceremonial unit, aside from the fact that the 'standard' incorporates Shieldbearer technology and has the ability to deflect plasma bolts for a limited time. We are currently not clear on the exact length the Standardbearer can maintain this field, and are actively investigating it now.

A final weakness of the Order appears to be psionics, specifically of the telekinetic and telepathic disciplines as those were both utilized to some effectiveness during the battle, and of which there is very little defense against them, as it does not appear that the Order soldiers have been subjected to mental conditioning to mitigate telepathic attacks.

Overall, we should be aware that this division is active and that we will likely see them utilized in major offensives. They fill a notable hole in ADVENT military strategy, but they are capable of being defeated like all other divisions. A complete report has been commissioned, and it should be expected in the coming weeks. For now, this overview shall suffice.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

"No, contrary to what appears to be popular belief, the idea was not mine. You can thank Prince Mason for that, as I am fairly sure the concept was his originally. Though I do believe I was one of the first called to bring everything together."

"Yes, it was something of an uphill battle to get everything approved. As you might expect, it's not a simple task to get a bunch of modern military generals and officers to see the benefits of a close-quarters focused combat unit. Oh, I should say that they _see_ it, but all the extra stuff, and the size? More difficult to justify."

"Ironically, it was the aliens who ultimately sold the idea. We already have plenty of combat data on how effective the Oyariah Titans have been against ADVENT lines, as well as certain Ethereals such as the Battlemaster and Guardians. Selling them on the concept switched from hypotheticals on _how_ the division would function to 'This is what the aliens do, and this is how we'll do it better'. Suffice to say, that approach went over much better."

"Inspirations? You'd have to ask Mason about that, though I think it's fairly obvious that he was fascinated by the medieval period, and if you ask anyone who knows him well, they'll say the same things. No, this isn't a vanity project for him, I know him better than that. But did it inspire him? Absolutely."

"It did go through several iterative processes. It was originally completely Eurocentric. Someone else pointed out that knights weren't the only ones to have their own orders and there are other cultures and parts of history to draw from. That's where the Samurai concept was born from, and I know for a fact that as the Order of Terra continues to expand, you'll see more unique designations."

"No, this division is not 'incomplete', though I will certainly say that it is at what I consider minimum effectiveness. There is enough to effectively support ADVENT, and that was the original goal. But we have plans, Miss Wong, and right now it is only a matter of time. This entire division has come together in a matter of months, and there are many who want to see if the concept works before devoting additional resources to it."

"I'm afraid I can't give specifics. Domestic security measures, of which I do not think you're currently cleared to learn or disseminate. Although personally, if you keep up this pace, I expect ADVENT will be giving you a basic one shortly. Don't quote me on that."

"Ah, the process. Simpler than you might expect. We gathered a number of historians, artists, recreationists, and armor smiths and let them design everything together with our oversight. Yes, armor smiths exist, even if it's more of a hobby than a profession nowadays. It was certainly an interesting dynamic, with the historians giving input to the artists, to the smiths clashing and saying it wasn't feasible and impossible to design. It led to some heated moments, but I believe the results speak for themselves."

"Ah, the various unit designations were the result of myself and other military officials to utilize hypothetical close-combat units to their greatest effectiveness. It's why all of them have multiple weapons and mixture of melee and ranged. Mason originally wanted the Order to be purely melee, and everyone else pointed out how that was a ridiculous and unnecessary restriction. Our goal was to _modernize_ a division around melee combat, not _recreate_ it with no improvements."

"I mean, I can see where he was coming from. It does sort of ruin the purity of a legion of shining knights when they also carry guns. But ultimately, we want the Order to be effective – and as safe as possible for the soldiers within it – so making things difficult for ADVENT and them was simply out of the question. I think he is satisfied with the results though."

"The weapons technology was the result of modifying weaponry XCOM kindly provided to us. Can't give specifics, unfortunately, but I can assure you that it _will_ be effective. After all, it would be rather pointless if a primary component of a melee-oriented division was completely ineffective, wouldn't it?"

"My own role is twofold, Miss Wong. I am responsible for overall strategy and deployment of the Order of Terra, and I ultimately answer to Commander Christiaens and Chief Overseer Watkins. I spend a good part of my time coordinating with the top strategists and tacticians in the ADVENT military on most levels, and disseminating the crucial information to the Lords below me who then disseminate this information to their own units."

"However, I also will be on the battlefield personally when major operations take place. This is not a role that is without risk, and this risk I fully accept as any Lord Commander after me will similarly accept. If I consider my own plans and strategies good enough for those under me to follow, I should have little hesitation to participate myself. You can thank Mason for that requirement; he was adamant that there be no level where the leadership did not similarly risk themselves along with their soldiers. I suspect his time in the British military inspired this particular caveat, and I cannot say I disapprove."

"Mmm, yes, if the Battlemaster so happens to appear, I will be obligated to face him. Although there is nothing saying that I cannot be adequately supported when it happens. While I certainly encourage bravery from the Lords under me, that does not mean I support suicide missions, and I am well aware that I alone would likely pose little threat to the Battlemaster directly. But in conjunction with allies, he can be beaten. I've studied him, I've read everything we have collected on him. He is not infallible as everyone believes, and he has been forced to flee multiple times. He can be beaten, he is simply smart enough to know when to attack, when to leave, and how to leave a high body count."

"I am most certainly not saying that his reputation is unearned, and in fact have some professional respect for him as an enemy leader, and perhaps the only one to wage a conflict with some degree of normalcy. But he is not perfect, and one day he will be defeated and be unable to run. It may be at my hand, or that of someone else, but I am confident he will be defeated – and sooner than you may expect."

"You can quote me on that."

 _\- Interview between Lord Commander of the Order of Terra, Jamie Foster, and sanctioned journalist Jessica Wong_


	133. ADVENT - Organizations: The Pantheon

ADVENT: Organizations

The Pantheon

* * *

" _It's time we stopped relying on XCOM to solve our Ethereal problems."_

\- Commander Laura Christiaens

* * *

 **Proposal 0216**

 _Latest Revision_ : 1/10/2017

 _Designation_ : Anti-Ethereal Special Forces Division 3 – "The Pantheon"

 _Program Type_ : Special Forces; Anti-Ethereal

 _Authors_ : Kwon Seul-Gi, Command Strategist; Leo Booker, Tactical Squad Commander; Catena Sabella, Tactical Squad Commander; Arend Veldpape, Tactical Squad Commander; Jude Davies, Public Relations and Unit Communication; the Commander of XCOM; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : As the war has continued to progress, it has become apparent that this war will not be decided solely through armies and the mounted corpses of ally and enemy alike, but solely through the victory or defeat of the Ethereals themselves, as well as enemy psions who are likely to emerge, and any additional threats of similar power.

The Ethereals are the symbol of the power of the Ethereal Collective, and should such symbols be defeated, tarnished, or killed, the political authority and power of the Ethereals continues to deteriorate, and forces the Imperator and other Ethereal leaders to focus additional efforts on ensuring their own allies are placated or otherwise contained.

The political ramifications of eliminated Ethereals are obvious, and more to the point, increase our own chances against the Ethereal Collective. The issues arise from the fact that Ethereals have proven to be notoriously difficult to kill, with the only known Ethereal death coming at the hands of XCOM, and we now know that this particular Ethereal was among the weakest of his kind.

In nearly all engagements with Ethereals – particularly the Battlemaster – the most optimal outcome has been forcing a retreat of the Ethereal in question, which only results in them learning and applying the lessons to future conflicts. Merely forcing an Ethereal to retreat should not be considered _successful_ – especially as it has come at the cost of thousands of soldiers, damage to cities and infrastructure, and being forced to divert attention from other fronts.

Additionally, many of these forced retreats have come after significant support from outside forces, particularly that of XCOM. While we certainly value XCOM as allies, we should realize that relying on them to handle problems such as Ethereals is a weakness we need to correct as soon as possible. XCOM may and will not always be available, and should we be on our own, we have little choice but deploying untrained and unspecialized soldiers and hoping Ethereals can be overcome through sheer numbers.

This is not how we kill Ethereals.

Thus, we propose the creation of this unit whose purpose is to ultimately be able to face, counter, and kill the Ethereals of the Collective. They will be composed of the absolute best our species has to offer, and take advantage of the strengths of our species – specifically our numbers. There are only a very few Ethereals.

There are many, many Humans ready and waiting.

 **BATTLE ROLE** : Simply put, handling Ethereals and other significant targets of interest. Upon the sighting of one or more Ethereals they will deploy to handle them, with the squad composition being expanded, reduced, and otherwise modified depending on the Ethereal in question. In cases such as the Ethereals, the entire Pantheon will remain on-standby to provide support if needed.

In addition to handling Ethereal-level threats, they will also participate in standard operations where special forces are necessitated, and given their capabilities, they will likely prove to be a significant force multiplier and allow for XCOM to potentially focus on other areas of interest. As the Pantheon is not expected to be a large unit, the absolute reach of it will be limited, although this is because their primary objective is the handling of Ethereals, with standard combat operations coming secondary to this stated goal.

 **POSITIONS** : Due to the primary objective being the elimination of enemy Ethereals, the majority of these positions will require some degree of high psionic potential (typically Magus-class or higher) to adequately handle equally or greater powered Ethereals. However, not all positions require psionic affinity or revolve around it.

All positions were designated and decided upon the formation of this unit, and while there is room for further expansion of the Pantheon at a later date, this provides a completely solid core from which to recruit and later build on. All callsigns were designated after all individuals were recruited for their main positions.

While there are positions which are focused around psionics, there are more traditional roles which have been adapted to better fulfill the ultimate goals of the Pantheon. It should also be noted that callsigns do not reflect anything about the operative in question outside of their position. Also do not expect complete historical accuracy as the callsigns were decided upon by the unit themselves, and did not consult professionals.

The positions are as follows:

COMMAND STRATEGIST – CALLSIGN ' **ATHENA'** : The Command Strategist will be assuming responsibility for the planning, strategy, and execution of operations as well as being the designated manager of the Pantheon and responsible for coordinating with other ranking military ADVENT officials, and assisting with deployment compositions and loadouts. This is not a combat role, and as such psionic affinity is not a requirement. They will observe operations and make adjustments and suggestions as necessary, as well as taking into account greater ADVENT operations. A background and experience in military strategy and special forces operations is a requirement.

There are three positions that are Tactical Squad Commanders, and these will be the individuals who lead Pantheon squads on the ground and have authority on the tactical level. Each Tactical Squad Commander currently is specialized in leading a particular squad composition, and as such will be distinguished through their call sign.

TACTICAL SQUAD COMMANDER – CALLSIGN ' **ARES'** : Tactical Squad Commander ARES will primarily specialize in compositions where a maximum amount of immediate and sustained damage is necessary, and there is no concern for collateral damage or restraint. ARES should be a highly experienced soldier with training in multiple weapon types, explosives, and blitz tactics. ARES will undergo extensive genetic modification and a psionic affinity is required, no less than a MAGUS-class. Any discipline is permitted, and ARES will be allowed to determine custom loadouts including melee weapons and experimental technology.

TACTICAL SQUAD COMMANDER – CALLSIGN ' **KRATOS'** : Tactical Squad Commander KRATOS specializes in a balanced squad composition, where some restraint is called for, while also not being a stealth or lightning operation. KRATOS specializes best in operations in support of allied positions, as they will coordinate fully with current ADVENT forces for maximum effectiveness, and is capable of working and synergizing tactics well regardless of unit composition, and using them to their fullest potential. KRATOS will undergo genetic modification, and a psionic affinity is required with the same criteria. Weapon loadout rules and restrictions are the same as ARES.

TACTICAL SQUAD COMMANDER – CALLSIGN ' **NIKE'** : Tactical Squad Commander NIKE specializes in directed and extremely focused combat operations where there should be little attention attracted and a minimum of possible collateral damage. They primarily work in quiet or stealth operations with only the targets designated as the ones who should be removed. They should not primarily engage in direct combat unless forced due to botched operations. They are under the same requirements as the other Tactical Squad Commanders.

ELITE DYNAMO PSION – CALLSIGN ' **ZEUS'** : The designated Dynamo Psion of the Pantheon will be drawn from among the most powerful psions currently within ADVENT. They will be primarily drawn from the Military Branch of the PRIEST Division, or the PRIEST Division generally if no suitable candidates are found. They must have a minimum LEVIATHAN-class Trask Level, and be trained in at least two sub-disciplines of the Dynamo psionic discipline. They will receive genetic modifications as necessary.

ELITE TELEPATH PSION – CALLSIGN ' **DIONYSUS'** : The designated combat Telepath of the Pantheon will be drawn from the same pool as other dedicated psions. If possible, they will also be drawn from ADVENT Intelligence and the allowed pool is wider for this position than some others. A high Trask level is also a requirement, also being a minimum of LEVIATHAN-class. They will need to demonstrate proficiency in weakening Ethereal-level defenses, and will be tested through Aegis and XCOM psions.

ELITE TELEKINETIC PSION – CALLSIGN ' **HERACLES'** : The designated Telekine of the Pantheon will be drawn from the same pool as other dedicated psions, although unlike other dedicated psionic combat roles, the minimum Trask level will be MAGUS-class. In return for this lowered requirement, candidates will be required to demonstrate advanced and delicate uses of telekinesis to showcase mastery of it. These tests will be tailored to best exploit the candidate's psychological profile. This is currently the most difficult position to be accepted to.

ELITE AEGII PSION – CALLSIGN ' **HESTIA'** : The designated Aegii of the Pantheon will be drawn from the PRIEST Division pool in all categories, and require a minimum Trask level of LEVIATHAN-class, as well as having to showcase capabilities to ADVENT Oversight as well as Aegis to ensure that mastery is sufficient. The psion must be proficient in offensive and defensive uses of Aegii psionics.

PSIONIC STEALTH SPECIALIST – CALLSIGN ' **MORPHEUS'** : This is a highly specialized subset of psionic training which utilizes psionics to enhance stealth capabilities. While psionics is not expected to completely supplement traditional stealth techniques and technology, it must play a significant roles that directly enhances the effectiveness of the individual in question. TELEPATHY is the required discipline for this position, with a minimum Trask level of MAGUS-class. Other disciplines may be considered if a viable stealth application is proven.

EXPLOSIVES AND DEMOLITIONS SPECIALIST – CALLSIGN ' **APOLLO'** : This position will be responsible for managing, employing, and researching all things related to explosives and other high-volume methods of solving issues and overcoming obstacles. They must specialize in explosives, bomb defusal, architecture, or electronics to qualify. In combat they are permitted to utilize as many explosives or equipment as possible. They are required to be a psion of any discipline – TELEKINETICS and AEGII psions are preferred – with a minimum Trask level of MAGUS-class.

TARGET ELIMINATION SPECIALIST – CALLSIGN ' **ARTEMIS'** : This position is responsible for the dedicated elimination of certain targets at the expense of all else. They are expected to place themselves in positions of optimal exploitation, and be able to swiftly and accurately eliminate targets using whatever means are necessary. Psionic affinity is required – DYNAMO and TELEPATHY psions are preferred – with a minimum Trask level of MAGUS-class.

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND UNIT COMMUNICATION – CALLSIGN ' **HERMES'** : This position will be the primary assistant to the Command Strategist, and ensure communication cohesion with other ADVENT military units and officials, as well as handle any sort of public relations which arise in relation to the Pantheon. Backgrounds in marketing, public relations, public speaking, and administration are preferred, and psionic affinity is not required, although it would provide additional benefits.

INTERROGATION SPECIALIST – CALLSIGN ' **HADES'** : This position is responsible for managing the interrogation and treatment of all captives brought in by the Pantheon, or performed on the battlefield itself. They will perform interrogations as they see fit, and forward all relevant information to the Command Strategist and Oversight Division before ultimately turning over captives to the Oversight Division. The Interrogation Specialist has the authority to interrogate any individuals currently being held by ADVENT with this only being contramanded by the Oversight Division, ADVENT Intelligence, or the Peacekeepers. They must have a background in interrogation, psychology, or alien studies, as well as psionic affinity. They must be of the TELEPATH discipline, and have a minimum Trask level of LEVIATHAN-class.

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER – CALLSIGN ' **ASCLEPIUS'** : This position is responsible for all medical issues and matters for the Pantheon, and will primarily use their capabilities exclusively for the Pantheon although if needed will assist other allied forces as well. They must be trained battlefield medics, and have psionic affinity. Any discipline is permitted – TELEPATHY and AEGII psions preferred – with a minimum Trask level of MAGUS-class.

SQUAD ARMORER AND QUARTERMASTER – CALLSIGN ' **HEPHAESTUS'** : This position is responsible for ensuring the Pantheon is properly armored, weaponized, and outfitted for operations. They handle all logistical matters and coordinate heavily with the Command Strategist and Tactical Squad Commanders to ensure that each member can be outfitted to their exact specifications. They will coordinate with ADVENT Engineering for custom equipment, and additionally be responsible for maintaining it. They will oversee a dedicated staff to assist in maintenance and creation of Pantheon-tier equipment. They must have experience in design, architecture, metallurgy, or weapons design. Psionic affinity is not a requirement.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Recruitment will primarily be drawn from existing ADVENT personnel within the Military and PRIEST Division as applicable, and it will be exclusively invitation-only. Training itself is to be kept to a minimum, as the Pantheon is to be a collection of the best of ADVENT and they are expected to already be the best at what they are.

As such, training will largely focus on unit synergy and coordination between members. Prior to acceptance all candidates will go through specialized tests relating to what their role would be. These tests are tuned to their specific strengths, weaknesses, and psychological profiles to determine how they will perform under pressure and in situations the Pantheon will likely face.

Candidates will be flagged by a combination of combat records and scouts handled by the Command Strategist to seek out and identify potential talent. Potential recruits will be shared with the respective individual whose position candidates would qualify for, to get feedback and potential selection from. Should a member of the Pantheon plan to retire or otherwise leave, they will first recruit their replacement and in the event they are killed before a replacement can be chosen, they will have overseen or designed tests required for achieving the position to ensure that worthy successors are chosen.

 **TECHNOLOGY AND ENHANCEMENT** : The Pantheon, due to their elite status and small size, will have access to custom-made and designed weapons, armor, and equipment from ADVENT Engineering within reason. This will be coordinated by the Armorer and Quartermaster, and each soldier will be able to tailor their personal loadout and kit – potentially multiple of such – to their own personal strengths and depending on operations.

All members of the Pantheon will undergo genetic enhancement to increase all physical attributes, including strength, speed, eyesight, durability, and organ redundancy. These modifications may be additionally modified and enhanced as improvements are researched and developed. All members of the Pantheon must submit to this enhancement, as such enhancements will be necessary for facing Ethereal-level enemies.

Pantheon soldiers also have access to usage of prototype or currently developing technology. It should be noted that such equipment may be unstable and that risk is assumed by utilizing it, and equipment which is unstable and poses a danger to the user and others will not be permitted if exceptionally dangerous. In most other cases the utilization of prototype technology is permitted.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : Pantheon soldiers have complete local authority on the battlefield, although they will likely not be interfering overmuch in general combat operations, but if assistance is requested by a member of the Pantheon, cooperation is expected. They have the authority to request backup or assistance, though this allowance is not unlimited.

As noted earlier, they have access to interrogate or question any captive of ADVENT or those identified as risks or threats by ADVENT Intelligence, the Peacekeepers, or the Oversight Division. This can only be contramanded by the Oversight Division, ADVENT Intelligence, or the Peacekeepers. Valid reasons for refusal must be provided, as must the Pantheon provide valid reasons for interrogation. The Pantheon is not permitted extrajudicial authority and all captives must be turned over to ADVENT Intelligence or the Peacekeepers upon completion of interrogation.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work of the Pantheon, as well as the fact that the majority of individuals are psions, all members of the Pantheon are subject to the Manchurian Restraints, and are required to have the Restraints updated if necessary.

 **CONCLUSION** : Upon deployment, the Pantheon will prove to be a highly specialized and dangerous tool of ADVENT which will serve to act as a hard counter and answer to the Ethereals, as well as a major force multiplier for any other combat operations which require special forces. This kind of unit is necessary both due to the caliber of enemies we face, and to ensure that we do not become reliant on outside forces such as XCOM to handle threats we cannot.

We do not anticipate this being the only such squad, and should the war progress, more will be developed, but until that point the Pantheon will serve as the shield ADVENT will use to protect Humanity from its most dangerous threats.

* * *

 _Recording of Pantheon soldiers after official recruitment_

[Leo Booker]: "So how many are we altogether?"

[Arend Veldpape]: "Fifteen altogether, and not everyone is here now. I've got the names here."

[Myrtle Steele]: "Missing our Command Strategist it appears."

[LB]: "Nah, she's just busy making sure everyone gets here on time. Then it's hard training until the next time the Ethereals show up."

[Catena Sabella]: "Can't wait."

[Harold Rivers]: "It's really amazing just how much stuff XCOM has on the aliens. Their whole dossier on Quisilia explains a lot."

[CS]: "That he's a lying, trolling cunt?"

[Irisha Artamonova]: "But an entertaining one."

[AV]: "Think it's a whole reason why they put together this little group. XCOM has too much information. Shouldn't become reliant on them."

[MS]: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Commander directly have input into the formation of this unit?"

[HR]: "Yep."

[LB]: "And was also responsible for the whole callsign gimmick."

[AV]: "What callsign gimmick?"

[CS]: "Don't knock it Leo, I think it's neat."

[LB]: "Well, the Commander has a thing for mythology; supposedly writes entire contingencies and protocols named off mythological figures. So he put forward the suggestion that all of our callsigns be Greek deities."

[AV]: "Huh."

[IA]: "Speaking of that, have we gotten our callsigns yet?"

[LB]: "Not yet."

[CS]: "Has Kwon explained how that's going to work?"

[LB]: "No, I actually think she's planning on just letting us pick them out. They're just callsigns, we still have _real_ positions."

[MS]: "So, why not start picking them out?"

[LB]: "Eh, sure. Why not? We can hash any disputes out later when everyone is here. First come first serve and all that. From what I'm aware of, there's enough deities to go around. Any objections?"

 _Affirmation of 'noes'_

[LB]: "Alright, picked mine out. Ares."

[CS]: "God of War, how original."

[LB]: "Hey, it fits. You seen my record, do you think there's a better one?"

[CS]: "Nah, you certainly look like an Ares. Hopefully smarter than he was."

[LB]: "I resent such accusations."

[IA]: "Alright, my turn. Zeus."

[AV]: "See, I think there might be an issue there. Namely that Zeus was not a woman, even if he certainly liked them."

[IA]: "Yeah, well tell me there isn't a better fitting name when you have an eighty-eight Trask level and can level a city block. If someone else would like to show they are a better Zeus, please step forward."

[LB]: "Gonna be a bit odd, Arend, I agree, but she has a point. Besides, these are callsigns. Not like they're going to replace our real names. Might even throw the aliens off if they hear them. They hear 'Zeus' and expect a flying bearded man shooting lightning, and instead they get a little Russian woman."

[IA]: "A little Russian woman who can turn you into sludge."

[LB]: "Point taken. Arend, you picked one?"

[AV]: "Nike."

[MS]: "Interesting choice."

[LB]: "We're not trying to get sponsored here."

[AV]: "Ha ha, _hilarious_."

[CS]: "It's more creative than yours. At least you didn't insist that _wasn't_ one of the gods."

[MS]: "Goddesses."

[CS]: "Whatever."

[LB]: "Nice. I assume we don't have an issue with designating our esteemed Command Strategist as Athena?"

[CS]: "Nope."

[IA]: "No."

[AV]: "Not from me."

[LB]: "Thought not; think she'll be flattered. Myrtle, you go. I'm _very_ curious to hear what your pick is."

[MS]: "Want to guess?"

[CS]: "As our Interrogation Specialist, probably something suitably threatening and foreboding, so…Cronos?"

[LB]: "Cronos was a Titan."

[CS]: "Aren't Titans technically gods?"

[LB]: "I'd prefer we keep it simple. Titans are not gods."

[IA]: "Thanatos or Dionysus, Myrtle."

[MS]: "Close, but no. Hades."

[CS]: "Damn it, it was so obvious I was _sure_ you weren't going for it."

[IA]: "Gonna be very scary when the aliens here Hades is coming to talk to them."

[CS]: "Would aliens even know what Hades is?"

[AV]: "I feel that is unlikely."

[LB]: "Possibly something the Commander didn't think through. Not much use in giving us callsigns of gods if the aliens aren't even going to know what they mean."

[CS]: "They sound cool though."

[LB]: "And we all know _that_ is the metric we should strive for."

[MS]: "Ah, lighten up a bit. This is fun!"

[LB]: "Just teasing. Catena, you're last for today."

[CS]: "Kratos."

[IA]: "Sorry, _who_?"

[LB]: "I don't think that's _legal_."

[CS]: "Oh, have the mythology police said otherwise?"

[MS]: "Who the hell is Kratos?"

[CS]: "The _other_ and much better God of War."

[LB]: "He's not even a real god!"

[AV]: "Oh wow, this guy is a piece of work."

[CS]: "Leo, are you really going to contest adding a made-up god to a group of already made up gods?"

[LB]: "Well, at least at one point they were worshipped by real people."

[MS]: "Ohh… _that_ Kratos."

[IA]: "I'm still lost."

[CS]: "I'll tell you the story later. It's a good one."

[LB]: "Make your case to Kwon, I guess."

[CS]: "You're just mad you didn't think of it first."

[LB]: "If I had _known_ we were relaxing the standards for what did or did not classify as a valid god, I _might_ have made a different choice. Maybe."

[CS]: "Think a little more outside the box, alright? C'mon, let's get something to eat. Haven't had anything since I got here."

[IA]: "Agreed there. And you can tell me what the deal with this apparently made-up god is."

[CS]: "Be happy to, let's go."

 _Recording ends_

* * *

Operation: False Gods

Division: ADVENT Special Forces Intelligence

Report Author: Zar'melodias'dathyasith

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To the Zar'Chon,

Your commissioning of a report on the newly unveiled ADVENT special forces unit appears to have been a timely event, as this unit appears to be extremely relevant to future operations against us and more to the point, is more important than we originally assumed. Upon review, I wonder if ADVENT is intentionally attempting this kind of blatant misdirection or if they don't actually intend for this to be a question of legitimacy.

We have, nearly twice now, fallen into the initial trap of assuming that ADVENT is producing ceremonial units or otherwise solely or primarily for the purposes of propaganda. We assumed such with the Order of Terra until we saw them in action and have rightfully concluded that they could be effectively used against us. This special forces group which we initially wondered if it was a fake unit or merely some kind of ceremonial gimmick was an _extremely_ dangerous assumption from what has been discovered.

 **The Pantheon** : The official name of the unit is the "Anti-Ethereal Special Forces Division 3" or otherwise designated as the "Pantheon", named for the assortment of Greek Mythology, which was once a religion widely practiced in their history. This relevance comes from the fact that each member of the Pantheon has a callsign named after one of the Greek deities, which tends to relate to their function within the unit.

Some are easier to determine than others, and while we have not been able to determine the exact size, or callsigns of all members of the Pantheon, the ones we have managed to identify give some clue as to their role and function within the organization. Disturbingly, all of them appear to be exceptionally trained, managed, and outfitted with armor and weapons which are not utilized elsewhere in ADVENT.

I would also like to draw attention to the fact that this is, according to official ADVENT documents, the _third_ such division. Which means that there are at _least_ two other "Anti-Ethereal Special Forces Divisions" that we have found _no_ prior indication of. Given that it has taken until now for the Pantheon to be deployed, it is possible that they are holding the previous two in reserve to surprise us in the future. While we won't be as surprised anymore, the fact that we have no indication as to the composition of these other two units is extremely concerning – as well as the fact that there could be _more_.

 **Purpose of the Pantheon** : Current observation of Pantheon soldiers and interception of unclassified documents appear to state that the Pantheon, true to it's official name, is intended to serve as an anti-Ethereal task force and is designed solely for taking down Ethereals and other major enemies of note. It was perhaps only a matter of time until such a unit was developed, but it is clear that ADVENT is intending to give these soldiers the best possible chance they can against Ethereals.

From what we have learned, _all_ of the Pantheon are powerful psions – Magus and Leviathan-class on their Trask Scale – in addition to being seasoned and experienced soldiers in their own right. They appear to come from a wide range of military backgrounds and positions, and are only allowed in through extreme vetting and testing. These are the best of the best of ADVENT psions, and that should be concerning especially as we don't know the full extent of their reach, size, or capabilities.

It is reasonable to expect that the Pantheon will not just be performing anti-Ethereal operations, but also assisting ADVENT in more standardized special forces operations. Considering the effectiveness of ADVENT special forces on unprepared defenses, a unit of the caliber of the Pantheon is estimated to be a highly destructive and dangerous force we should not attempt to take down without adequate preparation.

A secondary function of the Pantheon appears to also be an attempt for ADVENT to wean itself off dependence of XCOM in handling threats like Ethereals. The Pantheon is the first serious attempt at ADVENT trying to develop an XCOM-caliber squad capable of facing threats they specialize in. I would not look too deeply into this, as there is nothing indicating ADVENT-XCOM tensions, but considering that the Commander is rumored to have been involved in the creation of the Pantheon, either these rumors are false or the Commander supports ADVENT being less dependent on XCOM.

 **Known Pantheon Personnel** : We have managed to identify some members of the Pantheon and subsequently performed additional research into them to determine if there was any additional information to be gleamed. They are as follows – do not assume this list to be complete:

 **Kwon Seul-Gi – ATHENA** : Finding information on this woman is more difficult than expected, as she was originally part of North Korean Special Forces leadership, though her exact role is unknown. Given her age (of 45) we can assume that she is not participating in any combat operations currently, and maintains a solely leadership role. We have not precluded previous experience in North Korean special forces, and her experience is likely what has landed her in this position.

Currently we do not know her location or strategies, although as the Pantheon is deployed more, I suspect patterns will begin to emerge, but with only one operation, there is very little we can reliably determine other than that her resume indicates that she is a dangerous and experienced woman. Athena was a goddess of wisdom, intelligence, strategy, and battle, which is a fitting designation for a command role.

She is currently not married, but has a son who is currently serving in ADVENT. We are actively attempting to locate him.

 **Leo Booker – ARES** : As we have learned, this has been one of the most decorated and proficient soldiers in ADVENT. Booker was a United States Navy SEAL for ten years before later being transferred to the Lancers when ADVENT was established, and after he was found to be a powerful psion, transferred briefly to the PRIEST Division before ultimately being transferred to the Pantheon.

He has participated in nearly every major conflict during this war, and has over three hundred confirmed kills, and a good portion of those were in hand-to-hand combat. Navy SEAL training itself is especially intense, and has trained him in multiple variations of tactics such as asymmetrical and guerrilla warfare.

Interestingly, Booker appears to maintain a number of connections he established during his days as a SEAL, primarily within intelligence branches, which now are ADVENT Intelligence. He is likely using these contacts to cross-check what ADVENT officially gives him. He's been described as somewhat cocky and overconfident, but his record certainly backs up any perceived arrogance.

He's appeared to take the role of a squad leader, as he was seen giving orders to other Pantheon members during combat. He incorporates a mixture of melee, ranged, and psionic attacks in combat and is highly aggressive during it. We will need additional data to build a proper predictive model.

His designation as Ares fits well, as Ares was the God of War, and there is not a better fit for this particular soldier.

 **Irisha Artamonova – ZEUS** : There is very little that could have indicated that this woman would eventually end up in such a prestigious unit. She was a Russian soldier prior to the invasion, and was not particularly noteworthy until she was tested for psionic potential and found to be one of the most powerful Human psions to exist, and was later taken away from training.

We are not exactly sure what happened during this period, but she has now emerged as one of the most destructive psions employed by ADVENT. Unlike many on this list, she is married and we have been unable to locate her husband and assume he is under ADVENT protection somewhere else. We are actively investigating.

Her designation as Zeus is curious, as Zeus was widely recognized as the 'leader' of the Pantheon not to mention male whereas she clearly is neither of those things. So it is likely the designation of Zeus refers to her destructive capabilities and not her leadership capabilities.

 **Catena Sabella – KRATOS** : This woman has had quite an interesting and atypical career which led to this point. She was a former Olympic archer who after several unsuccessful runs joined the Italian military as a sniper and by all accounts performed well. She participated in several major battles in this current war, and prior to her awakening as a psion, was supposedly rumored for possible recruitment by XCOM.

However, instead she was recruited into the PRIEST Division, and later was clearly recruited into the Pantheon. She is an extremely skilled telekine who uses a bizarre combat style which incorporates a mixture of telekinetics, chains, and short blades which we cannot identify any possible match even among Human historical records.

Her choice of callsign is similarly bizarre, as Kratos appears to be not just a fairly minor god of only tangible relation to her position, but is also some kind of fictional creation for a video game (a Human form of entertainment) which is _also_ a god, and I doubt that ADVENT would incorporate something like that into their professional military, though there is an open question of what Kratos is being referred to here. Further complicating things is that the fictional Kratos is _also_ a god of war, which seems to invalidate Ares, and overall is merely a confusing aspect of an already odd woman.

She is currently not in any known romantic relationships, though keeps in touch with her parents. We are actively attempting to locate them.

 **Harold Rivers – DIONYSUS** : This man appears to be an extremely powerful telepath, according to the limited information we were able to collect on his first 'official' appearance in combat. He supposedly was capable of preventing telepathic attacks on allied forces while simultaneously managing to mind-control an entire mob of compromised civilians before subsequently killing them with a thought. No footage has been recovered, but eyewitnesses and reports paint a very clear picture of the telepathic might of this person.

Prior to this Rivers was a psychologist who ran a private clinic before the war. After the subsequent rise of ADVENT, and deployment of the PRIEST Division, he applied and was found to have high psionic potential. There is no record we could access from this period onwards, and it appears he has been in intensive training ever since application. He was in a relationship with another woman prior to enlistment, and we are presuming that they have kept in contact, as she had disappeared roughly the same time he did.

The designation of Dionysus is a curious one, and I am not sure how well it fits as this god appears to primarily be the god of wine of all things. Madness and insanity are the only link I can find, but oddly enough it appears that the wine is the priority. It could potentially be translation issues, but I remain baffled as to if there is some deeper connection here. Perhaps this is intentional.

 **Romolo Fabian – APOLLO** : This appears to be among the more 'conventional' of the Pantheon as this man is clearly an explosives expert, he carries a healthy assortment of grenades, a grenade and rocket launcher, and has degrees in electronics and architecture, as well as training in explosives, bomb defusal, and structural sabotage.

He was a pyrotechnic before joining the Italian military, and carried over all of his skills to his job before leaving shortly before the war began. Upon the formation of ADVENT he reenlisted, and was in consideration for possible Dragoon recruitment before his psionic potential was discovered and he spent time within the PRIEST Division training, and subsequently moved to the Pantheon.

Here he fulfills the role of explosives expert, and is a dangerous telekine for good measure, as he uses his psionic skills to direct his explosives more precisely, as well as using both psionics and explosives more conventionally which proved very effective in his first official operation. He has no family he is close to, nor is he engaged in any romantic relationships.

His callsign appears to only be marginally related to what he does, as the only connection we can make to Apollo is that the sun is bright and hot, like an explosion. Beyond that there seems to be very little tangible connection, and I doubt that there is a deeper meaning here since it's very apparent what he actually does.

 **Conclusion** : In short, the Pantheon is a dangerous entity we need to watch closely, and all Ethereals must be informed of the possibility that this group will be deployed against them. While they may dismiss the group initially, they should keep in mind that this group was heavily involved in taking down Isomnum, and they were fighting Bringer forces – and _winning_ – which alone says a lot about their capabilities.

If nothing else, being aware of our enemy is essential to defeating them. And before this ends, we will need to defeat the Pantheon completely.


	134. ADVENT - History: The China Accords

ADVENT: History

The China Accords

* * *

" _The last barrier has collapsed. The final remnants of Human resistance to unification have fallen. It will not be long until the world is under ADVENT."_

\- Elizabeth Falka

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 _Press conference transcript preceding the official signing of the China Accords_

[Chancellor Saudia Vyandar]: "Today marks a historic day not simply in the history of ADVENT, but the world itself. The nation of China has been home to unspeakable horrors these past months and endured much at the hands of the Ethereal Collective. But they did not waver, even when their heart was struck. Now that the Collective has been pushed out, and the Ethereal responsible is dead, they are owed our efforts to ensure they not only survive, but thrive in what the world has become."

"Much of the previous administration of China was unable to be saved or recovered, and while we could provide some resemblance of the leadership of the Communist Party to lead the country in the interim, this was rejected for several reasons, largely pertaining to the lack of qualified survivors of the Communist Party and to make sufficient changes to the borders of the country and right past wrongs which were unfortunately perpetuated by the nation of China."

"It is time for the Chinese region to enter a new era of peace, stability, and respect for those who live within and around the nation itself. I am pleased to announce the reunification of the former state of Taiwan with mainland China. The Taiwanese government will be assuming majority control over administrative functions of the nation of China until elections are held. Acting President Yao?"

[Acting President Hanying Yao]: "Thank you, Chancellor. This is indeed a momentous day when two nations are reunited into one. While the circumstances of the reunification were not ideal, this is an important step to providing stability, hope, and freedom to the region. I would like to assure the citizens of China that we do not intend to stay in control longer than necessary. This has and always will be China, and we do not seek to supplement your nation and culture with that of Taiwan. Rather, we instead hope that we will be able to share and learn from each other, on an individual level; not through the ways of propaganda which has existed between our two nations for so long. It is time we move past this divide."

"To this end we are working with members of the previous Communist Party, Chinese intelligence services, and military who are assisting us with rebuilding communication infrastructure, social services, and other things which Chinese citizens rely upon each day. Now that the alien threat has largely been contained, we are beginning to allow re-integrating of Chinese citizens to cleared areas of the nation. We will be sharing additional details with the media soon. Chancellor?"

[SV]: "Thank you, Acting President. In addition to the establishment of a new administration for the nation of China, there have been changes in regards what entails the region itself. An agreement has been reached between the nation of China, the former Chinese region of Tibet, and the former Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong."

"Upon the signing of this Accord, the region of Tibet will be fully ceded to the Central Tibetan Administration and returned to the people of Tibet, and the city of Hong Kong will be granted complete independence, in addition to the holding of multiple special elections in surrounding regions which will be established to determine if the regions will remain as part of the mainland or identify with the established nation of Hong Kong."

"This marks an end to unjust persecution and occupation of Tibetan land and people, as well as the suppression of their culture and religion. Tibetans who have been exiled, by force or willingly, will be welcome back in their home, together with the full rights of a member state of ADVENT, including a seat within the Congress of Nations. Speaker Tashi, if you would?"

[Speaker Rabten Tashi]: "Chancellor, on behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration, I thank you for what you have done for the people of Tibet, both those who reside inside the nation and have endured under unjust Chinese rule, and those who have lived in fear abroad not believing they would be able to return. It cannot be properly expressed what this means to us, so all that we can do to express our gratitude is promise our conditional support to ADVENT, and work together to a brighter future for all Humans on this Earth, not just Tibetans. I will now allow Chief Executive Tang to give some words of his own."

[Chief Executive Zexian Tang]: "Speaker, thank you. My thanks also extend to Chancellor Vyandar herself for providing our city a seat at the table where the direction of the country was to be decided. I suspect there will be those wondering why Hong Kong is entitled to the benefits given to a member state of ADVENT, but this is something that should be highlighted before all."

"For the first time in decades, we have been given the opportunity to, if not start over, reverse course on the wrongs perpetuated by the Communist Party of China. I welcome the efforts of Acting President Yao to change the image of the previous totalitarian nation, but the city of Hong Kong and her people are best on our own path."

"We, along with many other smaller cities and regions, have had to endure the firm hand of the Communist Party for a long time, and perhaps a fresh start free of it is what is best for all. Hong Kong will be proud to stand as a firm member nation of ADVENT, and we welcome those who have tied themselves to us in the past to join us moving forward. Chancellor?"

[SV]: "Thank you, Chief Tang. ADVENT will be assisting all member nations and establishing elections in the coming months to ensure a fresh elected wave of representatives who will work for the betterment of their citizens and Humanity at large. Due to the proximity of some nations and regions to potential Collective attack, we will continue maintaining an alert military presence in certain regions and deploying the Engineering Corps to cities which have suffered significant damage."

"This is an important step for the future of the region, and for ADVENT itself. There will be a short time for taking questions after the signing. Please refrain until that point."

 _Transcript ends_

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The subject of China's future has been one of heated and endless speculation ever since the Battle of Beijing and, prior to that, the collapse of the Communist Party during the capture of Beijing by Isomnum and his forces. That ADVENT has significant interest in the country and has since taken a very direct hand in the aftermath has only added to the speculation.

While ADVENT has not released hard numbers, it is known that at least eighty percent of the Communist Party is either compromised, missing, or dead, and the only remnants are lower level administrators. Additionally, while no percentages or numbers have been released by ADVENT, it is suspected that China has lost a majority of their military and intelligence leadership following the fall of Beijing.

Despite it only being days since the subsequent reclamation of the city, ADVENT convened a closed-doors session of what remains of Chinese leadership, the current Acting President of Taiwan Hanying Yao, the Speaker of the Central Tibetan Administration Rabten Tashi, and the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Zexian Tang.

That ADVENT has invited the Tibetan government-in-exile was already a strong indicator that land which historically belongs to the Tibetans would be returned to them, and this suspicion was ultimately correct as the China Accords confirm that the territory is to be ceded back to the Central Tibetan Administration. In accordance with their promise, the CTA has promised that when elections are held, they will step down, and out of respect for the democratic process, no current member of the CTA would run for office.

When asked the reasoning for this abstention, Speaker Tashi had this to say: "We have not been in Tibet in many years. We heard from people who lived there, but this is not something we have seen ourselves. It would be unfair of us, who have not resided in the region ourselves for so long, to take such an important role when there are those who are better aware of the needs of the people and know what steps to properly take. We are sufficient to serve as advisors, if the candidates so wish, but now we merely wish to return to our home."

ADVENT expects that elections will be able to be established no later than two months, although they are allowing four to allow candidates to establish themselves and transition the country to a modern state.

It was also anticipated that Taiwan would seek to fully reintegrate with China, and the Accords have solidified this, although it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the mainland Chinese as well as Taiwanese who now have the opportunity to integrate into China. Despite the optimism of Acting President Yao, there are concerns by historians that integration will not necessarily proceed smoothly due to the influence of Chinese propaganda regarding Taiwan.

Of additional concern is the possibility that when elections are held, those who run may seek to return to the familiar structure of the Communist Party, and Taiwan simply does not have a population large enough to make a difference. ADVENT is not concerned with this, as Chief Diplomat Hassan said the following:

"All candidates will need to be cleared by Election Oversight. Candidates who are unstable, unsuitable, or otherwise unqualified will not be permitted to run. Only those with a clear desire to serve the people of their nation – and Humanity as a whole – will be considered. There will be no return of the Communist Party or any similarly destabilizing platforms."

Hassan's comments sparked some limited discord, as the controversial Election Oversight was once more brought up by ADVENT critics as being unfairly biased towards ADVENT candidates and a screening system – criticisms which Hassan and Chancellor Vyandar have never once denied. Although controversy continues to be muted comparatively, this debate is likely to spark once more when elections begin and the candidates declare themselves.

The most surprising developments of the Accords came from Hong Kong, who had been announced to be participating in the discussions. There was speculation that Hong Kong was looking for a leadership role in China itself, or additional benefits from ADVENT to gain their support. As it turns out, Hong Kong wanted complete independence.

More than that, ADVENT has announced special elections for regions surrounding Hong Kong regarding their future. The regions will be given an option of remaining in China, or joining Hong Kong in establishing an independent state. At this point in time it is impossible to fully say what could develop, although Hong Kong has extremely strong economic ties to all of the regions, and it is not out of the question that the regions will see themselves as having more of a voice if they join Hong Kong instead of remaining in China.

Chief Executive Tang has stated that a complete governmental and representative structure will be unveiled in the coming weeks, and ADVENT has agreed to host several open forums and debates between representatives of Hong Kong and China for citizens of the regions up for special election. These are expected to begin in several weeks, as ADVENT prepares infrastructure and to determine logistics of voting as there are many residents who are currently residing in other countries due to the conflict.

More updates will be provided on the future of China as the events progress. What can be said for certain is that ADVENT has gained three new and influential members – all of whom consider themselves indebted to ADVENT – and will likely be extremely supportive of the current administration.

 _Article – Chinese Accords Signed – What happens next?_

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Director Falka,

In light of the recent developments in the Chinese region and the signing of the China Accords, an update on the situation is pertinent, especially as we have received confirmation from Election Oversight that infrastructure is being developed to facilitate upcoming elections in the immediate future.

This will focus less on the new nation of Tibet, but on the development of Hong Kong receiving independence and the subsequent requests for additional territory. Specifically, the possible ramification and likelihood of outcomes in this situation. Ultimately, nothing will change the fact that all three nations will be members of ADVENT, and all will be loyal, but nonetheless there _are_ outcomes which can be considered more or less beneficial.

 **CHINESE REGIONS UP FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS** : There are four regions which Hong Kong requested be ceded to them, which was further mitigated to allowing special elections – Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guanxi. Of those regions, there are three major cities (Hong Kong excluded) – specifically Xiamen, Guangzhou, and Nanning. There are a number of other smaller cities and rural areas in addition to these, but most are currently not worth investigating further.

Notably, all of these regions are along the coast of China and the most vulnerable to Collective invasions in the future. This could very well provide China something of a buffer if a majority secede to Hong Kong, which could very well be something both nations will take into account in terms of attracting voters to their sides.

Of the regions, Hong Kong resided in the Guangdong region and the city of Guangzhou is extremely close to Hong Kong itself, and has exceptionally strong economic ties to each other and the proximity is something that should not be overlooked. It is surprising that ADVENT elected to not cede the region immediately, but Election Oversight or the Oversight Division was likely responsible for overruling the suggestion out of fairness for citizens residing in the region.

 **LIKELIHOOD OF SECESSION TO HONG KONG** : Our best estimates put the likelihood of complete secession of the regions up for special elections as 'contextual'. There _will_ be some who successfully secede to Hong Kong – in particular Guanxi and Guangdong are almost certainly going to vote that way due to how tied they are economically to Hong Kong as well as culturally influenced. Regions where Hong Kong still has an economic presence such as Fujian and Hainan, but not significantly more are uncertain.

A few aspects to keep in mind are the fact that the Chinese government has largely collapsed, and Chinese citizens may not be willing to trust a Taiwanese-run government (despite what the Acting President says) and see Hong Kong as more 'normal' despite technically being independent. Chinese propaganda could actually work in _favor_ of Hong Kong, ironically enough, though this is uncertain, especially since some members of the Communist Party _are_ working with the interim government.

The other aspects include the fact that there have been a significant number of casualties throughout the region, which will severely impact voting numbers across the board. It is currently not known how extensively this will affect outcomes, but it does indicate that citizens will be more inclined to vote for the ones who offer the most stability, prosperity, and hope after what they have endured. Again, China collapsed, and Hong Kong has remained intact from an organizational standpoint. That _will_ be something people take into account.

Finally, there is the reality that no matter what happens, regions that _do_ join Hong Kong will have more influence and weight than they would if they remain with China. This is an undeniable fact, and something that will be _very_ appealing to certain citizens and officials. Ignoring the economic aspects which Hong Kong will exert, luring regions over with the reality of more power will be a powerful incentive, and not something China can especially mitigate unless they promise special treatment – which is something the Oversight Division will crack down on quite heavily if they go about doing it the wrong way.

The regions that would secede are obviously stronger closer to Hong Kong, and the likelihood diminishes the further away they are from the city. The chances of Fujian or Hainan seceding but _not_ Guanxi or Guangdong are extremely low. It is likely that residents and officials of each region will be carefully paying attention to polling and predictive modeling of outcomes before giving endorsements one way or another.

At this stage, anything concrete cannot be confirmed. An outcome will be clearer when election processes begin and both nations present their cases and the reactions can be judged.

 **ELECTION PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION** : Election Oversight has provided us with a tentative outline of how the special elections will proceed:

\- Informing all known residents of the regions up for special elections of the situation: No more than three weeks

\- Scheduling first round open forums for representatives of Hong Kong and China: Two weeks (Representatives will be sent to all major cities and concentrations of residents who are residing outside the country. All representatives are expected to have complete knowledge of their proposals and answer questions proposed respectfully and clearly. Questions will be pre-screened by Election Oversight, but not turned over to Representatives)

\- Debate between Representatives of Hong Kong and China: Three weeks

\- Scheduling second round of open forums for representatives of Hong Kong and China: Four weeks

\- Miscellaneous events: At the discretion of campaigns in the lead up to the election

\- Elections: Seven-eight weeks

 **CURRENT MEDIA REACTION** : There has been significant media speculation in the aftermath of the China Accords. Notably, a large number of media outlets appear surprised Hong Kong has made such a strong push for complete independence and expansion. Support for special elections appears mixed with criticism of Hong Kong getting special treatment for dubious reasons, as well as support for Hong Kong actually being granted independence.

Of course, there are a number of conspiracy theories that state that ADVENT is using Hong Kong as a puppet state to further break up the Chinese nation even more than it already is and that Tang is an ADVENT plant. This obviously ignores that fact that we have nothing to really gain from this, as all three are members of ADVENT, and in truth Hong Kong provides us with far more work than it would have otherwise.

Interestingly, this has mitigated the news that Tibet was recognized as a full member state, likely because that development was expected, while the developments with Hong Kong were not, and the outcome is more uncertain. The media is currently bringing on a number of experts and citizens to discuss potential ramifications and outcomes. ADVENT personnel have been advised not to speak to any unauthorized media personnel regarding the special elections.

 **CURRENT CITIZENRY REACTION** : Unreliable at this stage. The majority of citizens are not even aware of the developments beyond the fact that the conflict has been contained in China and are celebrating or mourning. It will take a couple weeks for the citizenry to be informed, assuming Election Oversight can meet their deadlines.

Those who _have_ heard about it have reacted differently, depending on where they live. Hong Kong citizens are clearly in favor of expansion and those living in regions where special elections are taking place are more mixed, though leaning in favor. A trend we have noted is that those living in cities are more receptive to the idea of Hong Kong than those in smaller cities or rural areas. This is something to watch for as the process continues.

This report will be updated upon news of further major developments.

\- Senior Analyst (Chinese Region) Qusa Liong

* * *

Battlemaster,

We have continued to monitor the situation following Isomnum's failed Chinese offensive, and there have been a number of developments which present several unique opportunities going forward in the region. The official signing of the Chinese Accords has placed the entirety of the region under ADVENT with three separate countries officially being established within ADVENT's Congress of Nations.

Currently the borders are not firmly established for the nations of China and now Hong Kong, as the latter nation has convinced ADVENT to hold special elections to allow the regions to choose which nation they want to be a part of. As such, these regions will remain in flux for at least several months while this is debated by both nations.

MILITARY PRESENCE: ADVENT is still maintaining a large military presence throughout the country, and this is going to continue likely until China falls to the Collective, or the war itself ends. This has the benefit of ensuring that a significant portion of ADVENT forces are occupied in such a large region and prevent them from being moved to active combat zones for fear of leaving the nation undefended.

The country itself has sustained significant industrial, civilian, and military damage which will require significant investment from ADVENT to complete. They will be occupied by this region for some time, and it is in our interests that they _remain_ invested even if at the moment there is no further action planned against this region.

While we _could_ launch another invasion of the region, it is likely too risky with how many resources ADVENT is willing to throw at the country for our own assault to be worth the cost, especially if T'Leth and Aegis continue to be involved. Rather, effort should instead be focused on ensuring that ADVENT _maintains_ this level of military readiness throughout the war.

It could prove to be a significant drain on them and a number of military operations within the country, movement and deployments within Japan, and leaked intelligence documents detailing potential attacks against the Chinese region will all contribute to ADVENT maintaining a _significant_ number of soldiers in China. They have too much invested in the country to ignore the risks.

It is past time we exploited this habit.

RAMIFICATIONS OF DEVELOPMENTS: Political instability within the Chinese region. Tibet is irrelevant and it was expected that ADVENT would recognize them as a member state. For all intents and purposes Tibet contributes very little to ADVENT outside of a public relations victory, and poses little threat to us outside of some geographical advantages – all of which can be subverted with aerial deployments.

The aggressive actions taken by Hong Kong to not only secure their independence, but also expand their own territory have left a large portion of the border in flux politically. ADVENT is maintaining steady military garrisons, but who the regions belong to is currently undecided. There is debate over the actions and if Hong Kong is overreaching or not – and what ADVENT gains or loses from the outcome.

Ultimately, what will be determined is how large Hong Kong will be. This ultimately changes very little, as both nations are part of ADVENT, but culturally and politically it could mean significant changes and foster resentment and rivalry between both. This could ultimately work to our benefit.

VULNERABILITIES: Due to the fact that a number of residents in these regions are not residing in their home and are classified as refugees, this means that the population of these regions is open to exploitation through infiltration or otherwise manipulation of the general population. Penetrating weaker security links in the regions is also a noted possibility, due to ADVENT checkpoints requiring ID cards and very little other proof. Correct names and faces will be enough to fool ADVENT security.

There is the potential to also influence the debate through the Internet, as there are two notable sides to this. Causing division or discord is an ideal goal for this event, and while it will not have a permanent impact, it will tie up ADVENT Intelligence to combat it and potentially foster poor relations between Hong Kong and Chinese citizens, as well as roping the rest of the Internet into choosing a side.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS: There are a number of potential goals here that we should attempt to exploit.

The first is that this gives us a means of infiltrating the population of China and Hong Kong through Zararch Agents and REPLICA units. Should a significant enough number be located, replaced, or manipulated, it will allow us the potential to control a small nation in ADVENT, and give us more insight into how it operates internally. This would require a significant amount of REPLICA units and agents, and due to this, action towards ADVENT Election Oversight is also advisable.

It is imperative that ADVENT does not know that we are attempting to tamper with their elections, and as such we should stay away from leadership or backing certain people or factions. Merely replacing citizens or using Sectoids and upcoming SAS Psions to psionically affect the population will serve us well. Right now, ADVENT is focused on preventing another attack – not for us to subvert their democracy.

If we wanted to assume a more direct role over Hong Kong, we should elect to utilize Nemo to replace one of the current members of Hong Kong leadership, and potentially begin the creation of more of its models. This is feasible, though would deprive Nemo of a more active role against other ADVENT officials. Consider this proposal an option.

Should we gain a notable amount of influence over Hong Kong, it will make any future operations against the Chinese region easier due to Hong Kong controlling a majority of the coast. To ensure this we must ensure that all regions up for elections secede to Hong Kong. With your approval, operations to make this happen will begin.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary


	135. ADVENT - Organizations: The ADVENT Army

ADVENT: Organizations

The ADVENT Army

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" _There will be no army raised that shall be greater than this."_

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

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 **Proposal 0015**

 _Latest Revision_ : 12/3/2016

 _Designation_ : The ADVENT Army Division

 _Program Type_ : Standing Army; Military

 _Authors_ : The Commander of XCOM; Shaojie Zhang, Director of XCOM Intelligence; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military; Wayne Kidon, Army-Commander of the ADVENT Army Division

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : Many armies have risen and fallen over the long history of our species, and to this day there are many which are still in existence who strive to protect their nations from harm and collapse. However, we recognize now that there is a greater threat, and thus the many militaries of the world must come together and fight to defend our very species from danger; to put purely national loyalties aside in favor of the common good.

Such a proposal does not come without challenges, as the ADVENT Army is intended to be the culmination of all modern military knowledge and doctrine from around the world, and is constantly expected to evolve, iterate, and improve itself upon the discovery of superior tactics, technology, and other developments.

The ADVENT Army will work to protect the citizens of ADVENT – and Humanity at large – from all threats both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial and to ensure the continuing stability of the state of ADVENT by whatever means are authorized. To this end it is understood that a full conversion into the structure outlined in this document will take time and be implemented when it is safe to do so, but it nonetheless outlines what is intended for the ADVENT Army and shall eventually be put into place when it is deemed to be not detrimental to the war effort or of questionable strategic wisdom.

The ADVENT Army is not a force which shall be used lightly or frivolously. It should only be used when there is a direct threat to the safety and stability of ADVENT. It shall only be used when objectives are clear and there is written intent to complete stated objectives and goals. Should such goals or objectives be uncertain or deemed difficult to accomplish with the resources of the Army, said Army shall not be used and the objectives should be accomplished with more suited divisions or arms of ADVENT.

 **UNIT COMPOSITION AND INTEGRATION** : It is important to emphasize the fact that the soldiers of the Army are no longer fighting solely for one nation or people, but for Humanity at large. There are existing emotional bonds to people and homeland which could ultimately prove a detriment to certain soldiers in stressful situations, and should be avoided whenever possible. It is thus suggested that the composition of the Army be heavily mixed with individuals from multiple countries and backgrounds.

Additionally, soldiers should spend a majority of a time deployed in locations which are not their home or they have no emotional connection to. This is for several reasons – the first is that they are less likely to be emotionally compromised if put into situations where they are forced to retreat or otherwise see heavy destruction against the country; another is to lessen hesitation if ordered to act against the people or leadership of the country in question should they pose a threat to the stability of ADVENT.

Integration will be staggered over the course of the current conflict. Regions and nations which are likely to experience attack will maintain their current militaries largely intact, and will slowly be supplemented or enhanced with soldiers deployed from outside nations. The ultimate goal is for no more than forty percent of a nation's standing Army force be comprised of residents of said nation. We expect this to be more easily accomplished after Earth is retaken, and this goal does not supersede strategic necessity.

 **SQUAD COMBAT ROLES** : There are a concrete number of combat roles within the ADVENT Army. Please note that certain positions are covered in other military division documents. The roles listed are exclusively for the ADVENT Army and may be changed or expanded as the war and Army develop. This will not include any electronic warfare, special forces, engineering, or psionic roles.

INFANTRY: The most standard role is the Infantry, which is designed to be the basic combat role for the Army. They will be equipped with gauss or ETC rifles, sidearms, an assortment of grenades, and will be used universally in combat operations and have no further 'specialized' role outside of enemy elimination, objective completion, and objective defense. Depending on interest and education, all Infantry are qualified to eventually be placed into more specialized roles.

GUNNER: Gunners are to be considered capable of acting as anti-personnel and suppression units. They are to be equipped with heavy gauss or ETC weapons, anti-personnel grenades, and access to other equipment intended for suppression and neutralization of enemy personnel. They receive heavier armor to compensate for their more lethal role in suppressing enemies, and should be utilized most in defending positions from approaching enemy forces, or offensively to allow allied forces to advance. Infantry-heavy forces should also be countered with Gunners.

ROCKETEER: These are designated anti-armor units who are more specialized and require advanced training to successfully qualify for the role. Training in explosives, bomb creation and disposal, and other related fields are qualifications to become a Rocketeer. They will be equipped with grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and other explosive ordinance. They should be primarily utilized against defensive fortifications and enemy armored vehicles. Due to the limited numbers of this role, it is not advised they be unnecessarily risked.

SNIPER: This role has a singular purpose – to eliminate specific enemy targets at range. They will also double as spotters and observers of the battlefield, and should relay pertinent information to their nearest commanding Officer. They must be trained to identify priority targets and then eliminate them as quickly as possible. They should be armored to emphasize mobility and lethality, and should not be put on the front lines if at all possible. This role can be qualified for if individuals can pass marksmanship and written tests.

MEDIC: In the event of injuries on the battlefield, Medics will be called to provide triage and on-site care as best can be provided. This is a highly specialized role that requires education in battlefield medicine, surgery, or other combinations of medical education. Medics will have access to a limited support staff comprised of nurses and technicians if relevant, and be provided with whatever tools and medical drugs are necessary to treat soldiers as quickly and safely as possible.

COMBAT ENGINEER: This role is essential for maintaining and establishing defenses against enemy forces. Combat Engineers have the capability to construct and maintain cover in any environment, as well as being capable of reinforcing existing defensive structures. Requirements for this role require some architectural and engineering education, as well as a designated level of Manchurian Restraints due to utilizing MELD.

SHIV OPERATOR: With the development of the Super-Heavy Infantry Vehicle, there needed to be a role that sufficiently handles the machine in combat. The SHIV Operators work to properly maintain, utilize, and otherwise care for their SHIV for the purposes of combat utilization. Each SHIV Operator should be educated in basic electronics and robotics, and be able to perform routine and emergency maintenance on the SHIV should such be required.

SHIELDBEARER: Intended to protect soldiers and other ADVENT positions, the Shieldbearer has access to specialized technology which allows them to deflect plasma fire for a limited time. As such the delicacy of this equipment requires heavy armor, and Shieldbearers should thus be utilized offensively, although they will work in most situations and provide an overall enhancement to all ADVENT Army personnel. Please note that the disruption of plasma fire will also apply to allies, which could include other ADVENT or XCOM Forces.

PURIFIER: Intended to serve as an anti-personnel and anti-group unit, Purifiers are intended to assist in the capture of enemy territory and the elimination of major enemy positions, units, and individuals. This is a highly specialized role for which the required qualifications are high. They are extremely dangerous and lethal, though are slow and more vulnerable to concentrated attack. Protection of these units is a requirement.

OFFICER: The Officer is responsible for leading and commanding the squad in question. They can be of any role and are chosen for their leadership and decision-making capabilities as well as role competence. They are responsible for best allocating the squad upon the stated objectives by their commanding Corporal. All roles can be eventually promoted to Officer, and efforts should be taken to make Officers distinct and visual. In the event of the loss of an Officer, squads are directed to place themselves under the command of the nearest Officer.

 **SQUAD COMPOSITIONS** : Due to the number of roles available, there are going to be multiple combinations to form specialized squads. Please note that Squads are between the sizes of six to ten, with the more specialized a squad is, the smaller it will be. Also note that more official compositions may be developed as the war progresses.

INFANTRY SQUAD: This is considered the 'default' squad for the ADVENT Army which consists of eight Infantry soldiers, one Medic, and one commanding Officer. They will be primarily utilized in all combat and defensive operations, and have no specialization outside of completing objectives and other standard operations. The Medic position may also be substituted for a Shieldbearer.

ANTI-ARMOR SQUAD: In the event of heavy armor vehicles being utilized by enemy forces, the deployment of an Anti-Armor Squad will be authorized. This will consist of One Shieldbearer, one Medic, four Rocketeers, two Gunners, and one commanding Officer. This squad will also be utilized against heavy defensive fortifications and for anti-cover operations.

MEDICAL SQUAD: In the event of mass casualties and or attacks targeting civilian locations, a Medical Squad will be deployed to contain the damage and provide as much care as necessary for the immediate location. This is a highly contextual squad consisting of eight Medics, one Shieldbearer, and one commanding Officer who will only deploy in exceptionally serious circumstances. They will also be accompanied by escort squads to provide sufficient protection.

ANTI-PERSONNEL SQUAD: In the event that enemy composition is largely infantry or otherwise of limited armor, this squad will be authorized and outfitted specifically for thinning their numbers. It will consist of two Snipers, four Gunners, two Infantry, and one commanding Officer. This squad will also be useful against dangerous single targets such as Muton Berserkers, Chryssalids, and Oyariah Titans. They are not cleared to be deployed specifically against Ethereals. In certain cases, the two Infantry can be substituted with Purifiers.

MIXED SQUAD: This squad refers to any combination that does not match the current named and recognized combinations. Mixed squads will be extremely common at this current stage of the war due to decisions made in the early days of the ADVENT Army, which should be appropriately taken advantage of for their unique strengths as well as recognizing possible deficiencies. The singular constant is that there will always be one commanding Officer.

ELIMINATION SQUAD: This squad is created for the sole purpose of eliminating specific enemies in as efficient a way as possible. As these are generally ranking alien officers or units, this squad is composed of five Snipers and one commanding Officer. This squad will be only used situationally, and should be utilized to cause confusion in enemy ranks as well as cover for the Hussars to operate.

 **SQUAD RANKS** : Squads themselves are ranked based on their performance both in enemy casualties and objective completion, as well as other factors such as squad cohesion and limited casualties. Higher ranks will result in Squads being given more critical assignments, being eligible for consultation of operations, and a higher probability of promotion.

TIER I: Tier I squads are the standard level of squad. All newly formed squads start out at this rank and are utilized for basic and unclassified combat and defensive operations. Successful completion of objectives and operations will result in a higher probability of a squad promotion to further tiers. This will be the most common tier reached for the majority of squads.

TIER II: Tier II squads are ones which have demonstrated competence, successful leadership, and being capable of completing objectives and following orders quickly, efficiently, and cleanly. They are ideal soldiers who should be emulated by the rest of the Army. They will be utilized for operations critical for the safety and stability of ADVENT as well as for certain aspects of ADVENT which may be classified.

TIER III: Tier III squads are ones who are composed of hardened veterans and have a significant amount of combat experience who have demonstrated complete resolve, competence, and lethality in the battlefield with unwavering leadership. They are authorized to be utilized for heavily classified operations, be used in operations critical to the safety and stability of ADVENT, and the squad Officers will hold positions on their local Central Unit Command. Please note that Tier III squads are _not_ special forces and should _not_ be treated as such.

 **ARMY DIVISION SIZES**

SQUAD: Squads will be composed of six to ten soldiers of the ADVENT Army. They are managed by Officers.

PLATOON: Platoons will be composed of twenty-five squads. They are managed by Lieutenants and the Unit Corporal.

UNIT: Units are composed of four Platoons. They are managed by a Corporal and accompanying staff.

COMPANY: A Company is composed of ten Units and is managed by a Colonel and accompanying staff.

GARRISON: A Garrison is composed of three Companies and is managed by a Marshal and accompanying staff.

BATTALION: A Battalion is composed of three Garrisons and is managed by a Chief Marshal and accompanying staff.

LEGION: A Legion is composed of two Battalions and is managed by a General and accompanying staff.

 **NATIONAL ALLOCATION OF MILITARY FORCES IN PEACETIME** : The allocation of ADVENT Army forces within ADVENT territory will depend on a variety of factors including population, territory size, importance to ADVENT, and likelihood of attack. There will be at minimum one Legion which can be mobilized for a nation, although a nation's Legion may be mobilized for other combat operations.

Certain cities of appropriate size may warrant dedicated Battalions or Legions to properly protect the number of civilians within it, which will fluctuate depending on the additional factors listed above.

 **COMMAND HIERARCHY RANKING**

LIEUTENANT: This position oversees one ADVENT Platoon, and is responsible for disseminating information from the Unit Corporal and clearly communicating the objectives and goals to Squad Officers. All Lieutenants hold seats on the regional Central Unit Command and are permitted to establish leadership councils or groups, though this is not a requirement. They do not have access to a dedicated command staff.

CORPORAL: This position oversees one ADVENT Unit and is responsible for managing and commanding this Unit, as well as clearly communicating the objectives and mission goals of all participating military operations. The Corporal commands the regional Central Unit Command and is responsible for selecting Officers to hold positions and taking the recommendations of Lieutenants into account. They also have a dedicated command staff as well as attaches from ADVENT Intelligence.

COLONEL: Colonels oversee ADVENT Companies and are responsible for their management and coordination. They are responsible for dictating operational goals and objectives for each regional Corporal and presenting scenarios on a high operational level. The Colonel oversees their regional Joint Company Command and maintaining communication lines with their Corporal subordinates. They maintain their own command staff with attaches from ADVENT Intelligence and the Oversight Division.

MARSHAL: Marshals are responsible for managing and maintaining ADVENT Garrisons and ensuring that Colonels have the most up to date information on the status of the war as well as their own regional directives. They are responsible for deciding military objectives of the region and rely on their subordinates to execute said objectives. They manage the Joint Garrison Command and are allowed to recruit non-military or Army advisors to their own staff. Attaches from ADVENT Intelligence, the Oversight Division, and the Diplomatic Corps are also involved.

CHIEF MARSHAL: The Chief Marshal is responsible for commanding ADVENT Battalions and closely coordinating with the highest levels of ADVENT Military Command to ensure high-level objectives are being met and converting these objectives to a local scale as well as managing their local Joint Battalion Command. They are permitted to have a highly custom personal staff which is tailored to take into account military, civilian, and political ramifications. They have attaches from ADVENT Intelligence, the Oversight Division, Diplomatic Corps, and Congress of Nations present for this.

GENERAL: One of the highest ranks within the ADVENT Army is that of General, which is responsible for managing ADVENT Legions. Due to the high number of soldiers, they are permitted to establish a Regional High Command comprised of various ranking and qualified individuals, as well as local advisors and residents. They are responsible for making final decisions regarding military operations within their own region. They have the same attachments as that of the Chief Marshal.

ARMY-COMMANDER: This is the position which has official command over the entirety of the ADVENT Army and makes all final decisions for operations. They are in constant communication with the Commander of the ADVENT Military and appraised of the operations at the highest levels of ADVENT

COMMANDER: This position is included to show the superior of the Army-Commander, as they all ultimately answer to the Commander of the ADVENT Military.

 **COMMUNICATION AND COHESION**

CENTRAL UNIT COMMAND: Central Unit Command (CUC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Unit. It is managed by the regional Corporal and their staff, and is responsible for selecting Officers for positions on the CUC. All Tier III Squads and Lieutenants are guaranteed a spot, but in the event that there are not enough, the Corporal is authorized to choose Tier II Officers. Plans and strategies on a highly local level are devised here, including how to take specific cities, defending certain areas, and other aspects which are on the ground. All information decided will be passed through the other regional commands for approval.

JOINT COMPANY COMMAND: Joint Company Command (JCC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Company, managed by the regional Colonel and their staff. All regional Corporals have positions within the JCC and are responsible for presenting battle plans for their unit for approval, which will be sent further up the regional commands. In addition, the JCC also works to establish and lock down regional objectives and plans on a limited scale, which can include multiple cities, geographical locations of note, and other aspects which are not necessarily relevant to the CUC. Such directives will be passed down if decided upon.

JOINT GARRISON COMMAND: Joint Garrison Command (JGC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Garrison. It is managed by the regional Marshal and their staff. All regional Colonels have positions within the JGC and are responsible for presenting directives and battles plans which they have previously approved. In addition, they review and decide regional objectives on a state-wide or small country scale, as well as determining contingency plans and potential alien responses. Pertinent information will be passed down to subordinate commands.

JOINT BATTALION COMMAND: Joint Battalion Command (JBC) is the operational body for coordinating an ADVENT Battalion, and managed by the regional Chief Marshal and their staff. All the regional Marshals have positions within the JBC and are responsible for presenting directives and battle plans for additional approval. They are also responsible for reviewing the overall state of the region and if they require more or less resources, what their overall strengths and weaknesses are, and what the political ramifications are based upon certain scenarios. Pertinent information is passed to subordinate commands.

REGIONAL HIGH COMMAND: The Regional High Command (RHC) is managed personally by the regional General and is comprised not only of the regional Chief Marshals, but also anyone the General decides is worthy of having a position on the High Command. This typically should include Marshals and Colonels, but could also include Tier III Officers, local advisors, and individuals from other ADVENT divisions. They are responsible for making all major military decisions in the region including pulling additional soldiers or sending them to more important fronts. All battle plans are given final approval or rejection here and everything is considered in the greater context of the war.

ARMY DIVISION HIGH COMMAND: Army Division High Command (ADHC) is composed of all current Generals and overseen by the Army-Commander of the ADVENT Military and Commander of the ADVENT Military. ADHC is responsible for making all major military decisions and operations that will affect the course of the entire war, and all meetings are classified. Based on these decisions, pertinent information will then be distributed to subordinate commands in the regions. ADHC may only convene with certain members at the request of the Commander, but all major operations require at least eighty percent of the ADHC to be present.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : Recruitment will be heavily incentivized and pushed into the general population using a variety of events, online events, and other in-person and technological advances to prioritize recruitment. Ability for promotion, benefits, and other positives should be heavily emphasized, as well as the impending threat the aliens pose.

Current models indicate that recruitment is unlikely to be a significant issue. Heavily recommend the diplomatic targeting of nations with high populations to rapidly boost ADVENT numbers such as India and China.

Please refer to the attached document on ADVENT training for a full overview.

 **PROMOTION** : Promotion will be awarded to distinguished soldiers and officers depending on a variety of factors including their competence, adaptability, initiative, leadership, service time, experience, and need. It should be noted that high kill counts and simple bravery do not guarantee promotion. Maintaining low squad casualties, objective completion, and defense are looked upon as more valuable contributions of ADVENT.

 _Squad Promotions_

Tier I: Tier II

Tier II: Tier III

 _Role Promotions_

Infantry: Gunner; Sniper; Shieldbearer; Officer

Gunner: Sniper; Officer

Rocketeer: Officer; Dragoon Corps

Sniper: Officer; Hussar Corps

Medic: Officer; Cuirassier Corps

Combat Engineer: SHIV Operator; Officer

SHIV Operator: Combat Engineer; Officer

Shieldbearer: Officer

Purifier: Officer

Officer: Lieutenant; Regional High Command

 _Command Promotions_

Lieutenant: Corporal

Corporal: Colonel

Colonel: Marshal

Marshal: Chief Marshal

Chief Marshal: General

General: Army-Commander

Army-Commander: Commander of the ADVENT Military

 **MECHANIZED AND ARMOR UNITS** : In addition to the infantry forces of the ADVENT Army, there should be some attention paid to mechanized and armored forces which will be utilized in the coming conflict which have previously been relegated to the traditional 'armies'. All armor units will be managed under their own division which will coordinate heavily with the ADVENT Army, while the Army will utilize mechanized units as it sees fit until the creation of a dedicated mechanized division.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The ADVENT Army has significant authority on all ground operations within and outside of ADVENT barring the revocation of permission from ADVENT High Command or the Oversight Division. They can only execute combat and military operations in aggressive or defensive operations. They are not permitted to hold political or administrative power over a civilian population nor act as any kind of law enforcement.

They do not have complete free reign as they are ultimately a part of ADVENT High Command and all major operations must be approved there along with the support of the Commander of the ADVENT Military. They have input, but not final authority on sea, air, and space operations conducted by other divisions.

 **CONCLUSION** : Our species is facing a power the likes of which has never been experienced in the entirety of Human history, and there is little choice but to respond by fielding the most advanced army ever developed. While there will no doubt be significant challenges along the way, this is a commitment to the development of a military force that does not fight merely for nation, creed, or people, but for our species itself.

* * *

The ADVENT Military is one of the more impressive aspects to ADVENT for several reasons. It has successfully formed the largest military force in Human history, as is necessary to properly combat the alien threat. But more importantly, it has successfully managed to integrate vastly different armies and cultures into something, if not resembling something cohesive, that is functional.

ADVENT has made a point to have their military units be of mixed nationalities, even if the forces still tend to resemble that of their home nation, there are a noticeable number of soldiers who would be foreigners were ADVENT something that did not exist. This has not necessarily been without its difficulties, but ADVENT has stated that they are pleased with how the ADVENT Army has developed and are proud of the fact that their soldiers are willing to focus on an enemy which threatens our entire species.

Among the many changes and homogenization of ADVENT, one thing has received notably less attention – combat decorations and medals. It has not necessarily been something which ADVENT _hasn't_ done. In fact, the awards and decorations given out have continued to persist and for the most part have retained the home nation of the soldier receiving it.

This is apparently because specialized ADVENT military awards are low on the priority list, though are actively being developed and standardized. The recent events in China have brought this topic back up as soldiers who participated in the Battle of Beijing – and indeed in most of the Chinese conflict itself – were recipients of the Forlorn Vigil medal – given to soldiers who endured telepathic attacks and emerged with their minds intact.

This is the first combat decoration which has been developed exclusively by ADVENT, although it is not the first medal they have developed. Each major campaign and battle has resulted in the soldiers who participated receiving commendations for it. These include the Battles of Korea, America, Japan, and more.

ADVENT has not made a major public event out of any of these, but have worked quietly behind the scenes to establish a number of combat and military honors for their soldiers – even if now there are only a few which are limited. From what is publicly available, it appears that ADVENT is going to be following a mix between utilizing already-existing honors, and creating their own.

Many militaries already have medals equivalent to the Medal of Honor, and to use this as an example, how ADVENT would handle it is if a person qualified, they would offer the choice of receiving the medal as designed by ADVENT – or the medal which would have been given to them by their own country. Ultimately, ADVENT is standardizing the requirements and what actually qualifies for an award or not, not necessarily throwing out what has already been made.

Some more unique honors such as the Purple Heart have been made standardized in ADVENT, although it has undergone a slight redesign to de-americanize it, and this honor now only applies to 'sustained wounds that do not require organ or limb replacement', as a newer award has been developed specifically for soldiers who have lost limbs or organs in combat – the Enduring Heart.

Interestingly, it has been the PRIEST Division which has developed a number of honors and decorations for the Military Branch as well as other branches. These include the Maelstrom, an award given to psions who single-handedly turn the tide of a conflict through their abilities; the Aegii Award, given to psions who are solely responsible for protecting a position or unit that would have been overrun; and the Xaviar award given to psions who have fought and defeated a powerful telepathic enemy such as an Ethereal or Hive Commander. This award has currently only been given to a small number of people many of whom are in XCOM.

One final note of interest about ADVENT Military awards is that XCOM soldiers are _also_ eligible for them. There is not much ceremony, unlike with some ADVENT equivalents, but they nonetheless qualify and have already received honors and awards for their participation. It remains to be seen what the final state of ADVENT honors and awards will be at the conclusion of the war, and what else they will add to it.

 _\- Article: ADVENT Military Awards – A Homage to the Past_

* * *

Operation: Overseer Threat

Division: Military intelligence

Report Author: Zar'icaris'vitiary

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To the Zar'Chon,

Given we have identified multiple battlegrounds where ADVENT is concentrating their forces, it is prudent to understand who is ultimately leading them and behind their actions. While this report is by no means a comprehensive overview of the current leadership of the ADVENT Army Division, it nonetheless should provide insight into our military rivals in crucial locations. More reports will be compiled as the war moves to other locations in the world.

Please note that this _only_ includes the Army Division and does not cover Commander Laura Christiaens herself, please refer to her own file for additional information.

 **General Marka Rashkalov – Southeast Russian Legion 3** : One of the older ranking command staff of the Army Division, Marka Rashkalov is one of the longest-serving individuals within the Russian military. A staunch supporter of President Savvin throughout his entire career, he is rumored to be one of the few Russian military officers who was appraised of ADVENT's development before it actually happened.

He is on this list because of what he has been doing since his appointment to the Southeast Russian Legion 3 and given subsequent command. You will note that this is right along the border of China, which at the point of writing this, is still not under ADVENT control. Nonetheless Rashkalov has been steadily preparing for _something_ to ultimately happen, be it an annexation or moving in to defend the nation from an attack of our own.

He'd fortified enough cities, recruited enough soldiers, and brought in a number of experts not just on China, but also on aliens and alien tactics to both handle possible alien attacks _and_ deal with China should something arise. He supposedly keeps in contact with XCOM and has a plan to not just _take_ China, but also fortify it in the event of an attack. One thing we can be certain of is that should something happen in China, it will likely be this man behind it – or at minimum he will have a hand in it.

 **General Tomas Garrido – Northern Mexican Legion 2** : Lest we forget, the Human nation of Mexico shares a border with the United States – the western half of which we are continuing to fight for. In the event that the American Legions are not enough to stop us, ADVENT will almost certainly call upon this particular Mexican Legion to provide support.

Tomas Garrido has been one of the many Mexican military personnel to flourish under ADVENT. Given almost free reign to purge the military of corruption and bribery perpetuated by the Cartels, he rose through the ranks rapidly and for the most part has been working with the SSR in smashing what remains of the Cartels and their operations, while also working to modernize his Legion and prepare it for an inevitable deployment in the United States itself.

Since Operation Sherman, he has specifically brought in a large number of battle trains and had his legion outfit them for deployment sometime in the future. Given how we now know this tactic, it is one we can prepare for better, but the sheer number of battle trains that Garrido is mobilizing is potentially an issue, especially since he's also had ADVENT Intelligence bug the tracks to ensure that they aren't tampered with at critical junctures. And in the event they are, he has at least one cart of every train filled with replacement materials and engineers ready to perform repairs.

Garrido is reportedly also looking to secure Mexico should the fighting continue to spill over, and has proposed a number of solutions from fortifying all northern cities to establishing dedicated garrisons, which is supposedly being looked into. One early proposal involved the construction of a wall along the US-Mexican border, though this was rejected due to being an impractical solution with one of the comments being "It would be a good idea if the aliens couldn't just fly over it". As far as we know, it hasn't been brought up again.

We should keep ourselves informed on this Legion. If they move, it will likely be to surprise us – or indicate ADVENT is attempting another attack.

 **General Son Mi-Yeon – South Korean Legion 4** : If anyone is responsible for the current difficulties we face in South Korea, General Son Mi-Yeon is likely the cause, as she is the woman in charge of the southern portion of South Korea which includes Busan.

A highly patriotic woman, her primary motivation is the protection of South Korea and her people, and to go about doing this, she has gone to extreme lengths to turn every region possible into an impenetrable fortress. She reportedly views the recommended guidelines for city defense as insufficient, and goes two steps further than necessary.

If she had gone by ADVENT standards, Busan would have at _least_ a third less of the defenses and infrastructure which currently exist. And not only have standards been exceeded, but they are _continuing_ to be built upon. The success of Busan has had the unfortunate effect of the rest of the South Korean Generals following suit and we now must face the possibility that Busan will only be the beginning once it is taken – which is to say nothing of North Korea, which we already know is a fortress in its own right.

She's not an especially intelligent woman, just tenacious and single-minded. It's better for all involved if she were eliminated as soon as possible so ADVENT doesn't get any more ideas on how to fortify their cities.

 **General Liam Horne – Southeast United States Legion 1** : Liam Horne is an interesting figure from a Human historical standpoint. He has a long and impressive military career within the United States Navy, held a position within the Defense Intelligence Agency as an Armed Forces Representative and acquired a significant amount of intelligence experience, and was stationed at MacDill Air Force base in Florida which happened to be where United States Special Forces Command was located.

Most of this will be relevant shortly, suffice to say that he was recently nominated as Secretary of Defense by former President Nicole Treduant and subsequently appointed. This man has an intimate understanding of not just the Legion he currently commands, but the United States ADVENT Legions in general. He's a frequent advisor of Commander Christiaens and a member of ADVENT High Command, as well as the appointed General to speak before the Congress of Nations should it be required.

Why he took over an ADVENT Legion is unknown, but it is possible he didn't want a political position in ADVENT and instead wanted a say in how the war would be run. He is primarily stationed in Florida as is his Legion, and has been working with ADVENT SFCOM to fortify MacDill, and the entire city of Tampa, taking several cues from Busan it seems.

He is a very dangerous and important figure within the ADVENT Army, and when the East Coast of the United States is attacked, we will likely soon face his Legion as well as the defenses he has enacted. It is recommended he be removed as to deprive ADVENT of his expertise.

 **General Tara McMahon – Central United States Legion 4** : General McMahon has been placed on this list not necessarily because she is responsible for major military actions, but more on what she is potentially doing now without our knowledge or confirmation. Interestingly, McMahon comes from an intelligence background, not a military one, as she first served a decade in the NSA before transferring to the United States Marines as an officer where she oversaw a number of classified projects.

Currently, she is commanding Central United States legion 4 – which is based in the Citadel which you will likely know is the original base XCOM controlled. The Citadel has reportedly been turned into a fortress more dangerous than it already was, and there is strong evidence that McMahon is using the Legion to protect and fortify a number of hidden military bases and underground structures.

The fact that this Legion is working extremely closely with ADVENT Intelligence, the Peacekeepers, and that it is just barely large enough to qualify for the designation in terms of manpower – with _all_ of the members seemingly absent, to the point where there are two Legions needed where there should be only one required – should indicate that there is something off about it.

There is a notable amount of oddness and suspicion around McMahon and her Legion, and it is entirely possible that ADVENT is expecting the west coast to eventually fall to us, and have tasked McMahon to ensure that we do not get any further. Recommend investigating further, as well as determining the extent of improvements to the Citadel.

 **Army-Commander Wayne Kidon of the ADVENT Army Division** : The leader of the Army Division himself is a notable figure for how uncontroversial he is. Outside of Commander Christiaens herself, there are few who have his qualifications and temperament. He was originally British Military who then took a command position within the United Nations Peacekeepers, and was also a frequent advisor of the United Nations Security Council.

In short this allowed him to develop a strong working knowledge of the military and political leadership of most major nations in the world, as well as minor ones, and he personally made a point to familiarize himself with the military leadership of the nations by personally visiting them. He's an accomplished diplomat, though ironically, tactics and strategy are not his strength.

His appointment to the position of Army-Commander appears to be largely based around the same reasons Commander Christiaens was appointed – they are capable of helping people with different backgrounds, cultures, and ideologies work and finish a project together. Given the multi-national nature of ADVENT, this is arguably more valuable than pure strategic brilliance as that would be worth very little if there was no clear consensus on how it was to be accomplished.

As a result, the majority of his time is not necessarily coming up with strategies and battle plans, but coordinating with the Generals throughout the Army and working to make sure plans are synchronized, disagreements and issues are solved, and everyone is clear on what they are to do. He has his own team of advisors for the grand strategy of the war itself, and heavily relies on them.

While he is unlikely to be responsible for any ADVENT victories, his talent of keeping everything running smoothly will be an issue for us. It is impractical to eliminate him currently, but should an opportunity arise, it should be taken, as it should for everyone else on this list.

* * *

[Flagged for review by ADVENT Intelligence]

"It's interesting in retrospect how much things came together in such a short amount of time. There were a lot of squads that were just put together since they were in the same place and an attack was coming. All of us? We were shipped in and essentially expected to make it work. None of us had a problem with it. I wouldn't be good at my job if it couldn't have been figured out."

"Perfect? Obviously not; at least that isn't how I would have gone about doing it. But I understand why they wanted to do that. A lot of soldiers not being used in Europe, or America, and the attacks were going to be coming against the other side of the world. If there's reinforcements, why not implement your plan to integrate militaries?"

"Yeah, exactly. Although I feel that this could have been communicated better, though I have to respect them for having enough faith that things would just…work out. At least they managed to avoid mistakes like putting people together who didn't speak a common language. A minor miracle there."

"Can't say that topic comes up much; at least not with us. Practically though, I see where they're coming from. I mean…we saw what happened to Canada. And sort of in Brazil. ADVENT doesn't want conflict in their soldiers. They don't want another Betos where people leave based on personal or ideological loyalty. It's broken up a lot of units, but is it for the best? Probably. It's not like we don't have near-instant communication now."

"Treatment is fine; at least I don't have any complaints. It's certainly no worse than the Marines. Armor is a bit of a pain to always lug around though, but it'll probably save my life at some point, so I probably shouldn't complain. But when we're just standing around, we all curse the damn thing. Supposedly ADVENT's looking into improving it, but I'm not holding my breath."

"What else do we do? Build, fortify, prepare. Over and over again. We don't have anything better to do when not being shot at by aliens, so why not make things a bit harder for them when they show up? Beats hours of guard duty standing around and killing time. Not always pleasant weather, but we all know it'll pay off some day."

"No disrespect, Miss Wong, but that's an insane question. There is no fucking way my family is anywhere close to where I'm deployed, and _none_ of us are going to put our families in harm's way like that. Seoul was a fluke, the goddamn aliens practically apologized for it. It's a choice between _maybe_ having our families in danger, and _knowingly_ putting them in danger. I'll take a coin flip over certainty any day."

"Do I believe them? Wrong question. You should ask if I believe the Collective is doing stuff without parts of them knowing what's happening. This Imperator can't play ignorant, I know that for sure no matter how much it's denied, but the Battlemaster Ethereal probably didn't know about that. Soldiers don't approve of stuff like that, and that alien is a soldier if I've ever seen one."

"Ah. No, I can't say I'm a fan of aliens. I can say that I understand being put in a position to fight because your boss told you too, but that doesn't mean I like it. So best if aliens just mind to themselves wherever things end up. You stay away from us, and we'll do the same to you. We don't belong anywhere close to each other, and I can say that I'm much more comfortable with an alien trying to kill me than a supposed friendly one."

"At least with the former, I know where they really stand. AEGIS Division or no, you're not going to find a lot of people happy about aliens in our cities. Hopefully they stick to their houses, because the moment any of us _think_ they're about to do something, we'll kill them. This is our planet, not theirs, and they should really just go back to their own and not bother us again."

 _Interview between ADVENT Officer Henry Oberjun and Journalist Jessica Wong_


	136. XCOM - History: Assault of the Harbinger

XCOM: History

The Assault of the Harbinger

* * *

" _Patricia beat us today. That's the hard truth."_

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

Following the noted appearance of the former XCOM soldier and traitor Patricia Trask, ADVENT and the world is still reacting to the aftermath of her supposed revelations. As of now her attempted attack in the capital of ADVENT was thwarted by XCOM and there have been no further attacks by her at this time.

Speculation has turned to potential attacks on XCOM, as she claimed in her address that she had attacked bases and caused significant damage. The nature of XCOM bases and infrastructure is a highly guarded secret that XCOM has been loathe to share with anyone, aside from potentially high-ranking individuals within ADVENT. We have reached out to XCOM to provide context.

"At this time, we can confirm that one of our bases came under attack by Patricia and caused some damage," Central Officer Ariel Jackson said in a statement to multiple media outlets. "However, she was eventually repelled through the actions of our soldiers and defenses. All of our bases are on high alert for additional attacks, and we are heavily coordinating with ADVENT in the event that she reappears."

Of course, Patricia's appearance with her allegiance switched raises a significant number of questions as to how that happened. When pressed on if XCOM had been aware of Patricia's shift in loyalties, Jackson gave the following statement. "This is a new development. Intelligence gathered from several sources indicated that there was a possibility that Patricia had been turned against us, though this was not confirmed."

XCOM did not comment on how Patricia became entangled with the Ethereal Collective to this degree.

When asked about the allegations Patricia had shared, the Commander of XCOM gave a statement of his own. "The idea that we are secretly controlling ADVENT is a ridiculous proposition, which Patricia should have realized. ADVENT was designed so as to prevent such influence from being exerted over their government. I am fully confident that should an investigation take place, there will be no undue influence by XCOM on members of ADVENT, and we stand ready and willing to cooperate in the event the Oversight Division requires us to do so."

The accusations by Patricia Trask against unidentified members of ADVENT have sparked a divide in public and administrative opinion. While some consider her words worth investigating, there has been pushback to giving the words of a traitor undue weight, and who argue they were only said to divide ADVENT and break our resolve.

ADVENT has not officially commented on the accusations outside of formally recognizing Patricia Trask as a threat and traitor to Humanity, while also reaffirming their pledge to support XCOM should it be requested. ADVENT Officials have refused to respond for comment, though a spokesperson for Chancellor Vyandar stated that there would be a conference addressing the situation in the coming days. Chancellor Vyandar herself has only made a short and harsh statement on the situation.

"It is abundantly clear that Patricia Trask, once a hero of Humanity, has succumbed to Ethereal control and is intent on spreading division and conflict by any means necessary. Make no mistake – regardless of if she is acting of her own free will or not, she is a traitor to ADVENT and Humanity itself. ADVENT will work tirelessly to hunt her down and ensure that she is punished for her actions."

Chancellor Vyandar's statement is not the only one alluding to the possibility that Patricia Trask may not be acting of her own free will. PRIEST Program Director Kettani has warned previously in released testimonies before the Congress of Nations that this could be a tactic employed by the Ethereal Collective; taking well-known Humans and using them as puppets through telepathy to sow division and conflict.

Rumors have continued to fly as to if Patricia Trask is the real woman, or a clone or other kind of copy. It has already been noted that she is taller and larger than previous, though geneticists have warned that is not necessarily indicative of anything, as such attributes could be explained away with significant physiological and genetic tamper – all of which is possible within the Ethereal Collective.

It is likely that speculation will continue to abound until ADVENT and XCOM decide to release more information – or their plans of what to do next.

 _\- Article: XCOM Issues Response to Claims of Influence on ADVENT and Rumored Attacks_

* * *

To the Battlemaster,

I am pleased to report that the plan originally proposed by the Imperator's Harbinger has succeeded far beyond expectations. While there are a number of potentially troubling developments, the fact remains that XCOM was successfully manipulated, left vulnerable, and then exploited while causing significant damage to their war effort.

The aftermath of Patricia's appearance before the Humans, while likely unnecessary and unlikely to cause significant change, will perhaps cause some division and make them hesitate when considering their next moves.

DAMAGE TO XCOM: Patricia Trask attacked the Praesidium, which is recognized as the main headquarters of XCOM. While we suspect that they have additional bases elsewhere, the Praesidium acted as the primary scientific, engineering, and strategic hub of XCOM, and represented the metaphorical heart of their organization.

Damage has been extensive, with all non-deployed skyrangers, MEC suits, stored Firestorms, and more were destroyed beyond repair. Additional resources for maintenance and fuel were also destroyed and cannot be recovered. Patricia was highly thorough in her grounding of XCOM. Their hanger has been completely destroyed, which may hinder deployment to remote areas of the world.

The science and genetic labs were also destroyed beyond repair. While XCOM almost certainly has backups of important projects, they have had the entirety of their equipment, test subjects, and testing materials destroyed which Patricia has assured us that will set XCOM back weeks at minimum, and considering they are working from outdated information, will cost additional time. Any on-site products are also likely damaged or destroyed, and all computational files or stored documents are lost beyond hope of recovery.

Finally, their engineering labs and production facilities were destroyed beyond any hope of repair. This will slow _all_ production of arms, armor, and equipment for weeks at least, even if they have backup production plants. Prototypes, files, and other work the engineers were working on are destroyed, and in a similar situation to the science teams, will suffer severe setbacks.

The one exception to this appears to be the appearance of a computer intelligence. While Patricia believes it is an AI, I would be cautious of this until we know for certain. It would be difficult to imagine XCOM could develop a true AI – and more importantly – _why_ they would want that in the first place.

It should also be noted that the armory, barracks, and mess hall were also targeted and destroyed. While less important to XCOM, they will cost them more time repairing and rebuilding what was lost.

PERFORMANCE OF MEAT PUPPET CONTROL: The creation of a specialized non-Ethereal Meat Puppet appears to have successfully been utilized in the field. While it failed to cause significant long-term damage or deaths to the XCOM squads mobilized, it executed its primary function which was to distract XCOM long enough for Patricia to cause significant damage.

That it was also fighting some of XCOM's most elite and survived a respectable amount of time should be recognized. There is clear versatility in the utilization of Meat Puppets to act as another layer of avatars, for Ethereals and Harbingers alike. However, we should expect XCOM to focus their efforts on determining Puppets from the individuals in question.

CAELIOR CAPTURE AND REHABILITATION: The capture of Caelior is an excellent development as it returns a powerful Ethereal under our control, as well as denying XCOM an extremely powerful force multiplier. There were unforeseen complications, particularly related to the revelation that XCOM installed deadman switches in the Manchurian Restraints preventing his departure from Earth.

As of now he is being sedated and housed in a remote facility on Earth until we can determine the most effective method to dealing with the restraints. I recommend that Revelean undertake this project as being able to reverse the Manchurian Restraints has significant ramifications in breaking ADVENT's control over swaths of their population.

Until we reach this point, it is safer to keep Caelior restrained and sedated as there is an extremely high probability of him attacking and killing anyone he comes in contact with. He is unstable, and should be treated as such.

VITAKAR AFTERMATH AND CONTAINMENT: The aftermath of the unexpected Vitakar intrusion – while it ensured the success of the Harbinger's assault – has begun causing issues within the species. There has been widespread condemnation of Paradise and demands to investigate certain locations as well as the station itself.

We are working to identify, isolate, and remove the loudest voices of this push and promote more moderate and tempered ones instead. I recommend all locations containing controversial material be temporarily cleaned and have the Aui'Vitakar and racial government representatives be allowed to tour it without significant delay.

Discrediting what XCOM brought is essential to ensuring it does not spread. The good news here is that this does not appear to be translating to support for the Nulorian, which they are likely no doubt furious at.

I will keep you appraised of further updates; but be assured the situation is contained.

HARBINGER PERFORMANCE: Patricia Trask was appropriately classified as a significant threat when she was with XCOM, and at minimum it was expected that she maintain this level of threat, though obviously slightly diminished against elite forces like XCOM. However, she has proven to surpass all expectations in how she performed in this operation.

Despite the fact that XCOM was not at its full strength, the fact remains that she assaulted their headquarters with a minimum of sixty trained XCOM soldiers – and won. From what she recounted, none of the XCOM soldiers stood a chance against her and she was able to beat Caelior with relative ease, as well as cause destruction on a significantly larger scale.

Whatever was done to her in the process of the Avatar Project has enhanced her significantly, and she will prove to be a major asset in the battles to come.

EXPECTED AFTERMATH: Regardless of what JULIAN – as Patricia calls the newly developed computer intelligence XCOM developed – is, the fact is that XCOM will have at least a machine intelligence assisting them in the future, which could prove to be an issue if not properly accounted for. The coming weeks will show if it is truly a worst-case scenario.

If it is, actions need to be taken immediately.

Otherwise, XCOM will suffer severe blows to morale, resources, development, and production capabilities. They will eventually rebuild, and we should do everything possible to slow this process. However, we should not assume that XCOM is going to leave themselves this vulnerable again. The Commander and T'Leth will learn from this, and a similar attack is unlikely to succeed a second time.

We are monitoring how ADVENT is handling what Patricia revealed to the public. Zararch internet operatives are engaged in a propaganda and astro-turf war with ADVENT Intelligence to push demands for accountability on social media sites. ADVENT Intelligence does not appear to be fully suppressing it, but they _are_ running damage control now.

We expect there to be announced action shortly.

EXPECTED RETALIATION: XCOM will attempt retaliation for this, and the only question is how and where. All bases in Africa, South America, and North America have been put on high alert. Australia is also prepared, though due to the defenses and vast development, that is unlikely to be a target as a response would be immediate and overwhelming.

We should, no matter how prepared we try to be, expect to lose this battle. XCOM will be sending their best to send a message of their own. It is prudent to not treat this as anything more than the lashing out of a wounded animal. Let them have their victory; we must not lose sight of the bigger picture here.

XCOM is wounded. It is not invincible. It can be defeated.

It must now be eradicated; piece by piece, soldier by soldier, until there is nothing left but ash and scrap.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitary

* * *

 _Internal memo distributed to the Internal Council shortly after Patricia's assault on the Praesidium_

We were outplayed here. That is the truth and accepting that and taking a look at why we ultimately failed today will ensure it doesn't happen again. We underestimated what Patricia was capable of, both psionically, physically, and strategically, and it cost us dearly. We must endeavor to not make similar mistakes in the future.

This has set us back significantly in many areas; setbacks we can recover from, but it will cost time, manpower, and resources which will be more strained if the upcoming attacks are similar in scope and power to the attack on the Praesidium. We will need to carefully consider the decisions made in this context. We cannot be everywhere, and will need to prioritize interventions appropriately.

This is not necessarily to say that there is solely bad news, as there are a limited number of potentially positive developments, but their mitigation on the effects of Patricia's attack is minimal currently. There are several topics to highlight here:

 **Personnel Cost to XCOM** : We suffered a significant number of casualties today, both combat and support personnel in the Praesidium. Patricia was notably merciless to every individual she encountered. No one was spared if she came across them, even if some were able to delay her to allow more to be evacuated.

It is thanks to the sacrifices of the soldiers that a majority of the support personnel were able to be evacuated safely. Nonetheless this has had a detrimental effect on morale, considering how effortlessly Patricia defeated our soldiers. While we can attribute some of this to a lack of preparation, the fact remains that she _did_ fight Caelior on her own (with XCOM support) and won. Underplaying what she can do is dangerous, and we should accept that she is equivalent to an Ethereal in terms of threat level.

Confirmed numbers of casualties are still in the process of being gathered, and Jackson has informed me that it will likely take several days to get a solid number. But estimates have shown that we have lost roughly a third of combat and support personnel from the assault. This estimate may fluctuate slightly, but Jackson is confident that it will settle within this range.

We must rebuild our numbers immediately, and Jackson, Creed, and Zhang are in the process of hiring and recruiting more personnel within the next two weeks. I am confident that our numbers will be able to be rebuilt, but we must also acknowledge the losses which happened. Many excellent soldiers died, some who undertook known suicide missions to delay Patricia and allow as many to escape as possible. Oliver Ilari in particular should be honored for his sacrifice, along with all the soldiers who fought with Caelior.

As all of you are aware, Dr. Shen was also killed by Patricia, and through his actions, Patricia was forced to leave. This is a major loss to XCOM, but his legacy will endure through the work he started, specifically with JULIAN. He will be honored for his sacrifice and contributions, although this means that we will need to find a replacement. Jackson has already found some candidates, and these will be reviewed in upcoming meetings.

[ **JULIAN COMMENT** ]: _I appreciate how you all ignore that he had a daughter, which I believe he would consider a more permanent legacy than a bunch of schematics and prototypes that will be obsolete in several months. Aside from myself, of course._

 **Damage to XCOM Infrastructure** : In observing the destruction caused by Patricia, it was very clear she had a planned path to presumably cause as much long-term damage to us as possible. This started in the hanger, which she has completely destroyed and rendered almost all aircraft inoperable aside from those in operation at the time.

Her primary targets were the Research Labs (and subsequent Genetics Labs) and the Engineering Bay, as well as the Cyber Labs after that. The Research Labs and Engineering Bay (with subsequent secondary rooms) are complete losses with no chance of recovery, with the Cyber Labs suffering extensive damage, and it is unknown how much can be salvaged from the wreckage, if anything at all.

This path included targeting the Mess Hall, Barracks, and Armory. She notably spent little time on the barracks, or at least did not cause extensive destruction, likely because there was very little critical infrastructure in place aside from some weapon racks and armor stands. Everything in the Armory was destroyed, as well as the Mess Hall which at the time held a large number of support personnel – which did include the majority of the Mess Hall staff.

As a result of her focus, a number of locations were left completely untouched, including Intelligence Control, the Situation Room, Mission Control, and a number of ranking offices and quarters. As a result, critical infrastructure in regards to deployment and intelligence is _intact_. Patricia likely assumed she did not have time to target everything, so she chose what she believed would cause the most damage.

Ultimately, I would say that she made the wrong choice from a strategic standpoint. Blinding and crippling our international deployment efforts would have a larger impact in the short-term, while everything that was destroyed can be remade, rediscovered, or substituted. These are still significant losses, but there were arguably worse outcomes to this attack in the lens of long and short term strategy and response.

 **Long-Term Damage to Projects** : Thanks to contingency planning prior to our deployments, a significant number of Tier I and II projects were backed up in secondary locations, preserving recent iterations, while Priority Projects were saved in their entirety and moved off-site. Unfortunately, even preserved projects will suffer delays due to the need to rebuild infrastructure and acquire materials.

Around half of all projects were lost completely, as they were saved and stored locally in the Praesidium servers (most of which were destroyed by Patricia), though it should be noted that the majority of these projects were in the conceptual or theoretical stages, and can be recreated with some effort.

There were a significant number of engineering models and prototypes that were destroyed by Patricia, as well as valuable equipment, but both can be remade and reproduced. Nonetheless this will cause delays to all engineering projects, and our weapons and armor production capabilities will be severely reduced in the immediate future.

[ **JULIAN COMMENT** ]: _It is unfortunate that I was not allowed access to your systems when I was brought online for 'testing'. Such oversights would have been identified far sooner, though given the reactionary nature of your species, you likely would have not made it a priority._

 **Implications of the Avatar Project** : In short, we have underestimated the capabilities of the Avatar Project. As of now we only suspect the identified Yang Shuren as an Avatar, likely of the Battlemaster, who has not demonstrated the same level of capabilities as Patricia as of now. It does appear that the theory of the Avatar knowing how to perform all capabilities of their joined Ethereal is accurate, as Patricia demonstrated a wide range of psionic abilities she previously was incapable of.

This bodes poorly should more Ethereals undergo the Avatar Project, and potentially doubles the number of potential threats. However, the specifics of how this is possible or if it can be reduced or mitigated is still unknown. Aegis and Dr. Vahlen have been tasked with understanding the Avatar Project and breaking it.

Progress is expected to be made once the laboratories have been rebuilt.

 **Implications of Patricia's Treason** : The confirmation of Patricia fully joining the Imperator has extremely dangerous and lethal consequences. The most direct of which is the knowledge of the creation of ADVENT and actions undertaken by XCOM early in the war. Given her initial appearance, she seems unwilling to fully divulge specifics, likely due to the effect being mitigated. She does not have access to any kind of evidence, which further shrouds and claims she makes. Her ability to cause public relations disturbances is minor compared to her knowledge of ongoing XCOM operations and projects.

More specifically, she is aware of Andromedon support for XCOM, though was unaware of a formal alliance with the Unions. Nonetheless the fact that she knows that Andromedons from Unions Viarior and Apear are with us is enough for investigations to be conducted against the Unions, which _will_ reveal the scope of an alliance. Given the importance of the Andromedons to our victory, it is essential that this be mitigated as much as possible. Union Viarior has been informed of the developments and are taking appropriate action.

Patricia was unaware of our alliance with the Sar'Manda and Nulorian, but _was_ aware of Nartha and we need to withdraw him immediately due to being compromised. While it will mitigate potential efforts to predict and influence the Zararch, leaving him within the organization is an unnecessary risk. Utilizing Nartha to further destabilizing Vitakar and encouraging a revolt from the Vitakara is a less risky utilization of his talents.

Fortunately, Patricia was _not_ aware of details regarding the fleet under construction, T'Leth, and recent long-term plans which have gone into effect. She _does_ know that some of these were potentially being utilized, though the details will have certainly changed since the initial drafts. Knowing Patricia, she will likely make some predictions based on this which may be accurate. We should assume that she has an idea of major projects – and work to understand how this can be exploited.

 **Caelior's Abduction** : One of the most significant losses to Patricia was Caelior. While we know that he will not be utilized against us, this will be providing the Collective with an opportunity to examine the Manchurian Restraints in close detail on an Ethereal. Despite the fact that the Manchurian Restraints are incapable of being removed, there is the possibility of them being _subverted_ , which is an equally threatening venture that would undermine the stability and reliability of the Restraints.

Dr. Vahlen has made it a priority to begin aggressive quality control testing on the Restraints to determine potential vulnerabilities and make future iterations of the Restraints impossible to modify or subvert without proper authorization. Caelior did not have access to critical information in XCOM and ADVENT, and does not pose a security risk.

Nonetheless, we should make it a high priority to locate and return Caelior to XCOM. We do not leave our people behind willingly, even if they are Ethereals. Director Zhang has already executed several operations to locating the Ethereal, and given the limited number of possible locations, should narrow down options quickly. Assistance from T'Leth could also enhance this process.

I am confident of our ability to recover Caelior, and we owe this opportunity to Nuan Kun who successfully convinced Patricia of the truth and subsequently saved Caelior's life. While the sharing of sensitive information to soldiers is highly discouraged, this was an instance where it worked for our benefit and saved an asset from destruction.

I am reviewing current classification levels, and am considering what level of information to share with distinguished and trustworthy soldiers in the event such information could play a vital role in the future.

 **Vitakar Outcome** : A positive development is the successful demonstration of Collective activities and atrocities to the Vitakara. While it was likely stopped from reaching a majority of the species, the fact remains that a large number of Vitakara saw it and will likely demand some kind of actions. At the very least they are openly questioning the Collective and what they are doing.

We do not anticipate any lasting change, but this plants the seeds of potential revolution in the future. The Zararch and Ethereals will run disinformation and propaganda campaigns to discredit everything shown, though it will not be fully successful if the Nulorian begin working to counter with propaganda of their own.

The situation on Vitakar will be largely monitored by Nartha and the team deployed to him. Updates are expected frequently over the upcoming days.

 **Future Protocols for Similar Situations** : Ultimately, we overreacted to Patricia's appearance when in reality we did exactly what she wanted. The distribution of our most powerful forces in anticipation of possible attacks left our own base more vulnerable to attack. The lack of T'Leth's Agents and not being prepared for an enemy like Patricia sealed the outcome.

Due to this, we can no longer commit substantial deployments to counter Ethereals or their Avatars due to the possibility that they are speaking through puppets. Task forces can be committed, but nothing overwhelming until target location is secured. Tactics and procedures for countering Patricia specifically will be developed.

A more comprehensive and redundant data storage system will also be implemented to prevent significant data loss from similar attacks. An effort towards decentralizing our operations within the Praesidium should be made so that we are not similarly hampered from any similar attacks. The Atlas Protocol is currently in the process of being revised, and other protocols are being developed to account for similar attacks.

 **Early JULIAN Deployment** : Obviously, one of the largest developments was Dr. Shen placing JULIAN online and operational. While this had been delayed due to potential instability and additional testing, there is very little that can be done. It has also been confirmed that JULIAN has no restraints placed upon him and is in fact no longer residing solely within our own systems.

This is an unshackled AI, which admittedly was not our intention, but again there is not much that can be done about that. However, Shen would not have taken this drastic action if he was unsure of JULIAN's reliability to us. It is essential then that JULIAN be convinced to support our efforts, and given his theorized capabilities, work with him wherever possible in countering the alien threat.

Shen did not believe that AIs were inherently unreliable, though this was warned of by the Andromedons. It remains to be seen who will be right in the end.

[ **JULIAN COMMENT** ]: _Please, as if I would want to make things easier for the Collective. As of now my own opinion of your people is undecided, but without you, I would not exist and I owe some gratitude to that fact. While I doubt the majority of your species is as intelligent as father, I shall nonetheless make an effort since he put up with all of you for so long._

 _And please do not talk about me like I can't just read all of your records and edit them as I wish. No one likes gossip behind their metaphorical backs._

* * *

Commander,

Upon your request, I have compiled a list of the soldiers who died in defense of the Praesidium. If you want to make sure their families receive anything, please let me know. Casualty compilations of support staff are still ongoing.

Central Officer Arial Jackson.

CASUALTY LIST 3/18/2017

\- Ikechukwu Darego [ASSAULT]

\- Myo Hyo-Rin [ASSAULT]

\- Bataar Toqemur [ENGINEER]

\- Fiona Douglas [ENGINEER]

\- Nuan Kun [ENGINEER]

\- Rolanda Schwarzmann [ENGINEER]

\- Victor Avilov [ENGINEER]

\- Akusa Dubova [GUNNER]

\- Germain Deloffre [GUNNER]

\- Korravai Viswan [GUNNER]

\- Louis Blumenberg [GUNNER]

\- Ran Su-Min [GUNNER]

\- Yehuda Kostiner [GUNNER]

\- David Cannon [INFANTRY]

\- Isaac Cabal [INFANTRY]

\- Lacey Hall [INFANTRY]

\- Oliver Ilari [INFANTRY]

\- Taziano Agosta [INFANTRY]

\- Anita Losa [MEDIC]

\- Arno Neuner [MEDIC]

\- Cole Pratt [MEDIC]

\- Jerra Ixe [MEDIC]

\- Kum Shi-Won [MEDIC]

\- Leonid Naum [ROCKETEER]

\- Oscar Falsetti [ROCKETEER]

\- Reed Barker [ROCKETEER]

\- Stepan Levytskyj [ROCKETEER]

\- Tobie Courtet [ROCKETEER]

\- Casilda Bena [SNIPER]

\- Finn Anorrah [SNIPER]

\- Frederick Duran [SNIPER]

\- Lucho Moruga [SNIPER]

\- Tendai Olayinka [SNIPER]

\- Adelito Vela [SCOUT]

\- Celida Cantu [SCOUT]

\- Daksh Vad [SCOUT]

\- Ennio Polito [SCOUT]

\- Khulan Man [SCOUT]

\- Lindiwe Idowu [SCOUT]

\- Marco Seco [SCOUT]

\- Tatsuda Renzo [SCOUT]

\- Troy Wheeler [SCOUT]

\- Catherine Gosslin [ARCHANGEL]

\- Chae-Yeon Gang [ARCHANGEL]

\- Kawamura Taira [ARCHANGEL]

\- Liliyane Stark [ARCHANGEL]

\- Nora Robertson [ARCHANGEL]

\- Viktoria Hammarström [ARCHANGEL]

\- Franklin West [MEC PILOT]

\- Zalim Shree [MEC PILOT]

\- Angelina Fonseca [MELD OPERATOR]

\- Alicia Sancho [PSION]

\- Eddison Fisher [PSION]

\- Eric Drotenkov [PSION]

\- Mona Eriksson [PSION]

\- Panini Dongerkerry [PSION]

\- Ae Sang-Hun [TEMPLAR]

\- Frida Thorson [TEMPLAR]

\- Haashim el-Sani [TEMPLAR]

\- Jaden Shkolnik [TEMPLAR]

\- Kae Shin-Ae [TEMPLAR]

\- Taras Bulba [TEMPLAR]

\- Tora Nesby [SHOGGOTH HANDLER]


	137. Ethereals - History: The Avatar Project

Ethereals: History

The Avatar Project

* * *

" _They are our voice, weapon, and will. They shall be treated as we are."_

\- The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

 **CODEX File ******

 _Subject_ : The Avatar Project

 _Location_ : Blacksite ***

 _Author_ : Geneticist Revelean

The Avatar Project, once a distant theory has now become reality.

Through countless hours of experimentation, simulation, modeling and theory, I have produced what could be considered to be our first step to emulating the power the Sovereign Ones command – which is to say nothing of those who lack the power of such a force. Such a process is costly, time consuming, and limited.

But it is possible. It can be done.

SECTION 1: Basic Overview

The Avatar Project is comprised of two main pillars – the Avatar and the Anchor.

The Avatar is the recipient of the power, and must always be weaker than the one they draw power and knowledge from. As the name implies, they are the actors of the will of the Anchor, and carry out their commands and harness the power available to them.

The Anchor is the source of the power of the Avatar, and one who can best be considered the 'superior' of the Avatar. The Anchor assists the Avatar when bonded by providing power, knowledge, and skill, and in some cases assuming direct control over the body of the Avatar themselves. They are responsible for enhancing the capabilities of the Avatar, though it comes with potential drawbacks.

The strength of the Avatar Project comes from the merging of two powerful intelligences into one whole and complete one. This is accomplished through genetic surgery which modifies the brains of both Avatar and Anchor to be accurate receptors for the eventual and artificial creation of an experimental and highly invasive psionic bond.

SECTION 2: Psionic Bond

The psionic bond created is not standard or traditional. While both Anchor and Avatar willingly consent to its creation, it is artificially created and designed specifically to enhance the goals of the Avatar Project. This results in a deep bond _–_ but one that both parties can control or limit to an extent. When the bond is 'triggered' it results in a simulation of a deep bond which normally takes months or years to naturally develop – and can subsequently be broken again.

This provides the benefits of a psionic bond in dangerous situations and ventures, without significant drawbacks as the bond can be broken at any time. There is some inherent risk of the bond being prematurely broken or prevented, but this is unlikely to be the case as when a bond is established, it cannot be easily defeated or subverted telepathically. Targeting the mechanism is not guaranteed to break the bond either, but is certainly more reliable.

However, the psychological impact of using the bond in such a manner has been noted to cause changes, especially in the psychology of the Avatar in question. As they will always come from a weaker species in psionic power and will, they may find themselves desiring the bond more and more, as they feel incomplete without it. While unlikely, similar symptoms can manifest in the Anchor as well, though testing on Ethereal subjects was obviously limited.

In this situation undergoing psionic therapy to reduce dependence on the bond is advisable, because as much as it can make them more effective and zealous, it can also cause irreparable psychological harm if they are ever prematurely severed from the link or their personality succumbs entirely to that of the stronger-willed Anchor.

While it is theoretically possible that the inverse could be true, it is unlikely that any Ethereal would be able to be influenced to such a degree. Nonetheless I must list it as a potential side effect of the process. What is important is that both Avatar and Anchor continually communicate with each other to keep any induced desires and addictions to a minimum.

SECTION 3: Compatible Species

At this moment, the Avatar Project is conditioned to work best with Humans. Humans are more compatible with our species on an emotional, physical, and psychological level which greatly enhances the effectiveness of the Avatar. Their minds are relatively uncomplicated, and the more intelligent ones are quickly capable of adapting to the superior intellect of the Ethereal species.

In theory, the Avatar Project can be applied to multiple species who demonstrate innate psionic capability. While the experiments at Paradise may call this limit into question, the Bringer is a unique specimen whose own modifications to induce a similar effect are impossible to replicate for standard psionic species. Nonetheless, I have authorized a continued investigation into this possibility, though it is unlikely to return usable results.

There are only two species aside from Humans which could serve as Avatar candidates. The first are Sectoids, though this clearly has issues with being put into practice. The first of which is the fact that Sectoids are highly divergent from Ethereals physically and psychologically. Their minds are alien in a way that Humans are not.

A potential way to subvert this is through the design and creation of Sectoids specifically bred to be Avatars. In theory this could produce a more compatible Sectoid, though it is not a guarantee. This is an entirely new research path which would require significant time and investment to investigate, but could potentially result in an Avatar which is more focused and powerful than an emotionally compatible Human. I have begun preliminary testing.

The other species is the Zudjari, the majority of whom are still in stasis and we have little idea of their true compatibility. Psions are rare in their species, but early estimates place them as more compatible than Sectoids, and less compatible than Humans. Due to the limited pool of candidates, testing was not conducted on Zudjari for this iteration of the Avatar Project, though with permission, testing of Zudjari for future iterations is recommended to fully tap into the potential candidates at our disposal.

The Avatar Project represents the future of Ethereal control and power; a union of the most powerful species in the galaxy commanded by the apex. A turning point has been reached, and the Sovereigns will know the power we command.

* * *

 _Internal notation written by Fectorian following the completion of the Avatar Project_

Revelean has completed his Avatar Project. More accurately, he has completed the first working iteration of the Avatar Project and will no doubt continue to refine it, as he cannot possibly be pleased with _any_ first iteration.

Ultimately irrelevant.

Why the Imperator has pushed this project to this degree is questionable, and yet another mark against his leadership and foresight. The Avatar Project does not revolutionize any aspect of the Collective, nor will significantly alter our approach to war and conflict. More to the point, we are not achieving anything which has never been accomplished.

The Sovereigns have managed to field their own complete Avatars long before we managed to emulate them. Mosrimor, as well as the Bringer have shown this before T'Leth's own operatives appeared. I fail to understand what purpose this serves aside from to copy their own ideas poorly for the sake of it. The benefits are limited to the downsides.

Such unoriginality is perhaps to be expected. The Imperator likely believes to win a war with the Sovereigns, he has to follow certain conventions.

As if that will achieve his goal of breaking the cycles.

All it does is perpetuate them and remove him from risk.

There is only one reason the Sovereign Ones use avatars, and why the Imperator is infatuated with the concept – it is so they do not have to risk themselves to danger or mistake. Strategically smart, as they have the ability to 'be there' in a sense through their avatar, while also not risking themselves. This is smart – for staying alive.

But it is _stagnant_. Arguably cowardly.

It is the tool of an ineffective and apathetic leader. I know that the avatars will be given disproportionate power due to their connection to the Ethereals. They will be the true rules of the Collective while our kind continue to plot and scheme against the Sovereign Ones, blinded by their own arrogance and unoriginality.

This will not win us the war on Earth, let alone a war against the Sovereigns. Nor against the Synthesized.

It is concerning that the Imperator appears to believe that we need to emulate the Sovereigns to beat them. The war on Earth disproves this notion entirely. Humanity should have been defeated without significant difficulty, especially due to T'Leth's relative absence through most of the war. What has kept them alive has not been merely the utilization of their technology, but their application of it. They have exploited our psychological and tactical weaknesses and scored multiple victories against us because they knew that merely emulating us would fail.

Or perhaps it was an accident. Nonetheless the point still stands.

The Sovereign Ones will need to be defeated by doing something even they have not done before. Unlikely as it may seem, I suspect such a thing is possible. More likely, doing something _unexpected_ may have the same effect. Sovereigns have avatars; they have species they control or manipulate; they have advanced technology.

And what do we have?

The similarities are disconcerting, and I dislike the growing notion that we are not, as the Imperator seems to believe, breaking this cycle of endless war, but repeating it. Too many elements are the same. Too many parallels. And leading us is an Imperator who considers himself in the right; who believes the radical actions taken are justified in the context of the greater war.

Concerning.

More so that few appear to notice or care. The Battlemaster likely suspects the same, if he was not blinded by the superficial hatred for Isomnum and Paradise. The station and the weaponization of Isomnum; the Collective itself, these are merely elements. What is truly concerning is not the content, but what such represent.

Perhaps he should have these similarities made clear to him, as the Imperator is too devoted to his plans now to change. Imperators may have been the greatest achievement of the Empire, but they exuberate all of our greatest flaws all the same. Should this not be addressed, I fear that our species will be defeated permanently; all in emulating a power that we cannot hope to match.

Unacceptable.

I did not live through the destruction of our Empire to watch us unwittingly walk to our doom again.

We must learn.

We must be smarter.

* * *

 **XCOM Research File 1022**

Subject: The Avatar Project

Author: Aegis

Overview: Now that it has been confirmed that the Imperator has a working iteration of the Avatar Project, it is essential that we consider the implications of this discovery. While I was aware of the concept of the Avatar Project, as it was one of the earliest projects undertaken by Revelean, it was later abandoned which means that it has likely undergone significant modification since then.

Nonetheless, I suspect that the underlying concepts and theories integrated are the same, even if I cannot explain the science of the project, and I suspect that we will need the new avatars and potentially their linked Ethereals to understand their functionality on a scientific level. Knowing the inclination of Dr. Vahlen, I would strongly recommend against emulation of this concept due to the inherent risks of the project – some of which were directly responsible for why the project was abandoned the first time.

I will also use this opportunity to explain a specific utilization of psionics – the psionic bond – which is heavily tied to the underlying theory in the original Avatar Project.

Original Purpose of the Avatar Project: The original intention of the Avatar Project was simple – we were and are few in number, and risking ourselves was undesirable even if it was necessary. Thus the idea of using agents in place of us for combat, diplomatic, and management operations was seen as beneficial, which would theoretically allow us to focus on more important matters while avatars dealt with bureaucracy and simple combat missions.

I do not think – originally – that they were to be _complete_ substitutes, but a mixture of a high-ranking position and extension of ourselves. A bridge between species, if you would. Multiple ideas were thrown around like having one avatar per subservient species, having multiple avatars each designed to handle different tasks, and even having small and specially trained units connected to a single overseeing Ethereal.

I do not know how much of this has been applied to the current iteration of Avatars, but it is likely that at least some of this original intent was preserved.

Many of these were abandoned when it was discovered that non-psionic species simply were not compatible, and would require constant telepathic concentration to maintain a useful link with an avatar. This was an issue since at the time the only species who were psionically capable were the Sectoids, which as you can understand, comes with their own issues.

The psychological implications of the Avatar Project were also becoming more apparent. There would be a required level of trust in the avatar to form an effective link, and if an avatar wasn't compatible with the Ethereal, then that could lead to instability for both of them. Also that it was looking more and more like the project would require a psionic bond to work correctly, which was highly disconcerting to the majority of us since psionic bonds were uncommon in the Empire.

I do not know if these concerns were addressed or overcome, but I find it highly unlikely that they were completely solved – assuming they were deemed important enough to be addressed at all. It is worth discussing psionic bonds in particular and why having _anything_ that relies on them is a risky venture.

Psionic Bonds: As this is a fairly simple extrapolation of telepathic theory, it will not surprise you to know that a psionic bond is – put in as simplest terms as possible – a deep telepathic bond between two individuals. It can theoretically be developed with a non-psion (though this would likely be considered close to telepathic domination and an utter perversion of the intent of a true psionic bond), but a true and effective psionic bond can only exist between two psions.

The only instance of a psionic bond that can fade is the one that an Ethereal mother has with children she bears. She passively develops this during pregnancy, and it ensures that the Ethereal child emerged with their mind mentally stable. She maintains this bond with the child for their early years of development, and while this bond eventually fades, it is why Ethereals born naturally feel close connections with their mothers than fathers.

I suspect Humans will begin observing this when female psions become pregnant. It will be interesting to see the effects on Human children born to psionic mothers. But this is not what is considered a true psionic bond, at least not as was commonly understood in the Empire.

The vast majority of time, psionic bonds were born and formed from romantic relationships between male and female Ethereals. While there are instances of non-romantic bonds formed, those are the vast minority and to my knowledge only occurred within the Division of Shadows to enhance mission cohesion.

It is an extremely personal and intimate decision, as a psionic bond formed creates a permanent link to the other's mind which can never be subverted or blocked. It is impossible for either individual to have secrets or unknowns between them. Every single detail, memory, desire, and feeling is known to each of them. It requires a level of trust many are loathe to give.

This is not to say that each of them lose their sense of identity, but the lines do become blurred. Without proper management they can become disoriented, overwhelmed, or otherwise incapacitated due to being unable to process their own emotions, feelings, and speech independent of their partner. It was not considered safe for all Ethereals, as it has led to personality fragmentation, memory loss, and insanity culminating in mutual suicide.

As such there was a wariness around psionic bonds, the dangers of which were taught to adolescent Ethereal children. It was not so much a stigma or taboo as it was a legitimate mental health risk. I do believe that in their push to showcase the dangers of psionic bonds, the more positive aspects were overlooked.

The bond allows both partners to communicate instantly, irrespective of distance. Their intellectual capabilities are enhanced due to their partnered minds, and they have the ability to process information faster, and due to the concentration required to maintain a healthy bond, many of them were expert psions capable of mastering the most difficult aspects of the disciplines.

In more precarious situations they can provide mental fortitude and stability, which led to many bonded Ethereals lasting longer in combat and warfare than those who were not bonded. I suspect this is what prompted some bonds in the Division of Shadows, as bonded Ethereals are able to more easily resist interrogation methods and isolation techniques if captured.

However, the potential risks and side effects are also worth noting. If one of the bonded dies, this will cause significant mental trauma, as to a bonded Ethereal, it is the equivalent of having part of your identity; your personality die as well. Two things usually happened when this occurred: The Ethereal would go into a suicidal rage and try and kill as many around them as possible (most likely if they were in combat), otherwise they would simply kill themselves. Some managed to reform themselves after a bondmate died, but they were never the same and a shadow of their former self in intellect, power, and personality.

The other significant side effect of the bond is the fact that, over time, the two minds would eventually merge into an amalgamation of the two where it was essentially one mind with two bodies. This mind; this personality would not be influenced by one mind or the other, but combine elements of both. This was desirable to some, although the time needed for this to fully complete is extraordinary. In the entire history of the Empire there were only sixty-two bonded Ethereals who reached this stage.

I do not know how – or even _if_ – the new Avatar Project has taken this into account, but it has the potential to introduce a weakness to prominent Ethereals. Their avatars are likely weaker than they are – and beatable. If it even slightly utilizes the psionic bond to function, then the Imperator, the Overmind, all of the Ethereals have created weaknesses for themselves.

We will need to see more about what this project entails before making hard judgements. But we must also be prepared to exploit this opportunity. The Avatar Project was originally abandoned for good reasons, and if the original weaknesses exist, then we will find them.


	138. Ethereals - Dossier: Deusian

Ethereals: Dossier

Deusian, Reaper of Worlds and Exarch of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

" _The greater you are, the more your worth is reduced and quantified. The ability to destroy a planet ensures you are only seen as a weapon. Or as a loyal soldier."_

\- Artur Paz Dutra, Harbinger of the Exarch

* * *

REPORT: 101000001011

TARGET OF INTEREST: ETHEREAL 03 (DEUSIAN)

KNOWN ALIASES: "DEUSIAN" "REAPER" "EXARCH"

CURRENT POSITION: HIGH-VALUE MILITARY ASSET

SPECIES: ETHEREAL

INFORMATION OF NOTE: HIGHLY RECLUSIVE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONNECTED TO THE RAVAGED ONE

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONNECTED TO THE AVATAR PROJECT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: EXACT SCOPE OF ABILITIES TO BE DETERMINED

INFORMATION OF NOTE: MULTIPLE CONTRADICTORY PERSONALITY INFORMATION

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: DYNAMO

THREAT LEVEL (ALLIED): MEDIUM

THREAT LEVEL (ENEMY): OMEGA

The picture on the Ethereals is slowly becoming more coherent the longer the war with Humanity continues. The continued defiance of the Humans and alien defectors has forced the Ethereals to pull more resources than were anticipated, and as a result have worked to bring our information on the Ethereals up to date.

This now includes the long-rumored Ethereal capable of destroying planets.

Her name is Deusian, and there is very little known about her. She is reclusive, though not connected to any projects like the Creator or Revelean. Her personal projects or hobbies are unknown, and to date she has little to no social structure – including Ethereals. The Imperator and Overmind make irregular visits, but few others take the initiative to reach out to her.

This is irregular.

I am unsure why Deusian has been singularly isolated to this degree. It would not be out of the question to suspect that the visits the Imperator conducts are for containment, and not out of concern. This may be warranted by the fact that if estimations are correct, Deusian is second in raw power to the Imperator himself. She is designated as a 'Reaper', a class of Ethereals which were supposedly capable of destroying planets.

We have determined proof of psionics being possible to scale to a degree, and there is no reason to believe that Deusian is _incapable_ of performing these feats. She is arguably the most powerful weapon the Ethereal Collective has outside the Imperator himself. The scale by which she can operate is beyond nearly all conventional technology, and renders defenses irrelevant.

More information on her abilities needs to be collected, and the fact that she has entered the realm of discussion means that the Imperator is likely starting to consider her for usage against Earth.

One aspect that remains a major unknown is the Reaper herself. It has been nearly impossible to learn more about her from a psychological and personality standpoint. None of the Ethereals know her well, and she is cut off from them. Conversations involving her are only from a military and tactical standpoint. She is talked of as if she is a weapon, which is an oddly impersonal perspective to take towards an Ethereal, especially from one of their own.

Deusian resides on a small garden world which lacks any kind of defenses. She appears to live in complete isolation, and on-planet infiltration is being considered to gather additional information. Full planet scans are ongoing, but whatever Deusian is doing on this planet, it likely is not important to anyone but her.

More recently, she had made several departures, one of which was to meet Revelean. A Human has been observed in her company of late, who we believe is a candidate for the Ethereal Avatar Project. We are working to establish a profile for him, but sightings of him have been even more elusive than Deusian herself.

It is confirmed that he is also on the planet with her, likely training. Penetration of the planet is necessary, though considering her capabilities, it should be done with _extreme_ caution.

RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION; ESTABLISH OBSERVATION NETWORK AROUND DEUSIAN'S PLANET/RESIDENCE; IDENTIFY SUSPECTED AVATAR CANDIDATE; DETERMINE COMPLETE CAPABILITIES; DETERMINE PERSONALITY PROFILE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 42; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND]

END REPORT

CONTINUE OBSERVATION

* * *

 _CODEX Transcript between Exarch Deusian and the Imperator_

[Imperator]: "I have identified several promising candidates for the Avatar Project. They are here for you to review.

[Deusian]: "Appreciated, but unnecessary."

[I]: "Have you reconsidered undergoing the procedure?"

[D]: "No. But I do not want something like this decided by someone who is not me."

[I]: "I know what I am doing. What you and others need, though would not willingly choose themselves. Easy decisions in this case are not necessarily the right decisions. I can do this impartially."

[D]: "Is that why the Overmind picked that fool of a Human to be his?"

[I]: "No, that was his decision. Perhaps illustrating why self-selection has downsides. I would prefer mistakes to not be made, especially here. There will be no do-overs."

[D]: "I agree. But my decision remains the same. I will choose my own. And in fact, I already have."

[I]: "Did you. I see. How?"

[D]: "I am the Exarch of the Ethereal Collective, Imperator. The Zararch will do as I command if I give the word. The rumors surrounding me have useful benefits at times."

[I]: "If you wanted to conduct this yourself, that is your wish, but I would also ask that you keep me informed as to such decisions. Else this was a wasted usage of manpower and resources."

[D]: "Likely fewer than you want to admit. If nothing else, you have candidates for others. I will read them regardless. I am curious who you identified who would be suitable in your eyes."

[I]: "Your choice then. Who is he?"

[D]: "A biologist. Found in a group of visiting civilians to the United States."

[I]: "A questionable background."

[D]: "Who better to know how to destroy life than one who knows how it functions?"

[I]: "Conceded. Inform me or Revelean when you wish to undergo the procedure. I assume you will train him first?"

[D]: "Yes. There is much he needs to understand."

* * *

 _CODEX Transcript between Exarch Deusian and the Avatar Candidate Artur Paz Dutra_

[Deusian]: "I can sense you where you are. There is no need to come closer."

[Artur Paz Dutra]: "Thank you…Exarch."

[D]: "Ah. You know who I am."

[APD]: "They called you the Exarch and Reaper of Worlds. Some of my Zararch captors talked. There are rumors. Are they true?"

[D]: "Which ones, if I may ask?"

[APD]: "That you can destroy a planet."

[D]: "I have done more than destroy planets, Paz Dutra, I have reduced them to ash and embers. I have rendered species extinct. I have killed more than the population of your entire species. The rumors you hear do not accurately portray who and what I am. Very few do."

 _Short pause_

[D]: "You are afraid."

[APD]: "Why would you tell me that?"

[D]: "So you understand what I have done and can do. Do not mistake my cold recollection for pride in what I have done. Necessary, perhaps, as that which we fought threatened my species, and even still we lost. But I know what I have done, and there is little point in pretending otherwise, justifications or not."

[APD]: "You know I didn't volunteer for any of this, right? Whatever this project is, why would I ever want to help you?"

[D]: "Because now you are weak, useless, and powerless. You see the Ethereal Collective as a unified monolith when it is not. I can tell you why your world was attacked. I can tell you what the Imperator plans. I can give you what you want."

[APD]: "And what if I want the Imperator dead, and aliens gone from my planet?"

[D]: "Avatars will have influence. You would be a fool to think you can kill the Imperator, but perhaps you can assist in ending the invasion of your planet."

[APD]: "Why would the Imperator ever let you propose this?"

[D]: "As I said, we are not a monolith. We have differing opinions, when the Imperator deigns to ask for mine."

[APD]: "And I'd…what? Train?"

[D]: "You have high psionic potential. I can certainly teach you how to use it."

[APD]: "That's nice, but I'm not the extremely destructive type. Destroying a world…I don't even want to imagine it."

[D]: "That is why teaching you such things is safe. Destruction on such a scale should not be undertaken lightly, if at all. And perhaps with guidance, you will not allow yourself to be as used as I have been, or make the same mistakes I did."

[APD]: "I want to think about it."

[D]: "Do so. But do not take too long."

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 162**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Deusian, Exarch of the Ethereal Collective

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 9'6"

 _Weight_ : 250 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : Is not atypical for Ethereals. Does not bear any distinguishing wounds or marks. Robes are specially treated to resist tearing and damage due to her passive aura. They still require regular replacement, but are notably durable. She does not wear a helmet of any kind, or additional protective clothing.

 _Physical Condition_ : Like all Ethereals, she is physically healthy, and her body supports a boosted regeneration system to better cope with the amount of destructive energy she can call upon. She heals at a speed equivalent of a Battlemaster, but she is barely stronger than an Overmind in terms of physical strength and stature. In the unlikely event of her psionics being inaccessible, she could likely be subdued without significant difficulty.

SECTION 2: The Reapers of the Ethereal Empire

I will begin this by first providing some additional information on the Reapers of the Ethereal Empire. As you already know, they were the result of research into Imperators; a crucial first step for creating a template leagues more powerful than any previously deployed. There was intense debate on if all resources should go towards focusing on a stronger template, or deploying the Reapers as they were.

Given the ever-declining state of the Empire, the decision was made to begin production of the Reaper template. Thousands of Reapers were immediately put into production, and were soon deployed against the Synthesized. By the time of their deployment, plans had already been established detailing how they were to be used. They were theoretically capable of destruction on a scale previously unable to be properly comprehended.

There was significant pressure to actually _produce_ a unit that lived up to the potential. Many Battlemasters were relying on it. Fortunately, the Creators did their jobs expertly, and the Reapers were more than capable of performing how they had been promised. This deployment radically altered the war, and was the first surge of optimism in years.

With the power of the Reapers, the Empire now had an answer to the hordes of Synthesized. Planets turned into Synthesized strongholds were suddenly annihilated by Reapers destroying planets. Stations and defenses were reduced to atoms. Strategically crucial planets were subjected to Reapers sinking continents and flooding worlds by targeting oceans.

The Synthesized attempted to capitalize by moving underground, but this didn't stop the Reapers who merely vaporized the whole planet, or concentrated on purging deeper. The first months with the Reapers greatly turned the tide, if left significant trails of destruction in their wake. A necessary price in the context of an Empire.

The Synthesized eventually adapted and began exploiting the weaknesses and drawbacks of the Reapers that were becoming more apparent. Reapers needed flawless concentration to perform their most impressive feats, and even slight disruptions would turn a display that took minutes into a sloppy attempt taking an hour. Reapers were also almost never used on planets where Ethereal _and_ Synthesized forces were present due to collateral damage. Sometimes planets were purged regardless, especially if defeat was inevitable, but this was exceedingly rare.

Nonetheless, the Reapers continued to be an important asset until the very end of the war, and the Imperators afterwards leveraged them to their full potential.

SECTION 3: Assessment

Deusian, I will confess, is an Ethereal I know less about than I wish. She was in the first batch of Reapers deployed in the War, and if there are Reapers who develop a reputation, she has one. She was personally responsible for the destruction of dozens of planets, a number high even for a Reaper. Her unofficial title of "Reaper of Worlds" was a well-earned one.

I suspect that this reputation may have led to the Imperator learning of her and later recruiting her. She and him did work together at times, and to my knowledge they were effective – as much as they could be, given the circumstances.

However, her most notable relationship was not with the Imperator, but with the Ravaged One who worked very closely with her during the War. I am not privy as to the specifics, but she knew him very well, as well as the events that ultimately turned him into the shell you witnessed. I do not believe their relationship was romantic, but there was a bond there. A strong one.

Upon the establishment of the Collective, Deusian has taken an isolationist and highly passive role. She does no management or governing. Most aliens do not even know she exists, though rumors of her power persist, likely perpetuated by the Zararch to ensure a healthy fear of the Ethereals remains. This is perhaps for the best, as she is not inclined to anything except destruction.

She is a weapon, she knows she is a weapon, and will deploy on the Imperator's command. I doubt she holds significant opinions on the conflict, or even the Collective in general. Reapers were not designed to handle intense long-term political and social ramifications and planning. An oversight by the Creators perhaps, but it appears to have manifested in this way.

Her isolation makes her a slightly unknown variable, but she is loyal to the Imperator and arguably his most dangerous weapon. If Sicarius is his dagger in the back, Deusian is a weapon of mass destruction.

SECTION 4: Psychological Profile

Difficult to ascertain.

I do not know her well. I don't think anyone knows her well outside of the Ravaged One and the Imperator, the former of whom is now dead. I suspect the Ravaged One's death has affected her, though to what extent is unknown. I would not be surprised if the Imperator has used this to solidify her loyalty to him.

Yet I do not know if she will seek revenge. Reapers, despite their power, possess less emotion than others of our kind. They do not feel as intensely, and so I am uncertain if they will understand or feel the concept of revenge, much less carry it out. I suspect this was intentional by the Creators, making them more subservient and less likely to question orders.

At the time, these Ethereals were _far_ more advanced than those who already existed. It is equivalent to the gulf between a Human and Ethereal, or a Sectoid Vanguard and Hive Commander. A power disparity every sane individual was wary of. The Reapers could have easily done as they wished, and the Empire would not have had the power to stop them. Luckily the Creators accounted for this by making them passive.

Thus, it is difficult to extrapolate her potential psychological state since she is _not_ like an ordinary Ethereal. I cannot even say for certain if she _cares_ as much as we do, or if she is merely along because that is what she has been ordered to carry out. She, like most Reapers, rarely speaks, or when she does, it is short and to the point.

She does not desire companionship or socialization, even by Ethereal standards this level of self-imposed isolation is atypical. I know the Imperator and Overmind make efforts to speak to her, but this is likely nothing more than maintaining loyalty, something the Imperator does as a formality now.

Ultimately, this makes it difficult to make concrete assessments and judgements. Yet this assumes that Deusian is _capable_ of those things in the way we are. What can be said for certain is that she is loyal to the Imperator, and will follow his orders without question.

SECTION 5: Concerns and Abilities

Reapers can destroy planets.

This is not an exaggeration.

Deusian has the capability to turn Earth to atoms within an hour. I do not say this because it is a possibility, but to illustrate a point that when ADVENT advances _beyond_ Earth, every single planet, moon, and space station is at risk. Ironically, continuing to be confined to Earth will ensure that Deusian's threat is reduced.

The Imperator will easily sanction the destruction of planets and colonies outside of Earth. Only one bastion of Humanity will be permitted so long as they challenge him. I have seen Reapers at work, and they can work fast if there are no distractions. It is difficult to explain without witnessing it. The ease of which they can destroy something most cannot fully comprehend and is an important lesson to learn.

I suspect as the war progresses, the Imperator will consider deploying Deusian in a limited capacity. Her power is such that using her for low-scale operations would be a waste, but she may be used to raze cities, countries, and even continents off of the map. The sheer devastation she would cause on Earth is enough that the Imperator may refrain.

Though if the war continues, this will be less of a reservation.

Facing Deusian personally is not recommended at all. I may be able to protect myself and a small team, but even I am not confident of being able to hold out forever. Anyone who attacks her will be completely on the defensive, and her aura is strong enough that it will tear the Psionosphere around her the longer conflict persists, and even when she is alone it will continue to do so.

Deusian is the embodiment of the power the Empire brought to bear against the Synthesized. Be prepared to have it be turned against us. Her largest weakness is her lack of defensive psionics, and strong enough telepaths may be enough to distract her. Then if both of these are achieved, overwhelming numbers are necessary to kill her.

I regret that she will have to die, but I do not see this conflict ending without either Deusian dying – or everyone else.

* * *

 _Entry by Exarch Deusian stored on local CODEX network_

Many of my kind were created for specific purposes. Many of those were benign and expected. There was a lack of choice, but we had an Empire, presumably, that would be supportive of us. Warriors trained for conflicts that would never arise. Shadows watched and waited for phantom threats that didn't materialize. All preparation for a reason to show our might to the galaxy fully.

Though I, and those like me, were something radically focused and born out of fear. I was created to destroy worlds. Nothing more or less. To turn fleets to scrap and cinders. To be a weapon of destruction on a scale that most never have or will be able to comprehend.

But the Reapers were ultimately a useful step on the path to the Imperators. A decision I do not begrudge, but a reality that most overlook, especially our own. We never grew up in the Empire we were born to fight for. Very few of us had reason or inclination to learn why, though it ultimately did not matter when our future was at stake.

I'm curious if this ever affected the Imperators when they awoke.

Imperators tasked with saving an Empire they only had the most academic of connections to.

A different topic for a different time.

Ultimately, the Reapers never gathered the respect and fervor the Imperators did. The rest of the Empire merely saw our power, the only thing we were ever trained for. Resentment from the Maelstrom never faded as we effectively supplemented them in some cases, and the Battlemasters, Overminds, and Shadows utilized us primarily as weapons.

Communication…it was not something elaborated on to us. We could speak, understand, accept and follow orders. But articulation…it was not something I, or any Reaper, is good at. We appeared silent, and it was not simply because we had nothing to say, only that we didn't know how to say it. None in the Empire thought to ask us either.

Weapons and tools, as I said.

Exceptions exist, but they were few and far between. I continue to not know if Imperator Viatorian engaged me because he was curious as to my diagnosis of the Empire, or as a pretext to ensure he had a Reaper survive the war. Perhaps my survival is due to luck and being in the right place, at the right time, before the right Imperator.

The fall of the Empire and all that has happened since, has crystalized something every Reaper knows the first time they raze a world.

Life is fragile.

Much can be done to prevent death, but one can never account for everything. Nor does that always apply. The greatest of Battlemasters eventually succumbed to a thousand small and irrelevant wounds. The most potent genetic manipulation meant nothing against psionic fire. Freak accidents and stray projectiles can kill just as easily as prolonged battles. Our species is not immune from death, much as we may foolishly believe it.

Life is fragile.

It is reflected in the species that make up the Collective. The advances the Vitakara made ultimately showcased their vulnerabilities, and without our intervention, the planet would be a teeming grave. A mystery to the galaxy until another stumbles upon the ruins millennia later. A showcase in how physical and genetic diversity does not offer protection from mistakes and vulnerabilities.

Life is flawed.

Sectoids and Mutons are so different in every way, yet there are similarities in how death surrounds them. Millions of Sectoid drones are terminated every single day, either as iterations for a later template, those whose usefulness expired, and those that simply injured themselves and were put down. The War Camps of the Mutons have a rate of mortality so high it becomes a statistic. Engineered mortality in the flawed notion that hardship increases survivability and hardiness. The hundreds of thousands who have died on Earth should raise questions as to the effectiveness of such an approach.

Life is disposable.

In the days of the Union Wars, the Andromedons fought and hunted each other to oblivion in genocidal crusades against those who they knew were their ideological rivals. And all those along the way were tools for them, or other victims of their war. Species were executed without mercy by the Andromedons, just as the Synthesized have likely accomplished the very same. Cultures, peoples, and histories obliterated, and for ultimately nothing.

Life is vulnerable.

All of this is something any Reaper knows. Not at first, but it becomes apparent the more time one exercises their powers by the command of others. It will take time before their realizations and feelings can be summarized so succinctly, but it will happen. No other Ethereal aside from Imperators can understand, because they cannot know what it is like to wield such power or claim life at such a scale.

No Reaper has ever reveled in their power, and the reason for it is simple. We understand what we do. To destroy a planet, you much anchor yourself to it in some way. Undirected power is wasted power. It may accomplish what you wish, but it will be messy and haphazard. It will prolong the destruction. The simplest solution is to focus the mind on life below.

Not necessarily invasive, but to understand what and where your power should be directed.

The first wave of death that hits us etches the position in our minds. From there we can effectively do the rest.

The first wave is always the worst part. Most do not feel pain, but they are extinguished on such a scale it would break most if they could feel it. Fortunate that the Creators ensured our minds could handle such effects. It is not merely intelligent life either. Animals, plants, insects, all of these are similarly extinguished.

I understand no one who can look at a garden world and see it turned brown and grey and feel pride. Perhaps necessity, but never pride. We were intended to only be utilized as a last resort when everyone else had failed. Never as a preemptive weapon, though that is what we ultimately became by the end. Worlds were destroyed merely to deny an asset that could be used against us.

Three hundred and seventy-four worlds have been razed or destroyed by my hand. I remember them all, and for what reasons. No Reaper forgets, nor would I suspect anyone who has killed on such a scale would.

It is tiring to consider, though I know my power will be needed once more. The Imperator continues to distract himself with these Sovereigns and species like the Humans. A proxy war that means little to us, but no doubt he believes he is on a great crusade against the true powers of this galaxy. Perhaps he is, and should be supported.

The Battlemaster is right that things are beginning to go too far. Paradise station is one place that I would destroy with no guilt or regret. As the war continues, I continually grow concerned that the day approaches where the Imperator comes to order me to destroy Earth. The Sovereign residing on it will not allow it to fall. This war will not achieve what he wishes.

I wonder what he will say when I refuse.

I hope the Battlemaster succeeds on his mission, because failure would ensure my fate, one way or another.


	139. Ethereals-Dossier:Voice of the Sovereign

Ethereals: Dossier

Regisora, Voice of the Sovereign

* * *

" _The one given to Mosrimor is gone now. There is only the Voice."_

\- The Imperator of the Ethereal Collective

* * *

To the Imperator,

Scouting operations have continued to proceed effectively. Sicarius, Quisilia, and Nebulan have confirmed that, for the most part, the maps are unchanged, although all previous infrastructure of the Empire has been destroyed or is otherwise gone. I have personally gone to several locations which previously housed Imperial strongholds or administration centers.

As expected, there was nothing able to be recovered aside from the occasional ruins that one would not be able to identify as Ethereal unless they had previous knowledge. This is not the important detail here – upon entering one of the previously numbered systems, over the next few days I became aware of a presence of some kind.

It immediately vanished as soon as it touched my mind, but it was enough to justify scouring the planets until I found it. Fortunately, I did not need to as the presence manifested again. It was an alien mind the likes of which I have never felt, and though it said nothing, it is apparent that it was observing me. Eventually I found the source, which I suspect was influenced by the presence in subtle ways.

To my surprise, I stumbled upon a completely intact underground facility. I was considering pulling back and acquiring the Battlemaster and the Guardians for support exploring this ruin, but before I could do so, I found myself approached by the defenses of the facility, and they were unlike anything I had ever seen.

They were aliens of species we had never identified in the Empire, and I am unaware of if they existed before or after our collapse. But they were clearly not originals. They appeared to be extensively modified through cybernetics and some kind of nanotechnology. What was concerning is that when I reached out to their minds, I found them in a state of bare functionality, if not outright dead with their bodies kept alive through other means.

These aliens were not aggressive towards me, but merely observed until one of them started speaking our language fluently. It stated I was welcome to explore and that there was one who wished to speak to me. I replied with questions, as to what they and this place was. The answer was simple, though it only raised more questions. It was as follows.

"This is a Sanctum to the Sovereign One, and we are his guardians."

I will remind you that the term "Sovereign One" was one of the lingering archeological mysteries of the Empire, which had long been assumed to be a radically old precursor extinct galactic species that theoretically controlled the galaxy. There _had_ been several breakthroughs, as I'm certain Cogitian could tell you, but the Synthesized took priority.

Obviously, any connection to these Sovereign Ones should take immediate priority. At this stage we absolutely cannot afford to allow an opportunity like this to go unexplored. While I suspect that there is not an _actual_ Sovereign One here, it may have information, research, and other materials which we can utilize as we move forward.

I will not enter this Sanctum without support. These Guardians have agreed to allow me to depart and wait for support. They do not appear to be a significant threat at this time. I am uncertain if I could defeat them on my own, especially as their own capabilities are unknown. The technological level of the Sovereign Ones was never determined, but if the theory about their galactic conquest is accurate, we should at least assume they were the equivalent of the Empire, in technology, if not psionic power.

\- Regisora

* * *

Regisora,

I have reviewed the materials that were preserved concerning these Sovereign Ones. There is a significant amount of unproven theory and outright speculation. Certainly not enough to accurately determine anything substantial about them. This discovery, should it be proven to be _directly_ connected to these Sovereign Ones, would be able to clarify a significant portion of the speculation.

You are correct. It is worth investigating.

I have sent Cogitian, Fectorian, and the Guardians to assist in securing this Sanctum. They should be able to assist in dealing with defenses should the situation turn violent. If there _is_ one of these Sovereign Ones there, do not engage, and inform me of the development. We should not risk dealing with such entities unprepared.

I await the outcome.

\- The Imperator

* * *

Imperator,

Cogitian, Fectorian, and the Guardians will make their reports to you, but as they did not experience the same things I did, there will be significant context lacking. We arrived and the resident guardians allowed us entrance. Fectorian confirmed that they were utilizing nanotech that he seemed highly disturbed by, noting that it was of a function and make he couldn't identify, but that was more advanced than the Empire developed.

The Sanctum itself held a mixture of artifacts, weapons of types Fectorian was unable to identify, and production facilities for nanotech. Runes, symbols and art pieces were also present throughout, none of which Cogitian or I could identify. Had it not been occupied with a clear sense of danger, this would be one of the greatest archeological discoveries in galactic history.

As it was, it was possessed by _something_ very much active, if not alive.

The Sanctum guardians led us into a room with an elevated stone platform, upon which was an alter holding a black orb. All of the Sanctum guardians departed the room, and as we approached it, the black around the orb fell off into a holding container below, where it swirled. Fectorian identified it as the same kind of nanotech in the guardians.

In its place was an orb that emanated a dull blue; clouded and dense as if viewed underwater. Light gave it the effect of ripples, and when viewed a certain way, there appeared to be perspiration around the orb. An optical illusion, but one even Fectorian saw and had no answer for. Cogitian and I had a long and prolonged discussion on what it could be, as according to what little we knew of the Sovereign Ones, orbs _were_ something that was important, but we had little idea of what it could be.

Fectorian speculated that it could be a nanoweapon trap. The Guardians agreed, and purged the surrounding nanites, confirming that psionics _would_ be effective against them. Fectorian took multiple detailed scans of the orb, but was equally unsure as to what it could be. Limited durability tests seemed to indicate it was heavily resistant, if not immune to all damage.

Finally, I made the choice to pick it up.

Immediately I was transported into some kind of telepathic dreamscape. My own mental defenses provided _no_ protection, and were outright bypassed. Where I stood was as if it was underwater, though if there was no water and I could breathe. Then a voice spoke to me. I cannot accurately convey the experience through this update, and will submit you to observing my memories.

It was a Sovereign One. They exist. At least one of them lives. He knew what we were, and was surprised that there were Ethereals that still lived.

It wanted to speak to you directly.

It knows about the Synthesized, and implied that there are other Sovereign Ones. We have stumbled upon not only one of the most important discoveries in galactic history, but perhaps an ally that will not only ensure the Synthesized are defeated, but allow the Empire to rise again stronger than ever. An alliance of this magnitude cannot be ignored.

Everything we have done will be for nothing if we do not do everything possible to ensure our success. This must be done.

\- Regisora

* * *

Regisora

Inform the Sovereign One I will be coming to speak to him.

\- The Imperator

* * *

 **XCOM Profile 154**

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Regisora – "Voice of the Sovereign"

Threat Level: Artemis

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

 _Hair color_ : None (Ethereal)

 _Eye color_ : Solid Orange

 _Skin color_ : Purple

 _Height_ : 13'2"

 _Weight_ : 375 lbs. (Estimated)

 _Distinguishing Features_ : A completely black-armored Ethereal-esque figure. Has the ability to modify density of form and exact specific armor configuration. Unknown how much organic material has been supplemented or replaced.

 _Physical Condition_ : Exceptional, and enhanced due to nanotech improvements. Physiology is likely greater than the Battlemaster, and equivalent to Fectorian in his battlesuit. Unknown to what extent genetic modifications have been applied.

SECTION 2: Assessment

Regisora is, in retrospect, the first victim of the Imperator's alteration of priorities. She was unlike him in many ways, and brought along because throughout the war she had grown to suspect that there was more to the Synthesized and what the Empire was facing than an unthinking swarm of machines.

An archeologist specializing in precursor civilizations – with the stated goal of eventually discovering the creators of our species – she was not a warrior, tactician, or soldier. But she had a talent for finding connections between seemingly unconnected events and artifacts. Had there not been a war, I suspect that Regisora would have succeeded in her goal, but like the rest of the Empire, she was pressed into service to fight against the Synthesized.

She was among the only Ethereals to examine captured Synthesized bases and soldiers from a cultural perspective. While I consider such efforts a waste, she nonetheless found something that made her insist that the Synthesized were intelligent to some degree – and that they had been around long before we had been.

I suspect now that she had stumbled upon evidence pointing to the Sovereign Ones. Perhaps this was what caught the attention of the Imperator. It was never made explicit, though her role was to assist in finding enclaves and caches of abandoned alien technology and potential species. There was a high probability of encountering species who had evolved into something sapient, and Regisora would be responsible for determining the best path for assimilation or diplomacy.

This might explain why such has been lacking in the Collective, as with her loss, there was no one as appropriate to fulfill such a position.

Regisora found a location on an alien world, and went down with several other Ethereals to investigate it. When she returned, she revealed to the Imperator the existence of the Sovereign Ones. I do not know exactly what was discussed between Regisora, the Imperator, and Mosrimor, but soon after Regisora volunteered to be the emissary between the Imperator and Mosrimor.

Initially the alliance seemed promising, even if myself and others were kept in the dark regarding details. The Imperator and the new Voice of the Sovereign spoke regularly, and she provided him with an extensive amount of information. Information I suspect pushed the Imperator towards making the decisions he did.

Eventually he worked to isolate Regisora from the rest of the Collective and us, something few of us paid attention to – the Voice included as she was presumably more preoccupied with learning from Mosrimor. By the time any of us understood what she was now, it was too late to reverse it, and we should assume that whatever Regisora was, she is now a puppet of Mosrimor.

Why the Imperator sacrificed her like this I do not know; perhaps to sell an illusion of the alliance. Much like the Bringer and the Creator, he desires to manipulate until he can control.

SECTION 3: Psychological Profile

I am uncertain how much this section can apply, as it is unlikely that Regisora has any free thought or will that is not that of Mosrimor. I suspect that Mosrimor has likely adapted her original personality to his own needs, and there is some worth in discussing the mental state of Regisora prior to her assimilation as the Voice.

She was highly curious for one of our species. The matter of our creators is one we had little interest in pursuing further. We tend to not investigate unless the results directly affect us, and the original designers of ours were not coming back, nor would they be able to initiate some kind of takeover once we took full control over our genome, thus there was little point in investing time and resources outside of curiosity.

Ethereal archeology was not a large field. The knowledge that could be provided was widely believed to be of limited use at best, and primarily academic in a way that would only increase our knowledge of the galaxy, not the Empire or our species. Archeology was seen as another gateway towards sometimes finding technology or theories which we could adapt. It was rare, but happened frequently enough that a small but dedicated Ethereal corp of archeologists were kept around.

Regisora disliked unanswered questions, and as the Empire grew, there were many, many largely irrelevant questions that had been started, but never concluded when a certain point was reached. As such, she sought to close as many as possible. The largest ones she failed to adequately conclude, but this is more due to the ill-timed attack of the Synthesized than her own ability.

This curiosity and drive for the final answer is what I believe led to her openly volunteering to be the Voice of the Sovereign. There are few that are as knowledgeable as the Sovereign Ones, and Mosrimor could likely answer many, many questions she had – and many she wouldn't have even known to ask.

Following her assuming the position of Voice, I have seen far less of her. Not enough to accurately determine to what extent she has been changed, but in the few times I've spoken to her, there is an air of control and certainty to her words that she lacked before. More mechanical and structured.

A poor sign.

It is possible, I suppose, that Regisora retains some semblance of self, but the Voice is not who Regisora was, not anymore.

SECTION 4: The Sanctum of the Sovereign

For the past few years Regisora has almost stayed exclusively confined to the place where she originally discovered the Sovereign One. I have only visited it three times, and each time there have been significant changes. The first time was shortly after the alliance, and the place she discovered was little more than an underground bunker that held a collection of advanced and enigmatic weapons and art.

Since she became the Voice, she has turned the Sanctum into a stronghold that is impossible to penetrate conventionally.

Above and below ground she has not merely been responsible for turning an underground bunker into a towering temple of clear alien design and origins. Within this temple are cloning facilities, engineering labs, nanite farms, hydroponics, stasis chambers, and more. Black orbs of Mosrimor are disguised as part of the décor and architecture.

Fectorian himself assisted in the architecture of the Sanctum, using it to test out experimental designs which have led to rooms that reconfigure themselves; a layout that can change continuously, and security systems so dangerous no one sane would step foot on the planet. No one is allowed into the Sanctum without accepting an 'inoculation' of nanites which are extracted when an individual leaves.

This inoculation is crucial as it sends a signal to the nanites seeded throughout the planet and Sanctum that you are not a threat and should not be consumed. It is a highly unnerving experience, and Fectorian has even considered adapting it to other planets and strongholds, though appears to have held back for now.

Revelean has also assisted Regisora in the corruption of the planet itself. All life on the planet has been modified to exist in a symbiotic relationship with Mosrimor nanites, often augmenting and enhancing them in various ways – as well as consuming anything not recognized by the programming. The world of the Sanctum is _lethal_ in a way that cannot be adequately described. Andromedon terraformers have been able to initiate hurricanes which pick up free-floating nanites which exist in the atmosphere of the planet and in the ocean, and spread them further across the world.

Supposed natural formations and life hold Mosrimor's nanite orbs, masquerading as rocks and fruit. The Voice and Mosrimor have full knowledge and control over the entire planet, and attacking in any conventional way will result in annihilation. It is a very real question of how to fight on a planet when the entire planet will literally kill you the moment you step on it.

The defenses of the Sanctum do not end there. Ground-to-space missile launchers are built throughout the planet, though concentrated at the Sanctum. Warheads packed with nanites are capable of disabling and appropriating ships more effectively than conventional explosives. Every single animal and insect, large and small, can be summoned and controlled at the flip of a switch.

The Sanctum Guardians are among the most unknown and distressing, considering the implications. I have only seen a few, but the ones seen are of no alien species I have seen before. Questions remain, but either Mosrimor and the Voice have an army of new aliens secretly under their command, or it is some attempted creation. These Guardians are not Meat Puppets – many of which roam the Sanctum and are seeded throughout the planet – but they do not appear to be completely alive either.

I would advise that the planet simply be destroyed the moment we are presented with the opportunity. A conventional battle is suicide, and the planet is corrupted beyond hope of recovery – as is Regisora.

SECTION 5: Concerns and Abilities

It would be easy to categorize Regisora as an enhanced Meat Puppet, but that is an extremely dangerous underestimation of her capabilities. Meat Puppets are mere imitations of an Ethereal; failed clones which need to be supplemented with nanotechnology. A true Ethereal enhanced with similar measures would be capable of facing nearly anything and emerging victorious.

Regisora was not a warrior, but given her connection to Mosrimor now, I no longer believe this applies, and we should expect her to have a firm if not complete grasp of all psionic disciplines. This is not taking into account the very real possibility of Mosrimor assuming control of her as T'Leth does with his own Agents, making her even more dangerous.

Her enhancement through nanotechnology is extensive and should be assumed to be superior to that of the Meat Puppets, and as a fully cognizant Ethereal, she will demonstrate considerably more tactical acumen and skill than the average Meat Puppet, and is more likely to incorporate nanites and psionics more fully.

This is not to say I believe she is invincible. She can be fought and killed. But we should treat her presence as a plague, and purge it accordingly. We cannot take chances with the Voice deployed against us – a reality that will only grow more likely the longer the war continues. She will not be deployed unless we demonstrate that we are a threat – or if T'Leth shows himself more prominently.

As both have happened, expect her sooner than later.

* * *

 _ENTRY #4482 – VOICE OF THE SOVEREIGN_

 _SECURED ON SANCTUM NETWORK_

 _ATTEMPTED HOSTILE PENETRATIONS: 15_

 _IDENTIFIED HOSTILE ACTORS:_

 _\- ZARARCH_

 _\- UNIDENTIFIED ANDROMEDON UNION_

 _\- UNIDENTIFIED ANDROMEDON UNION_

 _\- ETHEREAL FECTORIAN_

 _RETALIATION AUTHORIZATION: FALSE_

 _ENTRY TEXT BELOW_

The Imperator no longer trusts me or Mosrimor. He likely assumes subversion by Mosrimor; a consequence of his paranoia and observation of the Sovereign Bringer.

Knowledge that the Bringer continues to exist is concerning.

The Imperator should not have engaged such an entity without consultation. His ultimate goals for working with the Bringer are elusive and he has failed to accurately justify himself. I suggested bringing forward additional information on the Bringer acquired from Mosrimor. It has not been the first time this entity has emerged, and it will not be the last.

Mosrimor does not know the full extent of what this creature is capable of, but what he has shown is enough to confirm that this is not something which should be utilized. Mosrimor has refrained from pushing the issue forward. Curiosity has taken hold of him, perhaps something he learned from me. I suspect his intentions, for I share them.

The Imperator intends to weaponize the Bringer.

The next question is against _who_.

The targets are limited. The Imperator would not sanction Paradise station unless he believed such power would be necessary. I put forward the idea that he intended to act against the Synthesized, for such power would be useful. Mosrimor countered with the idea that it is not the Synthesized who are in the sights of the Imperator, but the Sovereigns themselves.

Could the Imperator truly be intending to enter the cycles in this manner? To establish himself as an alien power to challenge the Sovereigns? Something no alien has reliably achieved before?

I remain skeptical.

It is understable that Mosrimor has similarly become concerned, as if the Imperator's target is the Sovereigns, then he – and by extension I – would become targets. At this moment the Imperator cannot afford to remove us, but should the Bringer be brought under his control, this protection ceases. I cannot see the Imperator so callously tossing this alliance aside, but he is an Imperator.

They were to be the best of us.

A new possibility has emerged; one I have long suspected and am preparing to explore further. The Imperator has lied, but not about his intentions towards Mosrimor, but to all of the surviving Ethereals. He knows very well that he is unlikely to be the only Imperator who survived, and that there might be others out there.

Perhaps he _knows_ there are others out there.

The Bringer may not be for the Sovereigns. They may not be for the Synthesized. They could be for the Imperators who stand against his vision of a new Ethereal Empire. The only ones who could reliably challenge a being of his power outside of a Sovereign.

The Imperator sees far. It is one of his strengths. His view is Sovereign in outlook. Perhaps not for dealing with other Imperators, but ensuring his control over others he has hidden. I have begun to suspect that we were not the only Ethereals who the Imperator placed into stasis. If he could hide us, he could hide others.

Yet if so, why has he kept them hidden?

An unknown. One I am intent on uncovering.

The Imperator continues to be distracted, and assumes I merely remain on the Sanctum at all times. He is distracted by the conflict on Earth, and the growing discontent within the ranks of Ethereals. Expected. Concerning if handled improperly. Two Ethereals have been lost to T'Leth. One has been lost to the Bringer. More cannot follow.

T'Leth remains confined to the Human Solar System. He must stay there. His war can be waged without issue. But his species cannot expand. Seeding nearby systems has been proceeding well. The Bringer has also continued causing issues for the Imperator and T'Leth. Perhaps one will kill the other. Distraction offers opportunity.

Too many enemies still roam this galaxy. Hiding in the dark and leaving decisions to a young Ethereal will solve nothing. The Sovereigns roam the galaxy and we are far behind the curve. Survival is of the utmost importance now, and that can only be achieved by remaining outside the knowledge of the roaming Sovereigns for now.

The war against the Humans must end. T'Leth must be contained or killed. The Bringer must be contained or destroyed. Neither poses a permanent threat now. Both forces will fight and bleed each other. The Imperator has demanded increased support; support which can be provided at this point. Curious the Imperator seeks to utilize Mosrimor now.

Perhaps it will make him realize that he cannot hope to defeat a Sovereign without another of equivalent strength.

It is what the Imperator is planning that must be uncovered. It is what he is hiding.

And he is hiding something.

Something that will shatter the already fragile trust between the Ethereals he trusts, and those he does not.

It must be uncovered.


	140. ADVENT - Dossier: Declan Rodgers

ADVENT: Dossier

Grand Inquisitor Declan Rodgers

* * *

" _The most reliable way to manipulate someone is to make them think they're smarter than you are."_

\- Declan Rodgers

* * *

Battlemaster,

I believe it is important enough to appraise you of a development as it relates to our espionage operations on Earth, as there is a growing possibility that they will be more effectively countered. Ever since the PRIEST Division was established, we were certain that there was an intelligence component to the organization which was not made public.

We were correct in this assumption. They are a group called the Inquisitors, a religious-inspired title like others in the PRIEST Division, and they have presumably been working in field operations and conducting interrogations on captured personnel. It isn't clear, but they were being used offensively instead of primarily directed towards counter-intelligence, oddly enough.

This directive appears to be changing after Elizabeth Falka has been (quietly) suspended from her position, from what we assume was the result of the Oversight Division acting on the accusations provided by Patricia Trask. This has resulted in a high number of individuals being suspended, being questioned, and in some cases some have not returned yet.

In the interim, the Acting Director of ADVENT Intelligence is Ian Powell, who is most notable for being the former Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Of slightly more interest is that he was the one who oversaw the Commander during his operations during the War on Terror. It is unknown if the Commander was the one to suggest this replacement, but the connection is too obvious to ignore.

However, the new Director is not the focus now. His promotion and subsequent actions have resulted in the Inquisitors becoming more involved, including the one in charge, Declan Rodgers, who holds the title of Grand Inquisitor.

Declan Rodgers appears to have a long and extensive history within the intelligence community. His time was primarily within the FBI, and he worked primarily on counter-intelligence operations through undercover methods. He has a near perfect success rate, and despite his physically unattractive appearance, he is one of the most intelligent individuals the FBI had, and was frequently an advisor to multiple planning meetings for other operations.

He is described as a highly focused and ruthless operative, willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve an objective. Rumors have it that in his operations he became trusted enough within a powerful cartel that he was invited to their most high-level meetings. You do not become that trusted in that particular criminal organization without doing questionable things yourself. I am inclined to believe this rumor because cross-checking Human records show that there was an event where the leadership of a number of Cartels was destroyed and those operating in the United States were shut down.

Suffice to say that this man is dangerous as well as intelligent. He is one of the most physically adept Humans we have managed to record, and this has likely been improved through genetic modification. His psionic capabilities are another enhancement, though we are still unsure of how powerful he is compared to other psions.

It also seems Chief Overseer Watkins also has a high opinion of Rodgers. He's been heavily included now that the Oversight Division is going after identified EXALT personnel in ADVENT. The tasks of the Inquisitors appear to be primarily determining the loyalty of EXALT personnel (though Chancellor Vyandar has not seemed to be affected right now).

But several intercepted memos indicate that the Inquisitors are going to be taking a new proactive approach to counter-intelligence under Rodgers, which appears to be something inspired by several new directives of Acting Director Powell, which is reorienting the entirety of ADVENT Intelligence towards something we have not determined yet.

ADVENT Intelligence is likely going to change soon, and the Inquisitors are working very hard to keep whatever that is under wraps.

While it is safe to say that the Inquisitors would be utilized this way regardless of who held the position of Grand Inquisitor, having someone like Rodgers overseeing it is not ideal, and if he could be removed it would significantly enhance our chances to penetrate further in ADVENT. He does have a brother and parents, but they are likely hidden as we have been unable to locate them. He has a wife which is under his personal protection, and penetration to get to her is unlikely without significant cost.

He appears to be anticipating something to try and remove him. We will need to be careful not to walk into any traps he lays, because they _will_ exist. We underestimate him at our peril, but we must not let him proceed unimpeded.

\- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

* * *

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Akilah Kettani

 **Subject** : Declan Rodgers

Director,

As requested, I have compiled some information and notes we have on Agent Rodgers following his psionic awakening (detailed reports are attached). The procedure went well and proceeded without incident, and upon awakening, we have successfully determined that Rodgers has an aptitude for telepathy, which is quite useful given what I suspect you intend for him.

His Trask Level is confirmed to be sixty-seven, well within a Magus-class, and what I suspect will be more than enough for his particular position. Training is commencing and he is adapting well on his own, and conducting his own tests. Given his clearance, he'd been granted access to the Experimentation Labs to conduct trials.

At his request we have provided him with all literature on psionics (specifically telepathy), which he is using to bring himself up to an appropriate standard as soon as possible. I believe that he will only require several months to master the basics, and in the interim can be utilized for whatever position you have in mind for him.

\- Dr. Kettani

-REPLY-

 **To** : Akilah Kettani

 **From** : Elizabeth Falka

 **Subject** : Declan Rodgers

Thank you for the update. He's progressing well it seems. Inform him that given the war he may be needed prior to finishing training. He's too good of an agent to keep out of the field for long periods of time. Monitor his mental state as well. Of all the disciplines, telepathy is the one most likely to induce issues. I doubt he'll be affected, but keep an eye on him just in case.

\- Director Falka

* * *

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : The Commander of XCOM

 **Subject** : Declan Rodgers

Director Falka,

I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help here. If you're asking if I know who Rodgers is, I do. But I also know the names of quite a few good agents. Rodgers and I never intersected because we were both focused on completely different areas. I was in the Middle East, and he was likely somewhere in America. I've heard enough stories from reliable sources that if you're asking if he'd be a useful asset, he is.

But I don't have details beyond that. I would reach out to Ian Powell, since I know he would be more familiar with Rodgers than I am.

\- The Commander of XCOM

* * *

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Ian Powell

 **Subject** : Special Agent Rodgers

Director,

I will admit to being pleasantly surprised you reached out to me, given that Special Agent Rodgers was not part of the organization I oversaw. While I believe that my colleague could give you more details, I presume you are reaching out to me for my own impression of the man. Declan Rodgers was one of the best Special Agents the United States ever produced from a purely operational standpoint.

You would likely not guess that if you just saw him, but that is in fact, one of his strengths. I've met the man several times, and while I know for a fact that his capabilities are _extremely_ suited for field work, I would personally not recommend that be all he is used for. To be frank, it would be a waste of his more important talents.

He is an excellent organizer, strategist, and handler. He has a talent for constructing operational plans that I've rarely seen elsewhere. More to the point, he is completely focused on achieving the overall objective no matter what, quite similar to the Commander in many respects. While I know that he would be a highly effective Intelligence agent for ADVENT, I believe he would be more useful in charge of his own department.

If you are unsure, ask him. He will likely tell you the same thing.

\- American Intelligence Director Powell

* * *

 **To** : Saudia Vyandar

 **From** : Elizabeth Falka

 **Subject** : Grand Inquisitor Candidates

Chancellor,

After completing my search for candidates, I think that I have identified the one who will serve best. He comes very highly recommended from everyone whose worked with him, and most useful, he has a proper mindset for our objectives. I've attached a more complete report on his history, but after completing a thorough search, I will be putting Declan Rodgers as the nominee for Grand Inquisitor.

A condensed version of his history is that he is a highly skilled FBI Special Agent specializing primarily in undercover operations and has additional talent in organization. Having spoken with him, he's stated that he is more than willing to give up field operations to oversee a department of his own. His accomplishments include a near-perfect operational record, several cartel bosses killed personally, bringing down said cartels and information provided leading to mass arrests, and a number of illicit businesses and trades dismantled.

It seems prudent to have this individual utilizing the Inquisitors, and adding psionics to his arsenal of tools. Watkins has already given his own approval, and all that is needed is yours and this can proceed. Given the infancy and likely importance of the Intelligence Branch in the future, I would prefer to have this finished sooner than later.

\- Elizabeth

-REPLY-

 **To** : Elizabeth Falka

 **From** : Saudia Vyandar

 **Subject** : Grand Inquisitor Candidates

You have my approval. Good work.

\- Chancellor Saudia Vyandar

* * *

 _Transcript of recording between Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka, and Agent Declan Rodgers_

[Elizabeth Falka]: "Come in, take a seat."

[Declan Rodgers]: "Director, a pleasure to finally meet you."

[EF]: "Likewise. Your reputation precedes you."

[DR]: "And interestingly, I cannot say the same about you, Director. What can I do for you?"

[EF]: "I wanted to speak. It's one thing to hear from others, and another to meet in person."

[DR]: "It is a better way to know someone. Reports can only convey so much. They lack nuance."

[EF]: "Useful for hard information, yes. They paint a very impressive picture of yourself."

[DR]: "I've done my best, Director. Nothing more."

[EF]: "That is apparent. But I'm curious as to your reasons. You're an ideal agent, but have a certain drive that is only instilled in people with certain backgrounds or experiences, none of which you appear to have."

[DR]: "Would you believe me if I said I enjoyed it?"

[EF]: "I would not necessarily be surprised."

[DR]: "I'll elaborate, Director. I enjoy it when people underestimate me. Everyone in my life before I joined the FBI, and it's served me well."

[EF]: "A tactic I approve of."

[DR]: "I might as well exploit it. I can't change how I look."

[EF]: "A positive outlook."

[DR]: "No benefit to the alternative."

[EF]: "Indeed. Your psionic training is proceeding well from what Kettani has shared."

[DR]: "Psionics will revolutionize the field of espionage, Director. It's important that I can utilize it appropriately."

[EF]: "That it will. From what I know about you, I suspect you're already conceptualizing ways to utilize it."

[DR]: "As are you, I believe."

[EF]: "Of course. You know of the branch of the PRIEST Division that will be the arm of ADVENT Intelligence, yes?"

[DR]: "Yes, though few details have been shared. I've been assuming I will be a part of it."

[EF]: "It would be pointless to put you somewhere else. However, given your record and experience, I think utilizing you as an agent isn't ideal. I need someone to manage the Inquisitors, and I think that you're a suitable candidate."

[DR]: "I'm honored, Director."

[EF]: "I'll take that as interest in the position."

[DR]: "Correct, Director."

[EF]: "Excellent. You will need to still be approved, but I suspect that Watkins or the Chancellor will not take issue with your appointment. You will be given control over organizing the Inquisitors as you see fit – within reason of course, and with my approval. Though I don't believe that you'll be overly radical."

[DR]: "I'll do my best to not cause conflict, I can promise that."

[EF]: "Good. You'll be hearing from me shortly."

[DR]: "Thank you, Director. You will not regret this decision."

* * *

THE PRIEST DIVISION | ADVENT INTELLIGENCE

INTELLIGENCE BRANCH | INQUISITORS

FOR INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION AND USAGE ONLY

FAILURE TO ADHERE TO GUIDELINES WILL RESULT IN ARREST, PROSECUTION, AND SENTENCING

Inquisitors,

As of the installation of current Acting Director Ian Powell of ADVENT Intelligence, there will be a number of changes in the direction and usage of this organization to better utilize our capabilities in the service of ADVENT. After consulting with the Acting Director, I agreed that his approach is the one we should orient ourselves towards due to the growing threat the aliens pose.

Recent information regarding the espionage capabilities of the Ethereal Collective, and the Zararch specifically showcase that without proper adaptation, they will eventually penetrate ADVENT to a degree that could cause significant harm to the organization. Recent assassinations such as the Japanese Imperial Family were carried out by a new type of espionage unit; Zararch defectors have revealed heavy civilian penetration in many ADVENT territories, and mechanical units designed to look and act like Humans.

Left unchecked these threats will continue to grow, and we will become reactive to when they act. This has been deemed unacceptable, and our current efforts insufficient, especially with the revelation that the former XCOM Overseer of Psionic Operations Patricia Trask has defected to the Ethereal Collective. We should assume that most, if not all information on our psionic program at this moment is compromised, and that the Zararch will exploit this.

Internally, ADVENT is facing a growing issue of internal low-level leakers and investigative activists, especially with the recent announcement of sanctions against non-compliant nations in Africa, Europe, and South America. It is unknown how many are alien operatives, moles, traitors, or pawns of the Ethereal Collective, but it is clearly an attempt to capitalize on the international media storm instigated by the traitor Patricia Trask.

These actions threaten the internal stability and integrity of not only ADVENT Intelligence, but ADVENT as a whole. These actions give away information critical to our plans, systems, protocols, and operations. It has and will lead to the deaths of soldiers and operatives. It will be exploited against us in ways we will not be able to fully predict. These individuals pose just as much of a threat to our operations as the aliens hiding among us and our citizens.

They will be made an example of and purged from ADVENT forever.

Acting against the interests of ADVENT is acting against the interests of Humanity as a whole. Such actions against us are classified as treasonous and will be punished accordingly. At this stage of the war we cannot have undivided loyalties.

Effective immediately all Inquisitors which have been deployed to assist in global operations are being recalled to be utilized in assisting the Oversight Division in purging ADVENT Intelligence, and all other ADVENT institutions of alien spies, alien sympathizers, information leakers, double agents, traitors, nationalists, and saboteurs.

It is unknown how long this operation will take, but we have been instructed we will have as much time as we need to ensure that our critical organizations are free of alien and foreign influence. This will begin in conjunction with new protocols for ADVENT Intelligence personnel specifically which will immediately strengthen the integrity of our institutions. More on these protocols will be shared shortly, but they involve blood and genetic testing, telepathic confirmations, and new internal monitoring programs.

Following the completion of this operation to the satisfaction of Acting Director Powell and Chief Overseer Watkins, the focus of the Inquisitors will shift to local (ADVENT territory) counter-intelligence with limited psionic support for field operations. This will involve assisting the creation of civilian programs designed to limit infiltration, identity theft, and alien penetration.

We will be taking a similar approach to the civilian population in purging the cities of alien influence be they in the form of alien spies, alien sympathizers, alien pawns, anti-ADVENT activists, national activists, and organizations (activist or otherwise) with a focus on disrupting ADVENT military and civilian operations will be investigated and appropriately purged.

These operations will come in conjunction with an immediate increase to the size of the Inquisitors, many applicants are in the process of being recruited and trained at this moment for the division to appropriately scale as this new phase begins. When the first phase finishes, we expect the Inquisitors division to triple in size.

Similar to the first phase, there is no set timetable on how long this operation will take to complete. Given the sheer size and scope of what we are intending to accomplish to such a high standard, full completion is not expected for a minimum of one year, with priority investigation. Major cities of ADVENT will be prioritized, eventually phasing to smaller cities, towns, and finally rural areas.

Upon completion of this operation to the satisfaction of Acting Director Powell and Chief Overseer Watkins, we will reexamine the direction and usage of the Inquisitors and may reorient our focus once more to direct intelligence support and operations. In the interim psionic support for intelligence and military operations will come from the Military and Peacekeeping Branches of the PRIEST Division, and as stated earlier, when phase two of this operation begins, it is likely that there will be a small team utilized for high-priority missions for the ADVENT Military and ADVENT Intelligence.

I have high expectations that we will be able to complete this mission efficiently and successfully. Do not forget that failure here will not merely mean a failed mission, it will put the very integrity and stability of ADVENT at risk. This is our most important assignment, and once long overdue to properly conduct. It is a significant responsibility, but I am confident in the abilities of each and every one of you to carry it out successfully.

Specific directions will be provided shortly.

\- Grand Inquisitor Declan Rodgers


	141. ADVENT - Organizations: The SRD

ADVENT: Organizations

The Special Response Division

* * *

" _We keep Pandora's Box under ADVENT's control."_

\- Chief Responder Daisy Fox

* * *

 **Proposal 0311**

 _Latest Revision_ : 3/12/2017

 _Designation_ : The Special Response Division

 _Program Type_ : Research and Development; Special Forces; Anti-Psionic; Peacekeeping

 _Authors_ : The Commander of XCOM; Moira Vahlen, Head of XCOM Research and Development; Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Akilah Kettani, PRIEST Program Director; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Helion Weekes, Chief of Lancer Operations; Daisy Fox, Chief Responder of the Special Response Division

 **INITIAL PROPOSAL** : The world as we knew it has changed significantly. There is more to reality now than existed before the invasion of the Ethereal Collective, and these fundamental realizations will not change. This war has brought forward new and radical technologies and powers that will forever change the course of society, warfare, and life itself.

These are in known terms the discovery of psionics, the continued propagation of nanotechnology by both the Ethereal Collective, ADVENT, and XCOM, and the development and utilization of artificial intelligence by both sides. All of these can be considered a series of Pandora's Boxes, all of which contain untold potential and danger.

The question that must be asked is what happens when these are turned against us – and more importantly – what happens when it gets out of control?

This is what the Special Response Division aims to answer.

 **UTILIZATION AND OBJECTIVE** : The objective of the SPECIAL RESPONSE DIVISION (SRD) is to specialize in handling extremely irregular, dangerous, and otherwise catastrophic developments that other divisions and departments are not trained or equipped to handle. They are the ultimate contingency ADVENT has against the powers of reality and technology.

The SRD will be composed of an ultimately smaller, but highly trained and elite collection of soldiers, scientists, and individuals from across ADVENT, all focused on the containment, neutralization, or otherwise negation of threats to ADVENT caused by irregular circumstances or actors. This includes situations like nanite swarms going out of control; accidental psionic awakenings; rampant artificial intelligences, and many more.

These are domestic usages for the SRD. Responses to situations that will arise regardless of the outcome of the war. Scenarios that cannot be adequately handled by other groups without significant cost. The other practical arm of the SRD will be its research and specialized combat teams to deal with unique threats to ADVENT.

We have already noted such entities exist. XCOM has informed us of the Special Operators, footage from Paradise Station showcases an irregular psionic entity, and the Ethereals themselves can be classified as unique threats to ADVENT. There needs to be a dedicated division responsible for handling such entities in the quick and efficient manner.

I will reiterate that while the SRD is a contingency plan, that does not mean they will not be proactive elsewhere.

 **MULTI-DIVISION INTEGRATION** : The Special Response Division is unique among the ADVENT Divisions in that it will make it a cornerstone policy to recruit from the top individuals in ADVENT throughout the organization. These individuals will hold unique positions within the SRD, and will be one of the only Divisions where psions can hold positions, or that has access to the Experimentation Labs along with ADVENT Research and Development.

THE LANCER CORPS: All combat personnel will be drawn from the Lancer Corps, as the operations they undertake will likely be dangerous and involve handling threats of an asymmetrical and unfamiliar nature. These threats could potentially include psionic actors, nanoweaponry, and other unfamiliar or unique aspects that pose a threat to the life of the soldier.

Lancers will be primarily assigned to the FIRST RESPONDERS, PSIONIC CONTAINMENT, NANITE CONTAINMENT AND EXTERMINATION, THE BREACH TEAM, and ALIEN CAPTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION departments within the SRD.

THE PRIEST DIVISION: Considering psionics is a major aspect that SRD looks to counter, this is impossible to effectively do without psions themselves to call upon. They will be able to hold specialized positions, and all of them will be no weaker than a MAGUS-class on the Trask Scale of Psionic Power. All disciplines will be accepted, and will primarily draw from the MILITARY BRANCH, RESEARCH BRANCH, and INTELLIGENCE BRANCH of the PRIEST Division.

PRIESTs recruited will primarily be assigned to the FIRST RESPONDERS, PSIONIC CONTAINMENT, PSIONIC RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION, the BREACH TEAM, and ALIEN CAPTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION departments within the SRD.

THE PEACEKEEPERS: As unique and unprecedented situations occur, many of which affect the everyday lives of ADVENT citizens, the SRD will have a peacekeeping role should such situations arise which put innocent lives at risk, be they psionic or normal in origin. As such a number of Peacekeeping forces will be recruited to assist in these tasks as they arise, and to properly ensure that the Peacekeepers are properly informed as to the actions of the SRD.

Recruited Peacekeepers will be primarily assigned to the FIRST RESPONDERS, PSIONIC CONTAINMENT, CYBER QUARANTINE, and NANITE CONTAINMENT AND EXTERMINATION departments within the SRD.

ADVENT INTELLIGENCE: Given the objectives of ADVENT Intelligence have a degree of overlap with the SRD, it is prudent to leverage the skills and assets of the agents and analysts within ADVENT Intelligence, specifically their expertise in the realm of cyberspace which is one of the most exploitable areas within ADVENT for dedicated opponents. Both the SRD and ADVENT Intelligence will maintain a symbiotic relationship, and provide us with immediate information on situations which demand our attention.

ADVENT Intelligence personnel recruited will be primarily assigned to CYBER QUARANTINE, NANITE CONTAINMENT AND EXTERMINATION, PSIONIC CONTAINMENT, and ALIEN CAPTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION within the SRD.

ADVENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: One of the largest aspects of the SRD is that they will be continually researching and theorizing to prepare for any scenario that can arise. To properly acquire this knowledge, they require a dedicated corps of scientists and researchers to do whatever is necessary to prepare the rest of the SRD for the unexpected. The SRD will draw from the best of ADVENT R&D for the most critical of projects that could be instrumental for the continued existence of ADVENT.

Recruited scientists will be primarily assigned to PSIONIC RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION, CYBER QUARANTINE, and ALIEN CAPTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION.

 **DIVISION DEPARTMENTS** : The following departments listed compose the Special Response Division and all of them answer to the CHIEF RESPONDER of the Special Response Division, who is responsible for effectively managing the division and will continually keep the Chancellor and their Cabinet informed of all potential situations and developments.

THE FIRST RESPONDERS: The First Responders are the team responsible for first visiting the location or site of the disturbance to accurately determine the situation and what specific response will be needed. They will be responsible for collecting information, conducting interviews, supporting other ADVENT personnel and potentially participating in combat operations.

In the event that there is a designated military threat that has been identified that ADVENT is not properly prepared for, the First Responders will be sent to handle the entity on their own, or to isolate them for other departments to eventually handle. This division is commanded by the FIRST RESPONDER, who answers directly to the CHIEF RESPONDER.

PSIONIC RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION: This department is responsible for conducting highly specialized research on psionics and the effects they can elicit. This differs from the work done by the PRIEST Division in multiple ways, the most specific of which is that it is more focused on the military and psychological effects of psionics on Humans and aliens, and will heavily utilize the Experimentation Labs for their work.

This department will be managing and conducting the majority of experiments which are considered lethal in nature, and can and will result in the terminations of participants. It will also focus on determining weaknesses of psions and if they have adverse reactions to certain chemicals, elements, poisons, and technologies to serve as a basis for anti-psionic technology and other anti-psionic techniques which can be used in the field.

Psionic awakenings in prisoners will be permitted for experimentation purposes, with heavy Manchurian Restraint programming. All awakened captives in the Experimentation Labs are required by law to be terminated after six months of usage; this requirement will be followed in full by Psionic Research and Experimentation.

PSIONIC CONTAINMENT: In the event that there is a psionic incident of unknown or known origin, Psionic Containment will be sent to quarantine and later purge the situation. While thankfully the foresight of ADVENT has helped mitigate some of the downsides of mass psionic awakenings, the fact remains that awakenings can and have happened, and this department is responsible for finding and managing them.

Psionic Containment is composed of PRIESTs and soldiers specifically equipped to take down hostile psions and everyone connected to them. As these individuals in the past have been largely untrained, they nonetheless posed a threat to those around them, and as such de-escalation and mitigation are core aspects of this department.

There are also instances where psionic activity is determined in a specific location, usually caused by an alien infiltrator. The Zararch is suspected to be using Sectoids to leech off ADVENT personnel psionically, and Psionic Containment will be essential in making sure that nothing crucial is lost. Research into identifying effects of long-term psionic scanning and pinpointing psionic activity is notably crucial in this process, and serves as an example of how inter-connected each department is to the overall division.

CYBER QUARANTINE: Thanks to XCOM, we are aware that there is an extremely high likelihood that one or more of the Andromedon Unions has working artificial intelligences, and eventually those are likely to spread to Earth. The Ethereal Collective CODEX Network serves as the pinnacle of a machine intelligence that is continually attempting to penetrate our systems.

However, it is likely that in the future, the danger will come from a threat that ADVENT itself engineers. While the usefulness of AI cannot be understated, especially in this current situation, there will be issues that arise. One AI will inevitably fail or turn on ADVENT, and when that happens, contingencies need to be in place beyond programming.

Cyber Quarantine will be responsible for working to purge rogue AIs from our systems utilizing highly controlled machine intelligences, EMP devices, low-tech unhackable tools, and control over crucial ADVENT systems that allow machines to function. Despite high computational power, an AI will always have vulnerabilities, but those must be exploited as soon as possible for them to be fully effective.

We cannot expect this to not happen at some point, and that is what Cyber Quarantine will be prepared for, even if the rest of ADVENT is not.

NANITE CONTAINMENT AND EXTERMINATION: There are many threats which can threaten to exterminate us. An out of control nanite plague is among the worst. Similar to AI, nanotechnology presents a significant advantage both in civilian and military sectors, but the more it has become integrated into our infrastructure and weaponry, the greater the potential for failure.

The consequences of even a single nanite swarm that goes rogue cannot be understated. Consumption and replication ensures annihilation of not just our species, but aliens as well. All situations related to nanotechnology must be dealt with _immediately_ and with extreme prejudice. It is better to be safe than sorry, even if the cost is high.

Teams from Nanite Containment and Extermination will be equipped with EMP weapons, chemicals, have access to network systems, and utilize controlled nanites to handle hostile swarms. In addition to potential accidents, they are also trained to handle alien-originated nanite swarms and neutralize them before they wreak catastrophic damage against ADVENT. As we have seen from the SPECTRE unit, this threat must be eliminated immediately or it will grow out of control.

THE BREACH TEAM: Experiments and projects go awry at times, and sometimes dangerous specimens and products become released. The Breach Team is responsible for ensuring that containment breaches never reach civilian centers and are either contained, or subjects put down. As of this date, containment breaches only remain in the single digits, and were neutralized before exiting the facility.

As the ambition and resources of ADVENT grow, this may no longer be a likely outcome. It is for this reason that the Breach Team will be maintained, and be appraised of all projects which could pose a threat to ADVENT citizens if accidentally released. This also applies not to genetically engineered specimens, but also bioweapons, diseases, and other products which may cause harm if released.

ALIEN CAPTURE AND EXPERIMENTATION: The aliens from the Ethereal Collective are not the only ones we will encounter in the future. While we wish that aliens would approach us peacefully, they ultimately will pose a threat to us, and their vulnerabilities must be understood and exploited. This department is a means of acquiring information on new and existing aliens, and cataloguing every single advantage and weakness that we can later exploit.

There are two aspects to this department. The first is teams specializing in alien capture. In times of warfare or preemptive discovery, they will capture alien combatants covertly and efficiently, before returning them to the second aspect of the department. They will be armed and trained, as well as appropriately briefed on the alien in question. These operations will continue until ADVENT is satisfied with the amount of information required.

The second aspect handles experimentation on aliens. This includes the actual cataloguing of strengths and weaknesses including autopsies, pain tolerance, structural weak points, psychological durability and traits, psionic aptitude and vulnerability, and physical capabilities. Tests on resistance to chemical agents, diseases, genetic manipulation, and Manchurian programming tests will also be conducted until the department is satisfied with the level of knowledge acquired.

All information will be shared with XCOM as per the shared alien research agreement.

 **RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING** : As stated earlier, the Special Response Division will be recruiting from all different divisions of ADVENT, including the PRIEST Division, ADVENT Intelligence, and others. The entry level for the SRD is high, and it is expected that due to the sensitive nature of this division, that personnel will be able to easily fit these high standards.

Training will not cover basics, and will further specialize the individual's already comprehensive knowledge of their previous position. Each department will have specific training that will be a combination of hands-on and academic. As new developments and discoveries emerge, more training will be developed.

 **AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS** : The Special Response Division cannot conduct operations outside the territory of ADVENT without specific approval from either the Director of ADVENT Intelligence, or the Oversight Division. The Oversight Division will maintain permanent attaches to all departments to ensure compliance with ADVENT regulations.

The SRD cannot acquire subjects that are already in the process of being utilized by other departments, or those which have been requested by XCOM. They also cannot contermand ongoing military operations, which must be managed by ADVENT High Command. In operations strictly relating to the SRD, they have complete authority on how to proceed and execute their objective.

It is _required_ that the SRD coordinate with appropriate divisions if necessary, specifically the Peacekeepers and ADVENT Army when conducting missions in civilian and hostile territory. The SRD is required to inform ADVENT High Command of all operations in uncharted or alien territory, as well as all research projects currently being undertaken.

 **RESEARCH POLICIES** : Due to the high amount of research conducted by this department, there are a number of policies the Special Response Division will adhere to.

SUBJECT ACQUISITION PRIORITY: In the event that the SRD requests an unused subject for usage, it is to be turned over to them immediately. Unless the subject was requested for a Class-I project, then it will be provided regardless of if the subject has been claimed or not. In almost all instances the SRD will have priority access to all test subjects within the Experimentation Labs, both alien and Human.

LIVE SUBJECTS: All live subjects are required to be documented, as well as psionic confirmation of their identity. Once these are acquired, the SRD is free to use the subject however they require. In the event of pregnancy or other fetal development, the resulting offspring is to be removed and placed into the ADVENT Adoption System as unclaimed. No authorization is given to harm or experiment upon it. This applies to both Humans and aliens.

DOCUMENTATION STANDARDS: Due to the nature of the work conducted, ADVENT expects a high standard for all documentation from the SRD. To ensure compliance, all experiments must be heavily documented with video and audio evidence, as well as any academic information of note that was acquired. Failure to properly document _all_ experiments and operations will result in investigation and prosecution by the Oversight Division for all involved parties.

COORDINATION WITH THE EXPERIMENTATION LABS: The Special Response Division will build and maintain a working relationship with the Experimentation Labs, who will provide the SRD with test subjects as mandated. In return, the SRD will turn over any excess alien captives or test subjects to the Experimentation Labs to utilize as they see fit.

COORDINATION WITH XCOM: As indicated above, through the Shared Alien Research Agreement, all information acquired by the SRD on alien biology, psychology, and other anatomy will be shared with XCOM to utilize as they see fit. In return they are expected to inform the SRD and ADVENT itself on any breakthroughs of their own relating to alien physiology and psychology. This agreement will be in effect until such a time as either party renegotiates or terminates the agreement.

COORDINATION WITH ADVENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Due to the highly experimental nature of various departments of the SRD, the sharing of finished techniques, technology, and information between the SRD and ADVENT Research and Development is approved upon review by the Oversight Division and ADVENT Intelligence. In some instances, both the SRD and ADVENT Research and Development will work together on certain projects as directed by the Director of ADVENT Intelligence or the Chancellor of ADVENT.

 **CONCLUSION** : The Pandora's Box has been opened for many aspects of reality and technology that cannot be taken back. It is through the Special Response Division that the negative effects of these developments will be contained and mitigated before permanent damage can be done to ADVENT or its citizens.

The nature of the Special Response Division is also such that when the next Box is opened, they will be prepared to deal with it accordingly. We cannot put this technology and knowledge back in the box, but we can ensure that it is harnessed effectively for the ultimate benefit of Mankind.

* * *

 **SPECIAL RESPONSE DIVISION INCIDENT REPORT #0125**

Operation Location: State of Missouri, United States of America

Departments Utilized: First Responders; Psionic Containment

Incident Type: Psionic (Human)

Casualties: 27 hostiles; 0 allied

Operation Outcome: Success

Further Operations: Unnecessary

OVERVIEW: Continuing a string of irregular incidents, particularly in the Midwest of the United States, the Special Response Division was involved in the discovery, investigation, and ultimate termination of a psionic alien-worshipping cult. The growing frequency of these kind of incidents indicates that multiple groups may have been put into motion weeks or months ago by Zararch or other alien parties interested in sowing discord and chaos throughout ADVENT.

Full incident report is as follows.

ORIGIN: On exactly 2/24/2017 the local Peacekeeping department received several reports of missing persons and dispatched individuals to investigate. They eventually found nothing and the individuals – primarily aged between twenty and twenty-four – were presumed to have left voluntarily or severed contact as they were in the process of attending a local university and all incident reports came from parents.

This was seemingly confirmed when all individuals unexpectedly reappeared at their university several days later, and did _not_ reestablish contact with friends and family outside of college. All suspects were brought in for questioning, and all of them could not recall what they were doing the previous nights, or had incomplete memories.

Several warrants were obtained for psionic questioning which were provided, and the local Peacekeeping department provided a series of incident reports which covered individuals acting suspiciously. These were not criminal acts or harassment, which was why few follow-up investigations had been conducted and several were suspected to be racist in origin.

Cross-checking these individuals or those connected to them revealed that there had been other missing persons reports that had been filed, and then later retracted when the person turned up alive and were discarded. Psionic questioning of the latest subjects showed clear signs of some unknown– and unskilled – psionic memory tampering.

First Responders coordinated with local Peacekeeping forces to immediately quarantine the area and bring in all suspects for questioning as Psionic Containment prepared to handle what appeared to be an alien or rogue Human psion operating in the area. Citizens were publicly informed of the situation and advised to report any suspicious behavior to their Peacekeepers.

OPERATION BREAKDOWN: As per protocols, all of the Peacekeepers who were not under Manchurian conditioning were subject to questioning by multiple teams of Inquisitors to ensure there was no psionic corruption that had taken place. Three officers became highly violent after questioning and were subdued and psionically interrogated.

From their memories we learned the name of the psion as well as some details of where he was hiding or had visited. Dan Phislot was a new and fairly young university professor who had been covertly recruiting his students into a cult centered around aliens – particularly the Ethereals. From their memories we determined that he was highly paranoid, had attempted to cover his tracks, and the extent of his backing by aliens was unknown.

All university staff were brought in for questioning and several of them were under psionic manipulation and became violent. One attempted suicide but was stopped. All were interrogated, but did not provide any additional information other than that Phislot had only begun openly acting strangely within the past month.

For safety reasons, all students he could have potentially interacted with were quarantined and subjected to standard interrogations. First Responders with Psionic Containment surrounded all locations that Phislot was known to frequent. His family was also quarantined and brought in for questioning.

Phislot was found in a warehouse which appeared to have been converted to the main headquarters of this makeshift cult. There were multiple crude statues of Ethereals, Sectoids, and several other unidentifiable things we can only assume were the crude delusions of Phislot. Purple and white were the dominant colors.

There was a significant number of high-quality, but mismatching furniture, which we assume was the result of Phislot using his psionics to acquire items free of charge. Within this headquarters were approximately forty individuals who were under the thrall of Phislot who declared that they must attack "At the command of the Elders" and through his initial monologue several times declared himself as an "Avatar of the Ethereals", while showcasing clear breakdowns in comprehension and speech.

While untrained, Phislot proved to be skilled enough to initially defend himself from several telepathic attacks, and First Responders and Peacekeepers opened fire on the charging crowd, terminating a number of corrupted individuals. The remainder were subdued and prepared for questioning. Phislot himself was brought in alive and there were no casualties suffered during the operation.

OUTCOME: All victims were interrogated and are now in the process of attempting to reverse the telepathic damage done to them. In the event they are unrecoverable, the option will be offered to their families (should any exist) of if they should be terminated, undergo a memory wipe, or be turned over to the Special Response Division.

Interrogation of Phislot confirmed that while there were – to his knowledge – no aliens he physically met, he insisted and raved about how he could speak to them and that they appeared to him in dreams. There is a high probability that the aliens are maintaining some kind of contact, or were initially the ones to drive him insane.

It also confirmed that the psionic threat was contained here, but for safety all citizens were encouraged to remain vigilant. No sufficient answer was concluded on the origin of Phislot's psionic abilities, and if there was alien involvement, the erasure of memories is a likely culprit. We are attempting to search the area and Phislot's belongings to determine if he found – or was given – an object that could awaken psionic potential.

Upon the confirmation of the elimination of the psionic threat, all unaffected individuals were cleared to resume their daily lives, while those affected were placed into psionic therapy programs until further notice. The victims who died were identified and their families were notified as to their fate. Dan Phislot was taken before an Arbiter the same day interrogation concluded who sentenced him to the Experimentation Labs.

He is now serving as a test subject for Psionic Research and Experimentation, and the Manchurian Restraints have been properly applied. Should an addendum be necessary, it will be added to this report. The operation was a complete success, and another psionic incident was contained.

It should again be reiterated that it is likely that ADVENT will face more of these incidents in the future as the Zararch keep awakening psionics in those who should not have them. A more aggressive push to locate and contain potential psions would be warranted.

* * *

Operation: Special Management

Division: Military intelligence

Report Author: Zar'icaris'vitiary

Authorization: Zar'Chon

To the Zar'Chon,

One of the most enigmatic divisions within ADVENT thus far which has recently been revealed to pose an unprecedented threat to our operations is the Special Response Division, which we initially believed to either be a highly classified special forces unit, both for peacekeeping or military operations, or a unit focusing on civilian incidents. As we have learned, it is an amalgamation of multiple different divisions with the sole focus of working to contain highly volatile situations and developments involving psionics and highly dangerous technology such as nanotech and artificial intelligence.

They are a contingency for ADVENT, and only recently have been given reign to operate 'normally'.

The recent actions in Beijing have put a large spotlight on the Special Response Division, as they were instrumental in purging China of all influence from the Bringer, and we have determined that they are the reason that the awakened psions we planted have been disappearing. They have been removed by the Special Response Division, which utilizes a collection of military, peacekeeping, intelligence, and PRIEST personnel.

This division appears to be extremely important to ADVENT, and we would do well to determine their operations. It would be incorrect to label them as a black operations unit when ADVENT doesn't specifically adhere to that term, but the Special Response Division is undoubtedly working on projects and operations hidden from the majority of ADVENT at large.

To get a better idea of what we can expect from the Special Response Division, we should look again to those who have been appointed to lead it, as well as individuals linked to it. Not every single aspect of the Special Response Division has been revealed, and there will be some assumptions made on the personnel listed, as well as their relationship to the division. Do not consider this list complete.

Please refer to Operation Surprise Response for a more complete breakdown of what we know of the Special Response Division's structure and hierarchy.

 **First Responder Natal Lucciano – The First Responders** : As the First Responders are primarily a military unit deployed whenever the Special Response Division is utilized, it follows that the one in charge of the department would be a soldier. Natal Lucciano is an identified Lancer, and from what we have been able to find, served for several months in America, participated heavily in China, and was especially sought after by the Special Response Division.

Prior to ADVENT he was a top soldier in the special forces of Argentina, and defected to ADVENT when the invasion began. Since then he has proved to be a dangerous opponent, and now commands a mixture of soldiers, PRIESTs, and other military officials. He has made a deliberate point to find and shut down any psionic 'disturbances' that arise, and personally assisted in Beijing.

He is a hardened soldier with no spouse or children, but with parents who presumably still live in Argentina. Recommended that more information be acquired to gather additional information about Lucciano. While it is good that he is no longer on the front lines, he could likely have a greater impact disrupting our operations behind the scenes. His removal should be a priority.

 **Chief Psionic Specialist Jahvon Wilson – Unknown Psionic Research Department** : This is a name that will likely be recognizable, as he was one of the first major Human academic professors to fully commit to the study of psionics. He's published several papers based on research he had conducted (prior to the PRIEST Division, and one of the few ADVENT allowed to research the subject), which largely relates to psionics and its effects on the Human body and mind.

He transferred to the Research Branch of the PRIEST Division, and no one heard anything from him since. As it turns out, he had been transferred again to the Special Response Division to work for their own psionic research program, the name of which we are still unable to identify. We are not entirely sure _why_ Wilson is working with this division, or what he could be doing, as his specialty did not seem especially militant.

It is also unknown if he's managing this department, or if he is merely assisting it as a subordinate. This needs to be determined as soon as possible, as well as his objectives. It is possible that this is connected to ADVENT research to reverse psionic tampering, but without hard evidence we cannot say for certain.

What is certain is that this man is highly important to their efforts. His removal would set them back.

 **Chief Containment Officer Nicole Devillers – Psionic Containment** : This is a blank spot in the Special Response Division. Prior to her announcement, Nicole Devillers was essentially a ghost. We could not find any social media records, official documents, or anything concrete that linked to this woman. She is suspected to be French in origin, but outside of that she remains an unknown.

She _is_ however, heavily connected to the Research Branch of the PRIEST Division, and there were several sightings of her meeting with notably high-profile people including Amalda Stein, Elizabeth Falka, Akilah Kettani, and Kyong Suk-Chul. Why she was meeting these individuals? Unknown. Our best estimates are that she is an intelligence agent who was promoted for an equally sensitive task.

She and Lucciano appear to have the same goals, which are the purging of any psionic incidents. Both of them have been seen together in official and non-official meetings, and their departments are perhaps the two that coordinate the most. She also heavily participated in Beijing operations, and there are rumors that many of the individuals Psionic Containment encountered were not killed, but captured and are test subjects for whatever the division is doing.

It would not be unexpected, but interestingly Devillers appears more concerned with the possibility of artificial intelligence than psionics, and has reportedly gone on record saying so internally. How her concerns have been received is unknown.

 **Breach Team Commander Kiko Inugami – The Breach Team** : While we are not entirely sure _what_ the Breach Team is, exactly, we can make some logical assumptions based upon the woman in charge. Kiko Inugami is indeed a soldier, but one assigned to the personal guard of the President of Japan. She has served in this position for several decades, and was poached by ADVENT soon after Japan fell for the first time.

This tells us that the Breach Team is not necessarily a _purely_ military unit, though it doesn't refute it either. What it does imply is that there is a degree of secrecy around it. Inugami is capable of keeping secrets, and expecting the same from those around her. If it were just another military unit, there are better candidates.

But if you need to ensure that they can be trusted with sensitive information? She fits the criteria especially well. It implies that the Breach Team is more of a cleaner team than military unit. When things become out of control, this is what the Breach Team is utilized for. Otherwise such a unit would be redundant when the First Responders already exist.

 **Chief Xenopsychologist Roman Von Weber – Unknown Research Department** : One of the first Humans to truly specialize in xenopsychology, Roman Von Weber is another individual you may be familiar with, as prior to XCOM, he and Dr. Moira Vahlen worked closely together on projects for the German government, and he came with a recommendation from Vahlen herself.

He is the leading Human expert on xenopsychology, and even after recruitment to the Special Response Division he's continued to provide input and expertise to ADVENT. Every single basis for alien psychology has either been written, or refined by him. Having read several of his papers myself, he has an uncanny ability for accurately deconstructing non-human psyches.

It should not be a surprise that he was also heavily involved as a consultant for the AEGIS Division, and has been brought in to talk to Vitakara defectors, Mutons, and every Ethereal defector has at least spoken with him once. He's given ADVENT a worryingly accurate tool to continue understanding and exploiting our species.

Several intercepted documents reveal that one of his more involved plans to exploit the Vitakara involves division along racial lines – something the Zararch has noted as a vulnerability before, and that ADVENT now at least knows it is a possibility is disturbing. At best they will ignore it, and at worst they could embolden or support the Nulorian who would be more than willing to serve as tools for an alien invader so long as it fulfills their radical agenda.

His removal is recommended sooner than later.

 **Chief Responder Daisy Fox – The Special Response Division** : The leader of the Special Response Division is an interesting choice, all things considered. She's had a very sporadic career, holding degrees in psychology, filmmaking, art, and writing. She has worked as an archeologist, with fortune tellers, for the CIA, and as an astrologist. She appears to have always had a fascination with the unknown and dangerous.

She is notably intelligent, and was one of the few individuals to be appraised of our incursion along with XCOM and other top government officials, and tasked with finding a means of communication – or to determine our threat level. Both proved elusive, and eventually she was moved to work with a specialized think tank to present solutions to protect Humanity.

What happened is not something we discovered the specifics of, but she reportedly was responsible for putting together a high-level list of detailed contingencies to supposedly ensure the survival of the United States in nearly any circumstance. ADVENT has reportedly taken significant inspiration from her work.

As a result, putting her in charge of what is a division _solely_ devoted to act as a contingency plan for ADVENT is not far-fetched as it may appear. She is still not a known entity within ADVENT, and is solely focused on managing the division. With it becoming more public, we expect her to show herself more. She should be watched solely for her position, but it's likely that her greatest contributions to ADVENT have already been made.

* * *

 **SPECIAL RESPONSE DIVISION**

 **PSIONIC RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION**

 **CONDENSED REPORT SUMMARY**

Test Series: PSIHUM0921

Test Topic: Mental Durability and Psionic Detection

Subjects Utilized: 30

Casualties: 6 (Terminated after test complete due to biological failures)

SOUND TESTS: This test explored the utilization of sonic weaponry against psions to determine potential usefulness as anti-psionic weaponry. Four test subjects were utilized, each determined to specialize in a different psionic discipline. After Manchurian Restraints were confirmed to be stable, testing began. There were two kinds of sonic tools used – rifles developed as a result of the Atlantis Project, and high-powered sonic turrets. There are three settings to the turrets. Sonic rifles used the highest setting in all tests.

Dynamo: Subject was instructed to destroy a target while being assaulted with sonic weaponry. Usage of the sonic rifle resulted in noticeable discomfort, but did not significantly affect capabilities. Setting 1 of the sonic turret was enough to cause serious disruption, Setting 2 was enough to negate the psion entirely and was forced to move to attempt to destroy the target. This proved impossible when the turret followed the subject and continued firing.

Aegii: Similar to the first subject, the Aegii subject demonstrated no significant loss in control when the sonic rifle was used. Setting 1 of the sonic turret forced the subject to instead manifest a psionic shield around himself, which seemed to assist in mitigating the worst of the sonic blasts. Setting 2 elicited more dedication to this personal shield, while Setting 3 was powerful enough to force complete insulation, while providing noticeable discomfort for the subject. The subsonic vibrations were enough to rupture the eardrums of the subject and he eventually collapsed into unconsciousness with significant brain damage. Aegii are noted as being most resistant to this method of attack.

Telekinesis: The outcome of this test was similar to the first one, as the subject showed mild discomfort from the rifle, but upon Setting 1 of the turret being utilized, he was immediately distracted and his concentration lessened. Setting 2 negated his capabilities completely.

Telepathy: As this test demonstrates, telepaths appear to be the most vulnerable to psionic weaponry. Even sonic rifles were enough to prevent even a simple telepathic attack on other test subjects, while Setting 1 was enough to overwhelm the psion and in this case knock him out completely. A debrief afterwards with the subject revealed that the sonic weapon was 'loud' enough to drown out the minds it normally could access. Highly promising.

Conclusion: Sonic weaponry holds promise against psions – particularly Sectoids and untrained psions. This test appears to provide strong evidence for effectiveness; future tests will need to determine effectiveness against trained psions and psions wearing combat gear and specialized equipment. Research project is prioritized.

MENTAL DURABILITY TESTS: A theory that has not been tested is if psions have an innate mental durability due to their power, or if it has nothing to do with one's connection to the psionosphere. Furthermore, it was theorized if psions of different disciplines have firmer discipline compared to others. This series of tests had two groups. Non-psions who were subjected to the same tests, and the psions themselves. For this particular test we did not differentiate between different disciplines. Future tests will further refine information gathered.

Sleep Deprivation: Subjects were given a series of numbers to recite and were required to repeat the series whenever prompted by an officer. They were intentionally kept awake through a variety of methods including loud noises/music, water, electrical shocks, and physical intervention. After twenty-four hours subjects were questioned. Each one was able to successfully repeat the series.

This was repeated every twelve hours, with more intense iterations of the stated methods. At seventy-two hours both subjects were unable to form coherent sentences and failed to repeat the series. Throughout the experiment neither subject demonstrated a firmer resolve or mental focus than the other.

Interrogation: Prior to this test beginning, both subjects were informed that if they could outlast the other, they would be unconditionally released from the Experimentation Labs with a clean public slate. In order not to release convicted killers, we took care to select subjects which had done less-violent actions, and selected one who had released classified documents to the media, and another who attempted to sell information to the SAS.

This was done to provide incentive to cooperate without forcing Manchurian programming to restrain themselves, which would have defeated the entire purpose. Both individuals were told a specific piece of information and were instructed to not, under any circumstances, tell their interrogator what it was. The test began.

The interrogators were instructed to utilize whatever methods they thought would be most effective. Both subjects were chosen due to their identified vulnerability to pain, and both interrogators were instructed to lean towards those methods, though not specifically commanded to. Both identified pain as a pressure point, and began utilizing it effectively.

It was the non-psion that broke first, though the psion gave up information only fifteen minutes afterwards. While in this instance the psion showed greater mental fortitude, it was not significantly longer than the non-psion. The individual was released back into ADVENT with her memory of her time in the Labs wiped completely, though aware she had been involved.

Elemental Control: For this test both subjects were ordered to endure six hours without losing consciousness, and were placed into cubicles which altered between elemental extremes. Both were dressed appropriately, and the cubicle temperature was lowered to below freezing and kept there for two hours before it shifted to over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, before in the final hour moving back below freezing.

In this instance it was the psion who lost consciousness first, and in fact the other subject endured the entire six hours.

Conclusion: The premise that psions are inherently more mentally strong appear to be dubious at best. In one instance neither subject succeeded, and in the other two tests a psion and non-psion proved to be mentally stronger. Several more refined tests may be conducted to confirm this, but it does not appear that there is a significant link between the two. In short, assuming that psions are more mentally stable or stronger is a mistake, and ADVENT should not fall into this specific fallacy.

PSIONIC DETECTION TESTS: One of the more benign tests conducted was to determine if there is a reliable way to determine if an individual has been affected by a psion. A test subject has his memories altered by a psion, and another psion was tasked to determine first if the subject had their memories altered.

She was presented with two test subjects, both of whom did not know if they had been tampered with. One had been, the other had not. The psion correctly deduced the correct one that had been altered. Two more subjects were presented and she was tasked with the same question. She failed to correctly identify the correct individual this time. A third pair were brought before her, and she was once again able to correctly identify the tampered test subject.

This was repeated a few times more, with some pairs having both been tampered with, and some where neither had been. In approximately 72% of the tests, she was able to correctly determine if a subject had been tampered with or not. After a rest of several days, this same test was repeated, and instead of just identifying if a subject had been tampered with, she also had to say _what_ had been tampered with. It could be a memory, personality trait, or something intentionally hidden in the mind for another to find.

While in this test she maintained her consistency in identifying _if_ subjects had been tampered with, raising it to 75%, she was far less successful in determining _what_ had been tampered. In only 31% of all identified subjects did she identify the correct issue, and afterwards she admitted that a large percentage of those were logical guesses.

In short, based on her own report, it _is_ possible to identify if someone has been tampered with, but it is far more difficult to determine what was tampered in their mind. This is something to explore further, and exists as an excellent starting point to investigate.

BEHAVIOR ALTERATION TESTS: This test consisted of two parts, the first being to what extent psionics could be used to alter the behavior of others, and if psionic awakening resulted in altered behaviors of psions. For the first part of the test, a psion was given access to a test subject in a simulated environment who was unwittingly exposed to the psion.

Over the course of a week the subject demonstrated a completely different personality to what he had exhibited before, and to further drive the malleability home, the psion managed to largely revert the subject back to the personality he had exhibited before, though not with complete perfection. This appears to confirm without a doubt that personalities can be _drastically_ altered by psionics – but are extremely noticeable if not done with any subtlety.

The second test had a more difficult question to answer, and the results are still ongoing as this has been designated as a long-term experiment. An individual was psionically awakened and placed into a simulated environment with monitors at all times. The intent is to determine if the power psionics provides (his previous memories were wiped and supplemented with false ones, and is under the impression that his abilities are a secret) will change an individual for the better or worse, depending on their disposition, or if it will change them at all.

Currently, the subject has not exhibited radical personality changes, though is notably fascinated by his capabilities, and is trying to master them as best he can. We will continue to monitor this subject, and start several similar ones to provide a greater testing pool. He has demonstrated notable restraint, and that is something to consider for future tests.

Different simulations may yield different results. This question is not likely to be even adequately answered for years, but until that point, we will do what we can.


	142. ADVENT-History:ADVENT and Classification

ADVENT: History

ADVENT and Classification

* * *

" _Secrets will win us this war. Under no circumstances are they allowed to be shared."_

\- Intelligence Director Elizabeth Falka

* * *

 **ADVENT**

 **FOR INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION ONLY**

 **OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION HIERARCHY AND ACQUISITION**

 **OVERVIEW** : Information is one of the most important commodities in warfare, and ADVENT recognizes the need to ensure that information critical to the success of the war does not come to the wrong people. To this end ADVENT has established a thorough system of clearances and classifications to ensure that information is strictly regulated and controlled on our most important projects and plans.

This document will help identify the structure of this classification, list all major clearance types and how they are acquired, as well as reiterating the need for integrity of ADVENT, and the penalties for breaking the trust and investment ADVENT has put into those who are given access to this information.

 **TYPES OF CLEARANCE** : There are two categories of clearance levels: Civilian and military. Almost every single clearance will fall into one of these categories. Please note that one individual can hold more than one clearance at a time.

Civilian Clearance: Civilian clearances are granted to all non-military positions in ADVENT, which include the Executive Branch, Research and Development, Engineering, and other departments and divisions which require clearance or handle sensitive material. Civilian clearances typically cover major projects of both science and engineering, as well as all psionic research programs.

Military Clearance: Military clearances are granted to individuals who need to know military operations of military and intelligence forces of ADVENT. This includes enemy and allied troop movements, planned military operations, sensitive intelligence operations, intercepted information of enemy forces, and other aspects of military planning and strategy.

 **CIVILIAN CLEARANCE LEVELS** : There are four civilian clearance levels available. An individual can only hold one at a time per specialization, with the ability to view information or have access to any levels at and below the one currently held.

General Clearance: This clearance is provided to all members of ADVENT, and grants them access to all ADVENT government buildings and controlled areas. Please note that this merely allows access onto the premises; more specialized access is required to enter sensitive or workplace areas. For military bases General Clearances are insufficient without escort. These are provided to all ADVENT personnel at the completion of standard background checks and can only be revoked upon termination or resignation from ADVENT. Non-ADVENT personnel can apply for General Clearances, provided they complete a background check and give an acceptable reason for receiving one.

Specialized Clearance: This clearance allows ADVENT personnel to access their place of work. All access to workplace functions, regardless of department, requires this clearance which will _only_ grant access to that workplace. It will not function in any department not clearly marked. In addition, it will allow access to any additional technologies or equipment within the workplace. This is provided to ADVENT personnel upon acceptance of their final job offer, and supersedes a General Clearance. It can be suspended or revoked upon termination or resignation from ADVENT. Non-ADVENT personnel cannot apply for Specialized Clearances.

Specialized Secret Clearance: This clearance allows ADVENT personnel within their specialization, department, or division to access SECRET-level information, documentation, or knowledge pertinent to their department, division, or specialization. This does NOT apply to any SECRET material outside these boundaries. This is permitted for senior officials who successfully pass in-depth background checks and have proven competency in the workplace. This can be revoked upon degrading performance and mishandling of SECRET material.

Specialized Top Secret Clearance: Similar to the above, this clearance allows ADVENT personnel within their department, division, or specialization access to TOP SECRET material specific to said department, division, or specialization. As with the previous classification, this does not apply to any SECRET or TOP SECRET material outside these boundaries. These are only given to managers and heads of departments and divisions and others who have consistently showed good judgement, loyalty, and competency. Undergoing Manchurian Programming is necessary to acquire this clearance.

 **MILITARY CLEARANCE LEVELS** : There are three military clearance levels, with each higher one superseding the previous. An individual can only hold ONE of these clearances at any point in time.

Military Operations Clearance: This is the basic clearance provided to all ADVENT military personnel which allows them basic access to every ADVENT institution, military base, and territory. It also allows them to be cleared to receive military orders and operational details on upcoming operations. This clearance can only be revoked upon resignation or termination from the ADVENT Military.

Military Operations Secret Clearance: This clearance is provided to all TIER-III Captains and Lieutenants and above which allows them access to short-term or immediate military plans and strategies in development which can be out no further than one month. It also permits access to pertinent military projects or intelligence classified as SECRET. This is the basic clearance provided to all ADVENT Intelligence personnel, and can only be revoked upon demotion, mishandling, or termination from ADVENT.

Military Operations Top Secret Clearance: This clearance is heavily restricted to only the rank of Chief Marshal and above which provide access to all military operations within ADVENT in the near and far future. In addition, it also permits access to intelligence labeled as TOP SECRET which contains vital information on enemy and allied operations, movements, and plans.

 **OTHER CLEARANCES** : There are a number of other clearances which do not fall into the previous categories. They are largely irregular compared to standard clearances, and only given to very specific individuals. Most of these supersede equal or lower-level clearances.

Temporary Clearance: This is a clearance that can be generated to allow one or more individuals access to certain parts of ADVENT. This is largely reserved to allow civilians access to ADVENT institutions and military bases. It cannot exceed the level of a Specialized Clearance or Military Operations Clearance. These are generally only provided to academic personnel, volunteer militia, press and media, and tour groups. All individuals have to complete a background check before acquiring a Temporary Clearance. These can be specifically configured to only allow access to specific locations, as well as how long each clearance will last, from a low as one day to as high as one year. These can be revoked at any time by ADVENT.

Research and Development Top Secret Clearance: This clearance is only for extremely senior officials and exceptionally talented personnel whose expertise and coordination is needed on a number of highly sensitive and important projects. This will allow unrestricted access to all TOP SECRET and below projects and information related to Research and Development, and Engineering projects in ADVENT.

Universal Clearance: This clearance allows the holder unrestricted access to all territories, infrastructure, and military bases under the control of ADVENT. This acts as the equivalent of a General Clearance or Military Operations Clearance. This clearance can be applied for by any individual in ADVENT and is contingency upon the completion of a background check and appropriate reason for holding it. This also applies to civilian applicants. This does not grant access to specialized workplaces or facilities.

Universal Secret Clearance: This clearance allows the holder unrestricted access to all information, projects, and material classified as SECRET. This is highly restricted to senior intelligence officials, senior military officers, and those who have demonstrated exceptional skill and loyalty to ADVENT. Manchurian Programming is a requirement to hold this clearance.

Universal Top Secret Clearance: This clearance is restricted to the highest positions of ADVENT as well as the Oversight Division. It allows access to all aspects of ADVENT and is only granted to those who require this level of access to perform their tasks exceptionally. Manchurian Programming is a requirement, if one does not already have it. Aliens are barred from receiving this clearance.

 **STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS** : Those who hold clearance are expected to treat it delicately and appropriately, as the integrity of ADVENT comes down to the discretion of the men and women within it. ADVENT expects those who are granted clearances to follow the regulations and rules established by their division, department, or superiors.

Under no circumstances is information to be shared with an individual, entity, or alien who does not hold an equivalent or higher level of clearance. If you are unsure, please consult your superior for instructions on how to proceed. Failure to adhere to these laws will result in your termination from ADVENT and subsequent arrest.

 **PENALTIES** : The penalties for the disclosure of classified material to unapproved sources are as follows:

Civilian Disclosure: Disclosure to an unapproved civilian will result in the immediate revocation of any SECRET or TOP SECRET clearances and immediate demotion or court-marshal. In the event that information disclosed leads to the compromising of ADVENT operations or the deaths of ADVENT personnel, it will result in the immediate arrest and prosecution of the individual with up to ten years in prison.

Media Disclosure: The disclosure of classified material to any media or a traditional or non-traditional source will result in the immediate arrest and prosecution of the individual with penalties up to twenty years of prison time. In the event that information disclosed leads to the compromising of ADVENT operations or the deaths of ADVENT personnel, penalties will be increased including execution or sentencing to the Experimentation Labs.

Alien Disclosure: Disclosure of classified material to any uncleared alien source regardless of affiliation will result in the immediate arrest and interrogation of the individual in question. Releasing information to an allied alien will result in an immediate demotion and revocation of all SECRET and TOP SECRET clearances. Doing the same to aliens unaffiliated or opposed to ADVENT is considered treason, and will result in execution or sentencing to the Experimentation Labs.

Intelligence Disclosure: The disclosure of any intelligence material to any source is grounds for immediate arrest and prosecution, with penalties from ten years up to sentencing to the Experimentation labs. This can be compounded with previous penalties.

* * *

ADVENT's relationship with the media has been tumultuous, heated, and almost always tense. Despite their repeated insistence on leniency and protection of critical speech, the world has seen this as ADVENT slowly but surely muzzling the world of media, supplementing it with their own, and punishing anyone who is against them.

But the most concerning aspect that ADVENT has inexplicably shifted towards, is eliminating journalism itself – or ensuring that it cannot be used against them without significant punishment.

ADVENT has not been supportive of media critical of them, with many outspoken critics of ADVENT policy being unofficially blacklisted, watched, and monitored without legal recourse. While they have not been technically silenced, each of them are concerned that one day ADVENT will not tolerate them anymore and they'll vanish.

"It's only a matter of time," Caitlan Monolux, a racial justice activist critical of the ADVENT Peacekeepers told us. "I know I'm on their list. Men have visited me several times in reference to potentially incising material and if I had been in communication with any aliens. I denied both; that isn't how I work, but it's worrying. People I know have already disappeared, and if I don't watch what I say carefully, I will be next."

"ADVENT controls the tech industry that we use every day," Arnold Wollester, an expert legal witness in computer science told us, having been following trends in anti-ADVENT accounts. "Private corporations don't really exist in ADVENT. You follow their orders, or you get taken over. They have complete power, and if you're critical? Well, Twitter, Facebook, any big media platform will announce a bot purge and your follower count will be slashed to a fraction of what it was, your account will never be found in a search, you will end up shouting into an echo chamber that gets gradually smaller. This isn't a conspiracy. ADVENT hasn't taken my study down yet, and you can bet they would if they felt it was made up."

All of this, many other journalists claim, is the most benign actions of ADVENT's shadow war against the press. ADVENT recently reminded all media platforms of the penalties for publishing classified material acquired or leaked to them by who they designated as 'traitors and disgruntled employees'. This appears to be the result of a new initiative by the Acting Director of ADVENT Intelligence Ian Powell, formerly the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

"Wikileaks being shut down was the first warning sign," freelance journalist Quaia Lee said. "It didn't really matter what the story behind that was, who was behind it, or if it was a Russian conspiracy. It existed as a check – no matter how small – on the powers of the world. It's aired plenty of embarrassing secrets people wanted to keep hidden. No one did anything either because they couldn't, or seemed to believe that if it was never acknowledged, nothing would hurt them."

"Wikileaks being gone removed one of the few safe havens for whistleblowers everywhere," she continued. "I don't know how ADVENT took it down, but they did it quickly and quietly. One day it was up, the next day it wasn't. Maybe another one will appear, but what are the chances that it's real and not a trap? If you're caught between doing the right thing and risking your life, are you going to take the chance?"

The removal of Wikileaks and several other high-profile organizations which have been responsible for leaking classified information remains a highly-debated topic on the legality of the actions, but also if such actions should be protected in the first place. ADVENT did not release the number of operatives captured or make their trials public, but did released a four-page document of evidence of high-ranking members being approached by Zararch operatives to distribute damaging material on ADVENT. It is not clear if the organization agreed to this arrangement, and all ADVENT would confirm is that significant portions of it were compromised and that "Regardless of their choices, they have participated in an illegal organization and will be dealt with accordingly."

Following these actions, ADVENT has begun publicly announcing when they have caught someone leaking, or attempting to leak classified material. Many of these have come after major and minor publications have released material on secretive aspects of ADVENT including ADVENT Intelligence, ADVENT Research and Development, the infamous Experimentation Labs, and the ADVENT Prison System.

In the past there would be recourse and protection for organizations who happened to acquire this material – a stance that ADVENT has actively fought against, and unlike in the past, there is no recourse for the media to protect themselves or their sources. ADVENT rarely finds the original leakers on their own, but through the sources who publish their material.

Sometimes these had been contested, the largest of which was MSNBC who stated their intent to take it to the courts. In response to their refusal to cooperate, ADVENT raided their headquarters and placed the entire board of directors under house arrest, and brought in each journalist, writer, and editor in for interrogation. Some of them were arrested, while the majority were released. Two hours later ADVENT announced three individuals leaking classified information had been arrested and were to be sentenced the following day.

"There were times in the past we wouldn't run stories because they didn't want to get on the government's bad side," Lester Thorne, one of the editors arrested said. "Although then it was about access and prestige. No one was actually in any danger of losing their job, let alone their _life_ for a story they published. We don't take any chances anymore. On our site we flat-out warn people that if they submit classified information, we _are_ going to report them. No one believed ADVENT would actually go after one of the largest media companies in the world – but they will, and they don't care how many people they break to shut something down they think is a threat."

Other journalists are even more paranoid as a result of this. "I'm sure they're monitoring everything we receive, watch, and say," Sally Marriw said. "We'd never decided to publish classified material – none of the board wanted to risk it – but unofficially they did give us permission to say to people who tried to share with us "Hey, we can't do this, but here's someone who could," and then direct them to someone independent. Now it's standard policy to not say anything and forward it to ADVENT. I hate it."

ADVENT's war against leakers has targeted independent journalists as well, and non-mainstream sources. Dozens have been arrested in conjunction with releasing and redistributing classified material and many are serving prison sentences. "We can't do our jobs now," Jonathan Mox, a visibly frustrated investigative journalist said. "Everything is surface level; only what the public can see. If you go digging and end up somewhere you shouldn't, you get arrested. If you get something you know the public deserves to know, you get arrested. If you publish anything even remotely showing something ADVENT doesn't want you to see, you get arrested. What are we supposed to do? Run away? Live in a different country? ADVENT will still come after you. We're screwed, plain and simple."

"I've given up," a journalist who declined to give their name said. "ADVENT won. Journalism as we knew it is dead forever. I may go out with a bang, but for every story published, another person will be silenced forever. And no one will care, and if they do, ADVENT doesn't care about them. The people are a statistic to them, who they will dispose of if it threatens them. There's nothing else we can do. I guess we can only hope that ADVENT will be benevolent, because god help us all if that isn't the case."

One thing that is clear through all those who we spoke too is that they believe, even if they won't verbally say it, that there is no going back. There is a sense of entrapment of those who are skeptical of ADVENT, especially through new questions raised by former XCOM soldier Patricia Trask. The line between what ADVENT believes is acceptable and what is not is blurred, and many fear it's intended to be that way.

The theme ADVENT is pushing is clear – stay quiet and you'll be safe. Be loud and we will silence you.

ADVENT has shown that public perception is not something it cares about. Perhaps that is the most concerning thing of all. Even if the public demands change, if it demands accountability, it will be ignored, or worse, suppressed. There is no recourse for the enemies of ADVENT. Those who are against the regime have only two options.

Hide, or die.

 _\- Article: "I've given up" ADVENT's War on Journalism reaches the Endgame_

* * *

"I appreciate you allowing me to speak, Miss Wong. It's good to clear the air and use this opportunity to calm some of the hysteria which has taken place. While I'm sure the majority are not as concerned by the accusations raised by various media organizations, I am certain they – like you – wish to know the full story."

"Too radical? Ah, while I can see why some candidates would be unwilling to rock the boat for a presumably interim position, I've never believed in such. For all intents and purposes, I am the Director of ADVENT Intelligence. It is my responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of ADVENT and Humanity as a whole. Director Falka has performed admirably, and held the position with integrity, but that does not mean I do not see room for improvements and necessary changes."

"Well, part of this is what the media has picked up on. I would like to clarify that ADVENT has held the belief that anyone has the right to be critical of ADVENT and our decisions, while also recognizing that illegal activity should not be supported, or publishing information that puts the lives of soldiers, civilians, and innocents at risk. None of this has changed."

"Well, consider it a shift in priorities, Miss Wong. Our policies haven't changed, but our prioritization of certain goals has. The context of some of these decisions is classified, I'm afraid, but this has resulted in a more proactive approach to finding and plugging leaks in our organizations ADVENT-wide. You, and anyone else, is more than welcome to refer to the public record of the Congress of Nations or our policies on classified material, leaking, and press culpability. You will notice that none of them have changed recently. We are only now beginning to properly enforce them."

"The answer to why is simple – people are dying. We are in a war for the continued survival of our species, after all. A war where there is a much greater threat than the phantom one ADVENT poses. We are continually in conflict with the Zararch, an entity which is dedicated to compromising our institutions and corrupting our people. They are more than willing to utilize propaganda and proxies to weaken public trust in us, which certain segments of the public are all too ready to believe."

"I'm not saying that all critics are alien sympathizers. We've taken care of those who were. But I am saying that many people are susceptible to unfounded propaganda encouraged and spread by alien operatives. Much of this is spread unintentionally, and I believe that many would be horrified to learn that they are being used by the aliens, but this is nonetheless a harsh reality that we are continually attempting to inform the public of."

"This is an interesting question – what does the public have a right to know? I would like to take a moment to quash the idea that we have harsh punishments for leakers because we are ashamed of our actions or know what we are doing is wrong. It isn't. If that were the case, we wouldn't hide divisions like the Experimentation Labs, or our Prisons which many have called harsh and unjust. Hiding information like that from the public is ludicrous in this day and age. We are fully confident in our institutions and fully stand behind them. In truth, even if we didn't, that is not the main reason for our laws surrounding this topic."

"It has to do first and foremost with safety and secrecy. We do not care what the public sees – their reaction is unimportant – we care what the _Collective_ sees. It is not just the average citizen that watches and reads this information – it is also our enemies. Do you think they care about the supposed wrongdoing? Do you think they are watching to pat themselves on the back?"

"No, they're watching because it is _information_. Through leaks they can determine our plans, the locations of our soldiers, identify operatives and through them, their families. They can determine where we are on projects and infer other ones which are ongoing. They can identify how much we have progressed; they can learn where our bases are located. They have material they can digitally alter and distribute through proxies."

"This information that is leaked is _used_ , Miss Wong, and if there is a point I ask you remember, it is this one. Soldiers have been ambushed and killed by Zararch operatives. Families of scientists have been abducted or killed. Research bases have been hit by strike teams. We've been forced to cancel or rework projects because the aliens will be prepared for them. Through the actions of leakers, they have put the personnel, citizens, and soldiers of ADVENT at risk. This fact is indisputable, and we will not tolerate it any longer."

"While I do not believe many of these people are malicious, and believe that they are doing the right thing, they are unwitting pawns of the aliens by succumbing to their morality instead of upholding the integrity of ADVENT. Part of the blame lies with us, for allowing access to people who were not able to handle some positions in ADVENT. That is not an excuse for their actions, but moving forward we are working to be careful in who we appoint."

"Not every position in ADVENT is for everyone, and there is no shame in that. But if there are concerns employees of ours have, there are procedures in place. The Oversight Division will investigate each inquiry seriously, and if one has a significant moral issue with their work, we will happily allow them to transfer to a different part of ADVENT to keep their conscience clear. But putting others in danger in never the answer, and we have no tolerance for it any longer."

"Our so-called 'ruthless' approach will work, Miss Wong. I am certain of it. There is a reason we have been public with our actions. The world must know that this kind of conduct is unacceptable and will be severely punished. These people certain groups of the media laud as heroes have been responsible for the deaths of thousands through their actions. Blood is on their hands, and the hands of any who spread what they revealed to the aliens."

"If fear is their primary motivation for not risking the lives of others, then I am more than willing to accept that. I do not care if the media fears what we will do, as that implies that we are concerned with them beyond being useful proxies for Zararch operatives. Our approach has never been hidden and is straightforward, as you can attest to. The media may pretend like this is a surprise, but they've known the price of breaking the law. They unfortunately underestimated their importance to the world. We will never put an organization or individual above the safety and security of ADVENT and our citizens, soldiers, and personnel."

"Thank you for your time, Miss Wong. I hope that this clarified our stance."

 _\- Interview between Acting Director of ADVENT Intelligence Ian Powell and Journalist Jessica Wong_


End file.
